Development of a Tender-Energy Microspectroscopy and Imaging User Facility for Earth Sciences at NSLS and NSLS-II

该项目将创建一个新的，独特的基于同步加速器的用户设施，以检查地质材料在微米级与聚焦X射线束调整专门为较轻的元素钠通过钛。该设施是专为地球科学研究的“招标”（1-8千电子伏能量）X射线显微光谱和成像应用而设计和优化的，并将补充现有的和高生产力的“硬”X射线设施，其工作电压高于约4.5千电子伏。它将把硬X射线微探针典型的X射线荧光（XRF）和X射线吸收光谱（XAS）能力扩展到较低能量，作为晶体和非晶体材料中元素分布和局部物理和电子结构和状态的元素特异性非侵入性探针。此外，它还将提供先进的微束扩展X射线吸收光谱（EXAFS）功能，用于确定所选元素周围更详细的局部结构。该项目将通过在布鲁克海文国家实验室的国家同步加速器光源（NSLS）的X15 B处的已建立和已验证的宏观聚焦（约1 mm光斑尺寸）招标能量XAS光束线上添加新的微聚焦能力来进行，随后将过渡到NSLS-II正在开发的新招标能量光谱（TES）光束线。它的关键属性将是独特的1至8 keV的能量范围，用户可调的光斑尺寸从约50微米到1微米，高通量和稳定性优化的高品质和扩展的XAS，选择XRF和XAS映射与快速扫描，和氦手套箱样品环境。性能将提高转移到NSLS-II，一个国家的最先进的新同步加速器设计的高亮度应用。这些新的能力对于提高我们对地球化学和地球化学过程的认识至关重要，特别是那些涉及较轻元素的过程，并将通过NSLS一般用户程序公开提供使用。具体的应用目标包括矿物-水界面，营养物和污染物，碳酸盐，古气候，氧化还原过程，高压矿物学;和地球材料的健康影响。

This project will create a new, unique synchrotron-based user facility to examine geologic materials at the micron scale with a focused X-ray beam tuned specifically for lighter elements Na through Ti. This facility is designed and optimized for "tender" (1-8 keV energy) X-ray micro-spectroscopy and imaging applications for Earth Science research, and will complement existing and highly productive "hard" X-ray facilities operating above about 4.5 keV. It will extend to lower energies the X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) capabilities typical of hard X-ray microprobes, as element-specific non-invasive probes of elemental distribution and local physical and electronic structures and states in crystalline and non-crystalline materials. In addition, it will offer advanced capabilities for microbeam extended X-ray absorption spectroscopy (EXAFS) for determination of more detailed local structure around the selected element. This project will be undertaken by adding new micro-focusing capabilities at an established and proven macro-focused (~1mm spot size) tender-energy XAS beamline at X15B of the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) at Brookhaven National Laboratory, and will subsequently transition to the new Tender Energy Spectroscopy (TES) beamline under development at NSLS-II. Its key attributes will be the distinct 1 to 8 keV energy range, user-tunable spot size from about 50 microns to 1 micron, high flux and stability optimized for high-quality and extended XAS, options for both XRF and XAS mapping with rapid scanning, and a helium glove-box sample environment. Performance will improve when transferred to NSLS-II, a state-of-the-art new Synchrotron designed for high brightness applications. These new capabilities are critical for advancing our knowledge of geochemical and biogeochemical processes, in particular those involving lighter elements, and will be openly available for use through the NSLS General User program. Specific applications targeted include the mineral-water interface, nutrients and contaminants, carbonates, paleoclimate, redox processes, high-pressure mineralogy; and health effects of Earth materials.