With support from the Chemistry Research Instrumentation and Facilities (CRIF) and Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Programs, Peter M. Rentzepis of the University of California in Irvine will develop a table top experimental system for time-resolved femtosecond to nanosecond X-ray Diffraction and EXAFS in solids and liquids. Such an instrument will combine high repetition rate with a high X-ray flux, two ingredients especially needed for high quality EXAFS spectra. The investigator will carry out a number of studies once the instrument is up and running, such as grazing incidence experiments on thin (sub-nanometer) films, which will yield important information on the thermal transport properties of such films, and solution phase EXAFS.
The application of time-resolved X-rays is a frontier in spectroscopy, and could have great benefits for the chemical enterprise. This work will lead to a new generation of short pulse X-rays with significant impact in science areas that use time-resolved X-ray structure analysis. This is a new direction in X-ray structure analysis insofar as it will provide dynamical information. The development of this user-friendly spectrometer will allow scientists in the region to perform research projects in many different disciplines, including engineering, materials science, chemistry and biology.
