A Shear Cell for XPCS Studies of Soft Materials

本研究的目的是开发一种用于软质玻璃材料X射线光子相关谱（XPCS）的原位剪切池。 XPCS探测由于纳米级材料运动引起的相干散射强度波动，提供有关缓慢微观动力学的独特信息。 为了研究软玻璃体系对机械扰动的纳米级响应，计划在阿贡国家实验室先进光子源（APS）的第8-ID扇区的XPCS光束线上设计基于压电换能器技术的剪切应变单元。 APS的XPCS光束线是世界上为数不多的此类设施之一，因此我们的团队处于有利地位，可以在这一新兴的研究领域产生重要影响。 为XPCS研究获得剪切单元将加强这种国际合作，并对我资助的NSERC发现计划产生重大影响，该计划涉及软玻璃质材料的老化，复兴和缓慢动力学。 HQP使用该仪器将在目前北美其他任何地方都无法获得的XPCS最高级国际设施中提供独家培训。

The aim of this proposal is to develop an in-situ shear cell for X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) of soft glassy materials. XPCS probes fluctuations in the coherent scattering intensity due to material motion on the nanoscale, providing unique information about slow, microscopic dynamics. In order to investigate the nanoscale response of soft glassy systems to mechanical perturbation, a shear strain cell based on piezoelectric transducer technology is planned for the XPCS beamline at Sector 8-ID of the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Labs. The XPCS beamline at APS is one of few such facilities in the world, and hence our team is well positioned to make an important impact in this emerging area of research. The acquisition of a shear cell for XPCS studies would enhance this international collaboration, and also have a substantial impact on my funded NSERC Discovery program on aging, rejuvenation, and slow dynamics in soft glassy materials. The access of HQP to this instrumentation will provide exclusive training at a superlative international facility for XPCS not currently available anywhere else in North America.