9724501 Parise This grant, made through the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program, provides $295,518 as one-half support of the costs of acquiring equipment for development of a modular, CCD detector-based x-ray diffraction facility that will be used in conjunction with both synchrotron x-ray sources at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS), Brookhaven National Lab (BNL), the Advanced Photon Source (APS), Argonne National Lab (ANL) and laboratory x-ray sources. Specifically, the equipment will include two CCD detector systems allowing real time x-ray diffraction studies of very small single crystals and powdered samples, a significant advantage over more conventional image plate-based XRD systems. One of the CCD detector systems will be used in conjunction with a refurbished Rigaku 18 kW rotating anode that will incorporate focusing mirrors to provide an extra beam and a high brightness focused beam for further in-house development of the T-cup high pressure device originally designed by researchers at the Mineral Physics Institute at SUNY-SB (a node of the CHiPR STC). This modular system will also be transferable to brighter x-ray sources at NSLS and APS for studies of the smallest crystals (0.5 - 20 microns). A second system will alleviate demand for beam time at NSLS by the many postdoctoral, graduate and undergraduate students affiliated with the CHiPR STC who require XRD analyses on crystals ranging in sizes from 20-100 microns for which current laboratory x-ray sources and XRD detector systems are not adequate. Additional funds will be used to purchase a workstation and mass storage for analysis of the high resolution diffraction data and ancillary equipment needed to manufacture this integrated modular system. Specific examples of the cutting edge and funded research that will be enhanced or enabled by this equipment include, development of the next-generation, portable, large volume high pressure cell, determination of the strength and rheological properties of ceramics, textural analysis during ultrasonic experiments for determination of seismic velocities through high pressure phases, structural analyses of organic-inorganic open framework compounds, powder diffraction studies of doped-fullerenes, solid-state organic geochemistry, characterization of low temperature compounds formed during early diagenesis in marine sediments and bio- medical studies of photochemically formed natural compounds. ***
