DanMAX Experimental Station

Once completed the DanMAX experiment station will host three instruments for powder diffraction and full field imaging. Currently we have the first of the powder diffraction instruments in the user program. On this page and subpages, you can find detailed information about the instruments, the available detectors/cameras, sample environments, other beamline equipment and laboratory equipment.

Read more about the three instruments here:

PXRD2D: In situ and operando experiment using an area detector

HERDi: High Enough Resolution Diffractometer using an array of microstrip detectors.

Imaging: Full field imaging with various contrast modes

The beam delivered to the experimental station has a variable energy from 15 – 35 keV. It is possible to use either the ‘high energy resolution’ mode, (∆E/E~1e-4, hDCM Si111) or the ‘high intensity’ mode, (∆E/E~1e-2, hMLM) at all three instruments.

The beam size varies slightly between the three instruments. The beam size at the PXRD2D instrument is about 1.2 mm and can be focused to below 20 µm (vertical) for most energies. The exact focus size varies for different energies. A beam viewer (incorporating knife edges) is available and can be mounted on the PXRD2D sample position for rapid visualizing of the beam and measuring the focus sizes.

Beam viewer on the PXRD2D instrument at DanMAX. Used to visualise the X-ray beam and measure the focus size — Beam viewer on the PXRD2D instrument at DanMAX.

The final conditioning of the beam is performed using the ‘Beam Conditioning Unit’ (BCU) located at the upstream end of the experimental hutch. This unit is placed on a large granite block for increased stability and incudes: Beam position monitor (position and intensity), ‘fast’ shutter (~10 ms), attenuators, Zr and Ag energy reference foils, alignment laser, decoherer and slits. All equipment is placed on X95 rails and carriages and can be removed/replace for other equipment if needed.

DanMAX beam conditioning unit. Beam enters from the right sides.

An evacuated flight tube is used for beam transport to the PXRD2D instrument.

More information about the beam, optics and the undulator can be found here: X-ray source and optics

You can read more about the design of powder diffraction instruments in the Detailed Design Report for PXRD here: Diffraction_DDR_v2.pdf.