[98] Use of hydrogenated and deuterated detergents in the study of rhodopsin by neutron small-angle scattering

Publisher Summary This chapter outlines the principle of neutron small-angle scattering and discusses the practical limitations and the criteria that must be fulfilled by the several components in a protein–detergent micelle so that unambiguous results are obtained. It describes various characteristics of neutron-scattering cameras. The analysis of the scattering data in this case involves models consisting of two components—protein and detergent. For neutrons this scattering property is associated with the structure of the atomic nuclei and is defined as the scattering length density. Two structural parameters can be determined from these data: the molecular weight and the radius of gyration of the particle. The mechanical analog of the radius of gyration is the radius of inertia, which, for an object of given mass and volume, is defined by its shape.