Low Cost High Frame Rate Detector for Macromolecular Diffraction and Scattering

描述（由申请人提供）：先进的光子源能够提供极高的x射线强度，并已被证明是x射线散射和时间分辨衍射材料的杰出资源，如用于电子，光电二极管和光伏应用的有机半导体，以及非晶体生物系统等生物材料。然而，问题在于找到一种探测器，它可以在所需的毫秒时间尺度上提供多帧详细的结构信息，并且具有高空间分辨率、高灵敏度和大面积。最近的探测器设计解决了其中的一些要求，但没有一个能满足所有的要求——然而它们的价格昂贵得令人望而却步。开发新的、具有成本效益的探测器，同时满足所有这些苛刻的需求，是充分利用这些杰出的新x射线源的关键。为了解决这些限制，我们建议开发一种新型的x射线成像探测器，它可以同时提供毫秒时间分辨率、高空间分辨率、大成像区域、探测噪声以上的单个低能x射线的灵敏度和宽动态范围，与现有的探测器系统相比，所有这些都是非常低的成本。我们的方法是利用低成本读出传感器的革命性新发展，并通过使用新颖的系统组件（如RMD的先进新型闪烁体）来减轻其局限性。第一阶段研究的目标是证明为同步加速器应用开发这种探测器的可行性。具体来说，我们将开发技术来制造具有所需性能的新闪烁体，并将该传感器与高速读出集成在一起，形成一个原型探测器。由此产生的探测器将在我们的实验室以及阿贡国家实验室的先进光子源（APS）进行全面评估，以确定其灵敏度、分辨率和运行速度。第二阶段项目将建立在第一阶段研究的基础上，并将寻求开发和提供一个功能齐全的大面积探测器，用于在APS同步加速器光束线上进行大分子衍射和散射研究。除了在生物系统的关键时间分辨x射线衍射和散射研究中具有特殊价值外，该探测器还将广泛应用于医学成像、高速计算机断层扫描、无损检测和基础物理研究等许多领域。由于其高性能，紧凑的性质和非常低的成本，该探测器将非常适合国土安全应用，从行李扫描到生物制剂检测，而不会污染探测器系统。公共卫生相关性：拟议的研究将开发一种新型x射线成像探测器，可以同时提供毫秒时间分辨率、高空间分辨率、大成像区域、检测噪声以上单个低能量x射线的灵敏度和宽动态范围，与当前的探测器系统相比，所有这些成本都非常低。我们的方法是利用低成本读出传感器的革命性新发展，并通过使用新颖的系统组件（如RMD的先进新型闪烁体）来抵消其局限性。这种传感器的可用性将使高速x射线成像探测器技术的进步成为可能，这些技术需要用于许多至关重要的生物学研究，例如大分子的静态和时间分辨散射，高速计算机断层扫描等。

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.