Retrieving the size of particles with rough surfaces from 2D scattering patterns

Scattered intensity measurement is a commonly used method for determining the size of small particles. However, it requires calibration and is subject to errors due to changes in incident irradiance or detector sensitivity. Analysis of two-dimensional scattering patterns offers an alternative approach. We test possible techniques, including morphological image processing operations, on a diverse range of particles. It is found that the average surface area of intensity peaks is inversely proportional to particle size.