Sindarin

Sindarin is a software that performs various calculations for polycrystalline diffraction techniques, such as Rietveld refinement, Fundamental Parameters Approach (FPA), and Whole Powder Pattern Modelling (WPPM). It is designed to be flexible and easy to use, using a plain text file written in a proprietary syntax for the calculations.
Sindarin uses a plain text file to store the data for the calculations. An internal interpreter reads this file and performs the calculations. To make the file readable, it has to use correct words that the interpreter recognizes and follow a specific pattern of writing. This is why we call it the Sindarin language, with its own “dictionary” and “grammar” (syntax).
To use Sindarin, users have several options available: a command line interface (CLI), integration with Visual Studio Code, and Nimloth, a dedicated user interface. All three options can be used on the three major operating systems (OS): Windows, macOS, and Linux. Nimloth will likely be the best choice for most users.

Main features

The main features of Sindarin include:

• Different structure details:
  • Rietveld (full structure information)
  • Pawley method (only cell information)
  • Without structure information.
• Background: Highly flexible
  • Combination of different background models
  • Several analytical functions
  • Read from file
  • Interpolation
  • Custom analytical function
• Profile: Comprehensive and flexible reflection profile calculation
  • Several analytical functions
  • Convolution of multiple profile functions
  • Profile asymmetry correction
  • Fundamental Parameters Approach (FPA)
  • Whole powder pattern modelling (WPPM)
  • Custom analytical function
• Reflection intensity corrections:
  • Monochromator correction
  • Absorptions
  • Preferred orientation
    • March and March-Dollase multi direction
    • Arbitrary and individual correction of reflection intensity
• Reflection position corrections:
  • Zero
  • Specimen Displacement
  • Shift: Arbitrary and individual correction of reflection position
• Different diffraction geometries:
  • Reflection
  • Transmission
  • Symmetric
  • Asymmetric
  • Flat specimen
  • Thin film
  • Capillary
  • Variable divergence slit
• Radiation modeling
  • Possibility to model the radiation flexibly
  • Any wavelength
  • Any relative intensity of discrete lines
  • Any number of discrete lines
  • Profile modeling of each discrete line separately
    • Voigtian profiles described in wavelength with physical variation of the FWHM with the diffraction angle
• Multiple data files for the same experiment
• Multiple experiments fitted together
  • Possibility to simultaneously refine multiple experiment data under different conditions, for example, different radiations

Manual