For nonrelativistic neutrons, , so first-order uncertainty propagation gives . Thus
At fixed , differentiating the stipulated first-order relation gives . Consequently
For photons, , so the same fractional energy uncertainty gives . Their wavelength almost equals the low-energy neutron wavelength, so the conditional central angle is and
about twice the neutron angular spread. This difference comes from the different energy-momentum relations, not from substantially different central wavelengths. The small-angle approximation is adequate at : replacing by changes it by about , and replacing by changes the sensitivity by about . The numerical angular results retain the preceding geometry qualification; a different physical scattering geometry would require its own angle convention.

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