The hard X-ray nanoprobe beamline at the SSRF

The hard X-ray nanoprobe beamline BL13U is a phase-Ⅱ beamline project at the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility.The beamline aims to enable comprehensive experiments at high spatial resolutions ranging from 50 to 10 nm. The X-ray energy range of the beamline, 5–25 keV, can detect most elements in the periodic table. Two operating modes were designed to accommodate the experimental requirements of high-energy resolution or high photon flux, respectively. X-ray nanofluorescence, nanodiffraction, and coherent diffraction imaging are developed as the main experimental techniques for BL13U. This paper describes the beamline optics, end station configurations, experimental methods under development, and preliminary test results. This comprehensive overview aims to provide a clear understanding of the beamline capabilities and potential applications.

Hard X-Ray Modulation Telescope(HXMT) Mission

The HXMT mission concept consists of a slat-collimated hard X-ray detector assembly sensitive in 20～250 keV with a collection area of about 5000 cm2. Based on the reconstruction technique by direct demodulation developed in recent years, HXMT is mainly devoted to performing a hard X-ray all-sky imaging survey with both high sensitivity and high spatial resolution. It can also be used to make pointed observations of X-ray sources to study their spectroscopic and temporal properties in details. The main detector of HXMT consists of 18 individual cylindrical NaI(T1)/CsI(Na) phoswich modules, each with anarea of 283.5 cm2 and a field of view of 5.7°× 1.1° (FWHM). Its spatial resolution and position accuracy are 5′ and 1′ by using the direct demodulation in 1994, and in 2000 its feasibility and technical demonstration study was selected as a project under the Major State Basic Research Program of China. In October 2005, this project entered the full design phase and was listed as a candidate for the first dedicated astronomy satellite around 2010. We are now also considering secondary low energy instruments for this satellite.

Status of the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope Project

The Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope(HXMT) is China's first astronomical satellite.It will perform a broad band(1–250 keV) scan survey and do pointed observations of X-ray sources to study their spectra and multi-wavelength temporal properties. The pre-flight models of the satellites have been finished, and the flight models are in production. The expected launch date of HXMT is in late 2015.

Spectrometer of hard X-ray imager payload onboard the ASO-S mission

A spaceborne hard X-ray spectrometer, composed of an array of 99 scintillation detectors and associated readout electronics, has been developed for the hard X-ray imager(HXI). The HXI is one of the three payloads onboard the advanced space-based solar observatory(ASO-S), which is scheduled to be launched in early 2022 as the first Chinese solar satellite. LaBr3 scintillators and photomultiplier tubes with a super bialkali cathode are used to achieve an energy resolution better than 20% at 30 keV.Further, a new multi-channel charge-sensitive readout application-specific integrated circuit guarantees high-frequency data acquisition with low power consumption. This paper presents a detailed design of the spectrometer for the engineering model of the HXI and discusses its noise and linearity performance.

High-resolution pixelated CdZnTe detector prototype system for solar hard X-ray imager

A multichannel low-noise electronic prototype system was designed for a pixelated CdZnTe detector. This system is the result of preliminary work on a solar hard X-ray imager, which is one of the three payloads for future solar observations satellite-Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory(ASO-S). A new charge-sensitive amplifier application-specific integrated circuit, VATA450.3, with an on-chip analog-to-digital converter, is used to read out 8×8 anode pixel signals. Two CdZnTe detectors with a thickness of 2 mm and 5 mm were tested. The 2-mm-thick detector achieved energy resolution better than 5%(fullwidth at half-maximum, FWHM) at 59.5 keV, and the 5-mm-thick detector had better resolution than 1.2%(FWHM) at 662 keV. The design and test results of the prototype system are discussed in this paper.

Hard X-ray focusing resolution and efficiency test with a thickness correction multilayer Laue lens

The multilayer Laue lens(MLL) is a diffractive focusing optical element which can focus hard X-rays down to the nanometer scale. In this study, a WSi_(2)/Si multilayer structure consisting of 1736 layers, with a 7.2-nm-thick outermost layer and a total thickness of 17 μm, is prepared by DC magnetron sputtering. Regarding the thin film growth rate calibration, we correct the long-term growth rate drift from 2 to 0.6%, as measured by the grazing incidence X-ray reflectivity(GIXRR). A one-dimensional line focusing resolution of 64 nm was achieved,while the diffraction efficiency was 38% of the-1 order of the MLL Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility(SSRF) with the BL15U beamline.

Hard X-Ray PHA System on the HT-7 Tokamak

A new hard X-ray pulse-height analysis （PHA） system has been established on HT-7 tokamak for long pulse steady-state operation. This PHA system consists of hard X-ray diagnostics and multi-channel analysers （MCA）. The hard X-ray diagnostics consists of a vertical X-ray detector array （CdTe） and a horizontal X-ray detector array （NaI）. The hard X-ray diagnostics can provide the profile of power deposition and the distribution function of fast electron during radio frequency （RF） current drive. The MCA system is the electronic part of the PHA system, which has been modularized and linked to PC through LAN. Each module of MCA can connect with 8 X-ray detectors. The embedded Ethernet adapter in the MCA module makes the data communication between PC and MCA very convenient. A computer can control several modules of MCA through certain software and a hub. The RAM in MCA can store 1024 or more spectra for each detector and therefore the PHA system can be applied in the long pulse discharge of several minutes.

Improving Plasma Confinement by Controlling Hard X-Ray

Since runaway electrons and magnetohydrodynamics activity can contribute to serious damage and energy losses in tokamaks, the effect of an external electric field on runaway electrons and hard x-ray spectra is investigated. Parameters such as the plasma current, the hard x-ray photons count and the mean energy of runaway electrons are measured. Positive and negative voltages of 300 V are applied at lOms after the plasma initiation （while the plasma is forming）, at 15ms （while the plasma is stable） and at 20ms （while the plasma is fading away） to attain the most effective time of applying the external electric field. The number of hard x-ray photons has the most changes in the range of O-200 keV when the external electric fields are applied. Also in the duration of 20-30ms of plasma the greatest number of hard x-ray spectra is detected. When the external electric fields are applied, the mean energy of runaway electrons reduces significantly, especially at 15 ms （while the plasma is stab/e）.

Photon Temperatures of Hard X-Ray Emission of LHCD Plasmas in HT-7 Tokamak

A detailed study of photon temperatures （Tph） of hard X-ray emission in lower hybrid current drive （LHCD） plasmas is presented. The photon temperature increases with the increase in plasma current and decreases with the increase in plasma density. In lower hybrid power and phase scanning experiments; there is no appreciable change in the photon temperature. The numerical results based on ray-tracing calculation and Fokker-Planck solver gives reasonable explanation for the experimental observation. Both experimental and numerical results reveal that the photon temperature depends mainly on global effects of the fast electron population, synergy between the fast electron and the loop voltage and the Coulomb slowing down.

Hard X-ray in-line outline imaging for blood vessels:first generation synchrotron radiation without contrast agents in vitro

Objective: Phase-contrast X-ray imaging which reduces radiation exposure, is a promising technique for observing the inner structures of biological soft tissues without the aid of contrast agents. The present study intends to depict blood vessels of rabbits and human livers with hard X-ray in-line outline imaging without contrast agents using synchrotron radiation. Methods: All samples were fixed with formalin and sliced into 6 mm sections. The imaging experiments were performed with Fuji-IX80 films on the 4W1A light beam of the first generation synchrotron radiation in Beijing, China. The device of the experiment, which supplies a maximum light spot size of 20×10 mm was similar to that of in-line holography. The photon energy was set at 8 KeV and high quality imagines were obtained by altering the distance between the sample and the film. Results: The trees of rabbit-liver blood vessels and the curved vessels of the cirrhotic human liver were revealed on the images, where vessels < 20 μm in diameter were differentiated. Conclusion: These results show that the blood vessels of liver samples can be revealed by using hard X-ray in-line outline imaging with the first generation synchrotron radiation without contrast agents.

Detailed calibration of the PI-LCX：1300 high performance single photon counting hard x-ray CCD camera

X-ray charge-coupled-device（CCD） camera working in single photon counting mode is a type of x-ray spectrometer with high-sensitivity and superior signal-to-noise performance. In this study, two single photon counting CCD cameras with the same mode（model： PI-LCX： 1300） are calibrated with quasi-monochromatic x-rays from radioactive sources and a conventional x-ray tube. The details of the CCD response to x-rays are analyzed by using a computer program of multi-pixel analyzing and event-distinguishing capability. The detection efficiency, energy resolution, fraction of multi-pixel events each as a function of x-ray energy, and consistence of two CCD cameras are obtained. The calibrated detection efficiency is consistent with the detection efficiency from Monte Carlo calculations with XOP program. When the multi-pixel event analysis is applied, the CCDs may be used to measure x-rays up to 60 ke V with good energy resolution（E /？E ≈ 100 at60 ke V）. The difference in detection efficiency between two CCD cameras is small（5.6% at 5.89 ke V）, but the difference in fraction of the single pixel event between them is much larger（25% at 8.04 ke V）. The obtained small relative error of detection efficiency（2.4% at 5.89 ke V） makes the high accurate measurement of x-ray yield possible in the laser plasma interaction studies. Based on the discrete calibration results, the calculated detection efficiency with XOP can be used for the whole range of 5 ke V–30 ke V.

Energy spectrum of multi-radiation of X-rays in a low energy Mather-type plasma focus device

The multi-radiation of X-rays was investigated with special attention to their energy spectrum in a Mather-type plasma focus device （operated with argon gas）. The analysis is based on the effect of anomalous resistances. To study the energy spectrum, a four-channel diode X-ray spectrometer was used along with a special set of filters. The filters were suitable for detection of medium range X-rays as well as hard X-rays with energy exceeding 30 keV. The results indicate that the anomalous resistivity effect during the post pinch phase may cause multi-radiation of X-rays with a total duration of 300 ± 50 ns. The significant contribution of Cu-Kα was due to the medium range X-rays, nonetheless, hard X-rays with energies greater than 15 keV also participate in the process. The total emitted X-ray energy in the forms of Cu-K and Cu-K/3 was around 0.14 ± 0.02 （J/Sr） and 0.04 ±0.01 （J/Sr）, respectively. The total energy of the emitted hard X-ray （〉 15 keV） was around 0.12± 0.02 （J/Sr）.

Geant4 simulation of fast-electron bremsstrahlung imaging at the HL-3 tokamak

To further research on high-parameter plasma,we plan to develop a two-dimensional hard X-ray(HXR)imaging system at the HL-3 tokamak to measure HXRs with energies ranging from 20 to 300 keV.The application of an array-structured detector ensures that this system can measure HXR-radiation spectra from the entire plasma cross section.Therefore,it is suitable for the study of fast-electron physics,such as radio-frequency wave current drives,fast electrons driving instabilities,and plasma disruptions in fusion research.In this study,we develop a simulation for calculating fast-electron bremsstrahlung in the HL-3 tokamak based on the Monte Carlo simulation code Geant4,in which the plasma geometry and forward scattering of fast-electron bremsstrahlung are considered.The preliminary calculation results indicate that the HXR energy deposi-tion on the detector is symmetrically distributed,even though the plasma distribution is asymmetric owing to the toroidal effect.These simulation results are helpful in constructing the relationship between the energy deposition on the detector and parameter distribution on the plasma cross section during HL-3 experiments.This is beneficial for the reconstruction of the fast-electron-distribution function and for optimizing the design of the HXR-imaging system.

Strength prediction of multi-layered copper-based composites fabricated by accumulative roll bonding

This work aims to evaluate the feasibility of the fabrication of nanostructured Cu/Al/Ag multi-layered composites by accumulative roll bonding(ARB),and to analyze the tensile properties and electrical conductivity of the produced composites.A theoretical model using strengthening mechanisms and some structural parameters extracted from X-ray diffraction is also developed to predict the tensile strength of the composites.It was found that by progression of ARB,the experimental and calculated tensile strengths are enhanced,reach a maximum of about 450 and 510 MPa at the fifth cycle of ARB,respectively and then are reduced.The electrical conductivity decreased slightly by increasing the number of ARB cycles at initial ARB cycles,but the decrease was intensified at the final ARB cycles.In conclusion,the merit of ARB to fabricate this type of multi-layered nanocomposites and the accuracy of the developed model to predict tensile strength were realized.

Effect of heat treatment on structure and magnetic properties of Fe65.5Cr4Mo4Ga4P12C5B5.5 bulk amorphous alloy

Abstract： This study deals with the Fe65.5Cr4Mo4Ga4P12C5B5.5 ferromagnetic bulk amorphous alloy. XRD analysis showed an amorphous structure of the as-cast sample. The same method revealed that, after annealing at 973 K for v=10 min, the sample displayed a crystalline structure with crystalline phases formed. The crystallization process of the alloy was examined by DTA analysis. It was shown that crystallization took place in the temperature range between 810 K and 860 K with the exo-maximum peak temperature at 846 K with a heating rate of 20 K.min-1. The method also showed that, at temperatures ranging from 753 K to 810 K, the alloy exhibited the properties of supercooled liquids. A correlation between heat-induced structural changes and magnetic properties of the alloy was determined by thermomagnetic measurements. Maximum magnetization M=3.7 Am2.kg-1 of the alloy was reached after its annealing at 733 K for τ=10 min. Upon annealing, the alloy exhibited a relaxed amorphous structure. Annealing the alloy above the crystallization temperature led to a decrease in bulk magnetization. After annealing at 973 K for r=10 min, the bulk magnetization of the alloy was M＇=0.45 Am2.kg-1. Accordingly, after crystallization and formation of new compounds, the magnetization of the alloy was decreased by a factor of about 7.7. The strength of the magnetic field applied during the measurements was H=10 kA.m-1. The samples were tested for changes in the microstructure and hardness of both the amorphous phase and the resulting crystalline phase.

Simulation study of phase retrieval for hard X-ray in-line phase contrast imaging

Two algorithms for the phase retrieval of hard X-ray in-line phase contrast imaging are presented. One is referred to as Iterative Angular Spectrum Algorithm (IASA) and the other is a hybrid algorithm that combines IASA with TIE (transport of intensity equation). The calculations of the algorithms are based on free space propagation of the angular spectrum. The new approaches are demonstrated with numerical simulations. Comparisons with other phase retrieval algorithms are also performed. It is shown that the phase retrieval method combining the IASA and TIE is a promising technique for the application of hard X-ray phase contrast imaging.

Two-beam based two-stage EEHG-FEL for coherent hard X-ray generation

The ability to generate stable and coherent short wavelength radiation is a great promise of the externally seeded free-electron laser. However, the fre- quency up-conversion efficiency is limited to a small number in a single stage setup. In this paper, we propose a new scheme to produce coherent hard X-ray FEL with two- beam based two-stage echo-enabled harmonic generation configuration. Electron beams with quite different proper- ties are separately used in each stage and a monochromator is adopted to purify the radiation from first stage for seeding the second stage. Three-dimensional start-to-end simulations have been performed with realistic parameters to show the feasibility of the proposed scheme.

Hard x-ray transmission curved crystal spectrometers(10–100 keV) for laser fusion experiments at the ShenGuang-Ⅲ laser facility

Two transmission curved crystal spectrometers are designed to measure the hard x-ray emission in the laser fusion experiment of Compton radiography of implosion target on ShenGuang-III laser facility in China. Cylindrically curvedα-quartz(10–11) crystals with curvature radii of 150 and 300 mm are used to cover spectral ranges of 10–56 and17–100 ke V, respectively. The distance between the crystal and the x-ray source can be changed over a broad distance from 200 to 1500 mm. The optical design, including the integral reflectivity of the curved crystal, the sensitivity, and the spectral resolution of the spectrometers, is discussed. We also provide mechanic design details and experimental results using a Mo anode x-ray source. High-quality spectra were obtained. We confirmed that the spectral resolution can be improved by increasing the working distance, which is the distance between the recording medium and the Rowland circle.

Hard X-ray one dimensional nano-focusing at the SSRF using a WSi_2 /Si multilayer Laue lens

The multilayer Laue lens （MLL） is a novel diffraction optics which can realize nanometer focusing of hard X-rays with high efficiency. In this paper, a 7.9 μm-thick MLL with the outmost layer thickness of 15 nm is designed based on dynamical diffraction theory. The MLL is fabricated by first depositing the depth-graded multilayer using direct current （DC） magnetron sputtering technology. Then, the multilayer sample is sliced, and both cross-sections are thinned and polished to a depth of 35–41 μm. The focusing property of the MLL is measured at the Shanghai Synchrotron Facility （SSRF）. One-dimensional （1D） focusing resolutions of 205 nm and 221 nm are obtained at E=14 keV and 18 keV, respectively. It demonstrates that the fabricated MLL can focus hard X-rays into nanometer scale.

Development of a fast electron bremsstrahlung diagnostic system based on LYSO and silicon photomultipliers during lower hybrid current drive for tokamak

A novel real time fast electron bremsstrahlung (FEB) diagnostic system based on the lutetium yttrium oxyorthosilicate scintillators (LYSO) and silicon photomultipliers (SiPM) has been developed for tokamak.The diagnostic system is dedicated to study the FEB emission in the hard x-ray (HXR) energy range between 10 and 200 keV during the lower hybrid current drive.The system consists of a detection module and three data acquisition and processing (DAP)boards.The detection module consists of annulus LYSO-SiPM detector array and a 12-channel preamplifier module.The DAP boards upload the data to the host computer for displaying and storing through PXI bus.The time and space resolutions of the system are 10 ms and 4 cm,respectively.The experimental results can show the evolution over time and the spatial distribution of FEB.This paper presents the system performance and typical discharge results.