These can be considered as intermediate between single crystal and powder samples. In a diffractometer scan the relative intensities of the peaks are intermediate between those of a single crystal and a powder. The change in relative intensities may indicate the orientation of the sample. This can be observed in the following simulation:
Note: This animation requires Adobe Flash Player 8 and later, which can be downloaded here.
In a complementary manner, orientation can be measured by recording how a reflection is spread at constant 2θ. An unoriented powder has rings of constant intensity, while an oriented sample has an arc or sharp spot.
Note: This animation requires Adobe Flash Player 8 and later, which can be downloaded here.
It is sometimes helpful to consider oriented samples in reciprocal space. For information about pole figures see aluMATTER.
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