After yesterday's Nobel celebration we are back on track . I believe I promised something on #data #analysis
A thread 🧵on how we extract the data from our #robot beamtime @desynews @p021_desy and how we figure out the #arrangement of #atoms in our samples /@RPittkowski 1/6
We get these beautiful 2D images from where the #scattered #X-ray beam hits the detector plate. What you see below is the scattering recorded for LaB6 - not surprising that we use it as a standard for calibration when you look at the beautiful #rings 2/6
By radial integration we get a 1D diffraction pattern, which shows distinct Bragg peaks for each ring on the 2D image. I made a very boring #GIF where you can see how the #rings relate to #peaks in the pattern 3/6
Such a a beautiful #diffraction pattern we get for powder #crystalline samples. The #periodic lattice planes reflect the X-rays periodically which leads to interference. Maybe you remember #BraggsLaw 🤓 4/6 (image credit @kirsten_mj)
We can identify many #crystalline compounds based on their #diffraction #pattern which serves as a kind of #fingerprint and can be compared to #database structures. There exist many databases with hundreds of thousand structures - a good start to identify your structure 5/6
But what happens when we #go #nano ? By downsizing the crystal we lose most of the periodic lattice planes - so no more beautiful rings💍or Bragg peaks 🤔Not to worry, we can still get structural information - from #PDF (not the #fileformat 📰) - but that deserves its own🧵6/6

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More from @RealSci_Nano

Oct 6
Finally, the thread (you didn't know) you have been waiting for 🥳 "How can we use X-ray scattering to learn about the way the atoms sit in a #small #nanoparticle?" - lets use the Pair Distribution Function #PDF ! It's all about the neighbors 1/6 /@RPittkowski
To get information from small #nanoparticles, where periodic lattice planes are rare, we measure the X-ray scattering to very large scattering angles. This is called #Xray #totalscattering. So we need to come veeeery close with the detector to our sample.😱😬 2/6
Again, we integrate our scattering image (check up older tweets), but we are not done yet. More data treatment is necessary. We use a #Fouriertransform and transform from reciprocal (Q) space to #real #space - and there we have it, our PDF 😍3/6 Image
Read 6 tweets
Oct 4
I will try to give you a little #glimpse of the experiments we were running the past days at the P02.1 beamline at DESY @p021_desy
The experiments did involve a #robot 🤓🤖 and many, many tiny glass capillaries....

A #thread 🧵 with a robot #video 1/6 @RPittkowski Image
First, we place capillaries filled with #nanoparticles (small glass tubes) on a holder, which the robot can later grab. This involves a lot of wax and steady hands, to place the capillaries in a straight way. In the picture you can see a sample rack full of capillaries. 2/6 Image
Here you can see a sample spinning in the lab, to check if the capillaries are straight, or if we need to move them a little to even out any wobbling👩‍🔬- we can melt the wax again and angle them new 3/6
Read 6 tweets
Oct 28, 2021
As a reviews editor I get often asked ⭐What makes a good Review?⭐ Here is a summary of my answer in 8 points:

1- Timely: cover an emerging topic or address a need for clarity in a specific area. Make sure you can answer the question ‘why now?’ before you start writing.
2- Original: ensure you have a new angle/message such that the new review is a useful contribution to the literature. Writing a good review is a lot of work, so make sure the final product will be valuable for readers. Make it count!
3- Insightful: you don’t want your review to be a laundry list of results in the field. Use your experience to select the most important results, assess them critically and show readers how they fit together in a bigger story
Read 9 tweets
Oct 27, 2021
Let’s now look at some simple writing tips. The main thing to keep in mind when writing scientific articles is that the point is not to write beautiful prose, but to be understood clearly. We are not Shakespeare! In our case, clarity is better than beauty.
You want your paper to tell a story. Start with your scientific question & how it fits in the context of previous results. Then state what you did & how (in logical, not chronological order) and what you found. Finish with *reasonable* implications and next steps.
Use a clear structure to guide the reader. One paragraph, one idea. Use short sentences linked by appropriate connectors (therefore, however) Use simple but precise words, always using the same word to describe the same thing. Avoid empty words (very, quite) Define all acronyms!
Read 4 tweets
Oct 27, 2021
Have you ever wondered what the Nature office in London looks like? It’s a cool mix of old and modern in a former warehouse on the Regent’s canal. It was very recently refurbished and sometimes I still get lost while looking for colleagues on other floors!
The office is open space, but there are little nooks & quiet corners where to go for a chat or for some focused work. My favourite desk is near a big window overlooking the canal & a mooring with several houseboats. Lots of cats living around the boats to observe during breaks!
Editors own the weirdest things. The craziness is now down because we've just moved all desks around so lots of personal stuff was taken home, but last week I found the cutest fluffy antibody bound to its little antigen. Also lots of interesting books are scattered around.
Read 5 tweets
Oct 26, 2021
Let me tell you more about my job as an editor at @NatRevMater. We are a team of 3 (with @ChristineHorejs & @arianevartanian) and publish Reviews and Perspectives on all topics materials science, + Comments on topics such as mentoring & inclusivity in academia. Lots of variety! Image
Editors also write content such as Research Highlights & Editorials -- the latter require a lot of reading and thinking and are a stimulating team effort, such as this recent one led by our brilliant team member Ariane: rdcu.be/cz5P0 Image
As editors we need to know what’s new in the fields we cover; we keep up to date reading the literature and going to conferences & talks (now virtually!) to identify both timely topics and interesting authors. We also encourage unsolicited submissions. Image
Read 9 tweets

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