Making the Best Use of Beamtime
Eaton Edward Lattman, Thomas D. Grant, Edward H. Snell · Oxford University Press eBooks · 2018
Extracting information from scattering data is very sensitive to the quality of the data. In this chapter data quality characterization is described, including initial data processing procedures to alert the user to potential data quality issues. Accurate buffer subtraction is crucial for correct modeling and analysis of SAS data, and mechanisms for identifying buffer subtraction errors are discussed. Examining SAS parameters such as a function of concentration or exposure is very useful for identifying concentration dependent artifacts or radiation damage that, if unnoticed, can be very detrimental to further analysis, including misinterpreting the results and drawing erroneous conclusions. SAS is often used for analyzing flexible molecules in solution that may be difficult to study with other structural techniques. Qualitative and quantitative assessments of flexibility are described.