Dynamic performance of the beam position monitor support at the SSRF

The dynamic performance of the beam position monitor support at the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility is studied by finite-element analysis and vibration measurements. The mechanical stability of the support is improved by changing the connections between the support and the ground.

Diamond kinoform hard X-ray refractive lenses: design, nanofabrication and testing

Numerical design and nanofabrication procedures for the production of diamond-based kinoform refractive X-ray lenses are discussed; a test of a focusing action of a single lens is presented.

Upgrade of the CATS sample changer on FIP-BM30A at the ESRF: towards a commercialized standard

An upgraded version of the sample changer CATS (Cryogenic Automated Transfer System) has been developed on the FIP-BM30A beamline at the ESRF. This system has the ability to manage any sample standard stored in any kind of puck

A combined microRaman and microdiffraction set-up at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility ID13 beamline

An overview of the combined microRaman/microdiffraction set-up at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility's microfocus beamline, including typical beamline application examples, is given.

Correlation between local vibrations and metal mass in AlB₂-type transition-metal diborides

Lattice vibrations have been investigated in TiB₂, ZrB₂ and HfB₂ by temperature-dependent EXAFS experiments. Data clearly show that the EXAFS oscillations are characterized by an anomalous behavior of the Debye–Waller factor of the transition-metal–boron pair.

Temperature dependence of the Ho L₂-edge XMCD spectra of Ho₆Fe₂₃

An X-ray magnetic circular dichroism study performed at the Ho L_2,3-edges in Ho₆Fe₂₃ as a function of temperature is presented.

Hard X-ray phase-contrast imaging with the Compact Light Source based on inverse Compton X-rays

First X-ray phase-contrast imaging results recorded at the Compact Light Source, a laboratory-based inverse Compton X-ray source, are reported.

Pressure study of monoclinic ReO₂ up to 1.2 GPa using X-ray absorption spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction

A pressure study of the α-ReO₂ structure up to 1.2 GPa using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction and X-ray absorption spectroscopy is reported for the first time. To study the α-ReO₂ phase under hydrostatic pressure, a new boron carbide anvil pressure cell that can be used in absorption and diffraction X-ray experiments in any synchrotron radiation facility has been developed and built.

X-ray fluorescent CT imaging of cerebral uptake of stable-iodine perfusion agent iodoamphetamine analog IMP in mice

Using X-ray fluorescent computed tomography (XFCT), the in vivo and ex vivo cerebral distribution of a stable-iodine-labeled cerebral perfusion agent has been recorded in the brains of mice. Results highlight the sensitivity of XFCT and its considerable potential to evaluate cerebral perfusion in small animals without using radioactive agents.

First XANES evidence of a disorder–order transition in a spinel ferrite compound: nanocrystalline ZnFe₂O₄

In situ XANES experiments were performed to investigate the disorder to order transition in nano-sized zinc ferrite.

The MX2 macromolecular crystallography beamline: a wiggler X-ray source at the LNLS

The Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory is the only synchrotron radiation source in Latin America. Here the design, technical set-up and experimental parameters of the first wiggler macromolecular crystallography beamline (MX2) at this synchrotron source are described. Parameters of the X-ray diffraction data sets collected at the MX2 are also provided.

High-flux hard X-ray microbeam using a single-bounce capillary with doubly focused undulator beam

A pre-focused X-ray beam has been used to illuminate a single-bounce capillary in order to generate a high-flux X-ray microbeam at the BioCAT undulator X-ray beamline at the Advanced Photon Source. The combined optical arrangement makes it suitable for many microprobe fluorescence applications and micro-XANES experiments for biological samples.

Selected techniques in diamond anvil cell crystallography: centring samples using X-ray transmission and rocking powder samples to improve X-ray diffraction image quality

A method for positioning diamond anvil cell samples at a centre of rotation is described and evaluated, after which the practice of rocking properly centred polycrystalline samples is examined. These selected techniques are crucial to optimizing the quality of data, and hence the accuracy of structural parameters, obtained from microscopic samples submitted to extreme pressure conditions.

A dedicated small-angle X-ray scattering beamline with a superconducting wiggler source at the NSRRC

A dedicated SAXS beamline with a superconducting wiggler source has been installed at the NSRRC to provide a low-divergence beam of 10¹⁰–10¹¹ photons s⁻¹ in the energy range 5–23 keV for nanostructural research.

A Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode array for X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy

A Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode array for X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy is presented.

Capturing molecular structural dynamics by 100 ps time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy

An experimental set-up for time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy with 100 ps time resolution at beamline NW14A at the Photon Factory Advanced Ring is presented.

Focusing synchrotron radiation using a poly­capillary half-focusing X-ray lens for imaging

An imaging system based on a polycapillary half-focusing X-ray lens and synchrotron radiation source has been designed.

Current events

Notes for authors 2009

Forthcoming meetings and short courses