A new flat-cone diffractometer at studsvik neutron research laboratory for investigations of crystalline macromolecules

Abstract The relatively recent development of position-sensitive detectors for neutrons and X-rays has led to the possibility of large improvements in the efficiency of data collection with single-crystal diffractometers. Instruments using position-sensitive detectors do not have the mechanical complexity usually associated with multi-counter diffractometers. The construction of position-sensitive detectors is a well established art and these detectors are commercially available for both X-rays and neutrons. The design of a single-crystal diffractometer using a linear position-sensitive detector in flat-cone geometry is described and results from measurement of a complete neutron data set from a crystalline macromolecule are reported. Practical details of the construction of the diffractometer, of the collection and statistical handling of the data and of data rates are discussed.