Scattering by an Inhomogeneous Solid. II. The Correlation Function and Its Application

Experiments on the angular intensity distribution of x-rays scattered by porous materials (hole structures) in the range of small angles are described. It is shown that the scattering can be characterized by an exponential correlation function in the case of a distribution of holes of random shape and size in solid; a theoretical derivation of the exponential function is given for this case. When the correlation function is an exponential, the rule holds that the reciprocal square root of the scattered intensity is a linear function of the square of the scattering angle. The specific surface of the material is determined by the slope of this straight line. Specific surfaces of a number of compositions are calculated from their experimental correlation functions and compared to surfaces based on adsorption measurements.