Theoretical Study on Gaussian Polymer Chains for Spin–Echo Small-Angle Neutron Scattering

This study develops a generalized method for applying spin-echo small-angle neutron scattering (SESANS) to the structural analysis of polymers. Starting from the theoretical framework of SESANS, we developed real space correlation functions for the Gaussian chain model systems consisting of chains with many beads. Further molecular dynamics (MD) simulations affirm that the functions derived by our proposed theoretical work can accurately predict the radii of gyration of polymer chains, which bring straightforward insight of SESANS measurements. This work will enable a broader application of SESANS in soft matter analysis.