Chi-Chang's Corner

DOE Grant Boosts NSLS Advanced Detector Development

September 17, 2008

Chi-Chang Kao
NSLS Department Chair
kao@bnl.gov

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The NSLS was recently awarded a three-year grant from the Department of Energy to develop new x-ray detectors with unprecedented capabilities. Members of our Detector Section, in collaboration with staff from Brookhaven's Instrumentation Department, will use the funding to explore the use of three-dimensional integration technology, pioneered in the semiconductor industry, to develop x-ray detectors with a higher level of functionality than is possible with current technologies. It has been recognized for a long time that an elevated and sustained investment in detector development is needed to optimize the utilization of both existing and future synchrotron sources. This award from DOE is a very important step toward meeting this critical need.

The summer shutdown activities are progressing nicely and we expect to bring both rings back online according to schedule. The biggest activity planned for this shutdown is the installation of the X9 undulator and front end, which are now in place. Beamline X9 is a new undulator-based beamline jointly developed by the NSLS and the Center for Functional Nanomaterials. Upon completion, beamline X9 will host the SAXS program that currently exists at beamline X21 and will provide much-needed beam time for the life sciences, soft condensed matter physics, and nanoscience communities.

At the latest Users' Executive Committee (UEC) meeting, Steve Hulbert presented a detailed report from the Beamline Transition Working Group, which was compiled based on input from the NSLS strategic planning workshops, Participating Research Teams, and individual comments from users. It includes a comprehensive list of the beamlines that are suitable for relocation to NSLS-II. Next, we'll work with the UEC to incorporate this information into the updated version of the NSLS 5-Year Plan and submit it to the Scientific Advisory Committee and the NSLS-II Experimental Facilities Advisory Committee for review. Tied to this effort, we're modifying the NSLS user access policy to create a new class of beamlines that will be made available to user groups that are interested in developing new synchrotron instruments and experimental techniques, in particular, for NSLS-II.

We've had a recent influx of honors given to NSLS users. Congratulations to Brookhaven chemist Radoslav Adzic, Cold Spring Harbor researcher Leemor Joshua-Tor, CNRS researcher Ricardo (Ric) Lobo, Carnegie Institution of Washington researcher Ho-kwang (Dave) Mao, adjunct Stony Brook professor David Sayre, and Bar-Ilan University doctoral student Lilach Tamam. You can read about the awards and honors given to these talented researchers in this issue of eNews.

Our summer students have returned to school after a very productive session at the NSLS. This year, we hosted 11 university students who worked on research projects ranging from the development of advanced detectors to improving crystallography techniques. They have also brought a lot energy and enthusiasm with them to the NSLS. During the course of their future career paths, I hope we'll see these students back at our facility. Thanks to all of the mentors who helped make their experiences valuable.

Finally, a team of researchers from Afton Chemical Corporation and the National Institute of Standards and Technology recently used the NSLS to show that titanium could serve as an environmentally friendly additive for automotive oil. The team found that titanium might be a good replacement for a commonly used, phosphorous-containing compound, which is chemical poison for automobile catalytic converters and reduces their effectiveness and life span. You can read more about their research in this issue of eNews.