Low Cost High Frame Rate Detector for Macromolecular Diffraction and Scattering

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Advanced photon sources are capable of providing extremely high X-ray intensities and have proven to be outstanding resources for X-ray scattering and time-resolved diffraction of materials such as organic semiconductors used in electronics, photodiode, and photovoltaic applications, and biological materials such as non-crystalline biological systems. The problem, however, is in finding a detector that can provide multiple frames of detailed structural information on the required millisecond time scale with high spatial resolution, high sensitivity and large area. Recent detector designs address some of these requirements, but none satisfies all - yet they are prohibitively expensive. Development of new and cost-effective detectors that can simultaneously address all of these demanding needs is the key to fully exploiting these outstanding new X-ray sources. To address these limitations we propose to develop a novel X-ray imaging detector that can simultaneously provide millisecond time resolution, high spatial resolution, large imaging area, sensitivity to detect individual low energy X-rays above the noise, and wide dynamic range, all at a very low cost compared to current detector systems. Our approach is to take advantage of revolutionary new developments in low-cost readout sensors and mitigate their limitations through the use of novel system components such as an advanced new scintillator from RMD. The goal of the Phase I research is to demonstrate the feasibility of developing such a detector for synchrotron applications. Specifically, we will develop technologies to fabricate the new scintillator with the desired properties and integrate this sensor with a high-speed readout to form a prototype detector. The detector thus produced will be thoroughly evaluated in our laboratory as well as at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory to establish its sensitivity, resolution, and speed of operation. The Phase II project will build on the Phase I research and will seek to develop and deliver a fully functional large area detector for macromolecular diffraction and scattering studies to be performed at the APS synchrotron beamline. Beside its exceptional value in critical time-resolved X-ray diffraction and scattering studies of biological systems, this detector will find widespread use in many areas of medical imaging, high speed computed tomography, non-destructive testing, and basic physics research. Due to its high performance, compact nature and very low cost, the proposed detector will be ideally suited for homeland security applications ranging from baggage scanning to detection of biological agents without contaminating the detector system. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed research will develop a novel X-ray imaging detector that can simultaneously provide millisecond time resolution, high spatial resolution, large imaging area, sensitivity to detect individual low energy X-rays above the noise, and wide dynamic range, all at a very low cost compared to current detector systems. Our approach is to take advantage of revolutionary new developments in low-cost readout sensors and counterbalance their limitations through the use of novel system components such as an advanced new scintillator from RMD. The availability of such a sensor will enable advancements in the high speed X-ray imaging detector technology needed for many critically important biological studies such as static and time- resolved scattering from macromolecules, high speed computed tomography, etc.