Correcting Neutron and X-Ray Transmission/Absorption for multiple samples with arbitrary shapes.

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In practice, experiments often require multiple co-aligned crystals or irregular sample assemblies to achieve sufficient scattering volume. For such geometries, the neutron path length is complicated, and the effective absorption depends strongly on sample arrangement and orientation. Very few algorithms currently support absorption correction for multiple co-aligned samples of arbitrary shapes. Most existing methods assume a single sample with simple geometry (cylinders, plates, spheres). This leaves a major gap: experiments on complex assemblies cannot be corrected rigorously, even though they are common on high-flux instruments. Developing an algorithm to handle multiple, arbitrarily shaped, co-aligned samples directly addresses this unmet need. It would enable more accurate studies of strongly absorbing materials, broaden the range of samples accessible to neutron scattering, and fully exploit the capabilities of modern high-flux spectrometers. We demonstrate this method on neutron inelastic scattering measurements of an irregularly shaped CeRhIn₅ single crystal using the Multi-Axis Crystal Spectrometer at NIST. The algorithm has been extended to handle absorption corrections for multiple co-aligned samples. Our results show that the procedure successfully accounts for angle-dependent absorption, making it a practical tool both for correcting experimental data and for planning future measurements.

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