Full fitting analysis of the relative intermediate form factor measured by neutron spin echo

Abstract This paper describes the dynamics of a water-in-oil microemulsion from the dilute to the dense droplet region. Using the relative intermediate form factor method for neutron spin echo data analyses [M. Nagao, H. Seto, Phys. Rev. E 78 (2008) 011507], the shape and structure fluctuations of a droplet microemulsion are successfully decoupled. In the previous paper, we used the first cumulant analysis of the shape fluctuation model, while the full fitting form of the same model is applied in this paper. The final results of the fittings using the first cumulant approximation and the full form of the model are almost identical, and therefore, the validity of the method is strengthened. The estimated bending modulus of the surfactant membrane, κ , is basically the same, within the experimental errors, in the previous and present results. The κ is not affected much by an increase of the droplet concentration. A clear dynamic slowing down of the water droplets is highlighted at the length scale corresponding to the inter-droplet distance from the structure fluctuation analysis.