Development by the Consortium for Advanced Radiation Sources of a New X-Ray Beamline for High Pressure and Interface Earth Science Research at the GeoSoilEnviroCARS APS Sector

University Of Chicago, Chicago IL

Investigators

Abstract

0421076 Eng GeoSoilEnviroCARS (GSECARS) is a national user facility for frontier research in the earth sciences using synchrotron radiation at the Advanced Photon Source (APS), Argonne National Laboratory. GSECARS provides access for the entire earth science community to the high-brilliance hard x-rays from this third-generation synchrotron light source. The research conducted at this facility is advancing our knowledge of the composition, structure and properties of earth materials, the processes they control and the processes that produce them. With this support we will design, construct and commission a new doubly-focused, monochromatic x-ray side station on our bending magnet beamline (13BM). This will bring to four the total number of operating experimental stations at GSECARS, all serving the earth science community, and will help to meet the demand for beam time by our current and prospective users. This new beamline will provide research opportunities in two principal areas: (1) Properties of earth materials under extreme conditions of pressure and temperature through the use of diamond anvil cell (DAC) diffraction, and (2) Properties of mineral-water interfaces through the use of surface and interface scattering. The research conducted at this new beamline will: (1) expand our understanding of the structures of mineral surfaces, how these surfaces are modified during reactions with water, and the role of micro-organisms in controlling composition and stabilization of contaminants on these surfaces, (2) improve our knowledge of the chemical and physical properties of the deep Earth, including details of phase transitions of mantle minerals and core alloys and dynamics of core formation, and (3) advance technologies for x-ray instrumentation and optics. GSECARS provides scientists and students access to state-of-the-art analytical instrumentation. We are involved in active outreach in the form of meetings and workshops and are successful in attracting earth scientists who are novices in synchrotron-based analytical techniques as well as providing student internship opportunities including underrepresented Chicago area high school students. Our scientific staff works closely with new investigators teaching x-ray theory and providing training in measurement methods and data analysis, thereby advancing the technical and scientific capabilities of the earth science community. Thus, this new station will enhance the educational experience of established, as well as new, scientists and result in direct knowledge transfer to advance the quality of the nation's research infrastructure. In addition, the research conducted at this new facility will have societal benefit in addressing human welfare issues, such as remediation of toxins in our soils and aquifers, and aiding in our understanding of earthquake generation mechanisms.