The Princeton Biophysics group has had an ongoing program over the last 20 years (1) to develop area x-ray detectors based on the principle of image-intensified phosphor screens which are recorded by slow-scan TV cameras and (2) to apply these detectors to research problems in the biological and materials sciences. We propose to develop a new design of detector which would have quantum limited sensitivity, a 75mm wide input area, high resolution, and low signal-induced background. This new design builds on successful earlier detector designs but utilizes newly available fiber-optic and CCD sensor technology to provide unprecedented performance. The detector will be integrated into a small-angle x-ray diffraction system to be applied to the study of the structure and properties of biomembranes and biopolymers. The detector is especially suitable for synchrontron radiation experiments and will be used for time-resolved and Laue synchrotron radiation studies.
