The objective of this project is to improve the performance of figured glass capillary x-ray optics designed to funnel hard x rays into a small spot. Phase I will concentrate on the fabrication of parabolic capillary optics to produce a x-ray microbeam of about 1 micron in diameter. It covers the characterization of the capillary tubing as a guide to selecting starting material and to understanding the interplay between the furnace and puller parameters used to control the shape of the capillary. The gain, divergence, and spot size of the x-ray beam produced by candidate optics will be measured using laboratory and synchrotron sources of x rays. Lead-free glasses will be used to improve the spectral characteristics of the x-ray microbeam by removing unwanted high energy x-ray fluorescence radiation produced in the capillary. The successful completion of this project will require innovations in capillary fabrication and characterization. This research will improve the ability to study biomolecular functions and structures through x-ray diffraction, fluorescence, absorption, scattering, and imaging.
A market exists for tapered capillary optics within the synchrotron user community. Capillaries may also be commercialized as a component in analytical instruments that perform x- ray fluorescence and diffraction analysis over small areas (i.e. less than 25 microns). The markets for these instruments cover materials research, product control, forensic science, pharmaceutical, geological, and integrated-circuit manufacturing.
