Collimation corrections in small angle scattering of neutrons

A numerical technique is developed for correcting experimental data from small-angle diffuse scattering of neutrons for the effect of instrumental resolution in the static approximation. The deconvolution method does not require any particular a priori theoretical prediction on the form of the differential cross section while the resolution is assumed to be the product of two independent functions representing the effect of the finite angular divergences of the incident and scattered beams in the scattering plane (horizontal collimation) and in the normal plane (vertical collimation). The validity of the procedure is tested under various typical experimental conditions and the results are discussed also in connexion with random errors affecting the input data.