Synchrotron radiation,an intense x-ray source for high pressure diffraction studies

The Wilson electron synchrotron at Cornell University has recently undergone modifications which enable it to produce a highly collimated X-ray beam of 10¹⁵ photons (s mrad. 10% bandwidth)^?1 in the range from 1 to 40 keV (12.4 to 0.31 Å wavelength). It is expected that a monochromatic beam produced from this source will have at least a hundred times the intensity of the X-rays from a rotating anode source. It is hoped that the use of a position-sensitive detector will improve the detection efficiency by another factor of a hundred over photographic film. If these improvements are realized, it should be possible to conduct real-time or nearly real-time diffraction experiments in the diamond anvil cell. The technique will be used to collect data for experiments in which slower data collecting would mean missing transient phenomena. The technique will also be useful for making studies during conditions that cause deterioration of the experimental apparatus such as graphitization of the diamonds or creep of the metal parts.