As of November 28, 2005
for international journal X-Ray Spectrometry (John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)
Synchrotron X-rays could improve commercial permanent magnets (November 18, 2005)
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National
Laboratory have recently unearthed new clues to making magnets longer
lasting and more powerful through element-specific X-ray magnetic
circular dichroism (XMCD) measurements. They have analyzed magnetic
moment reversal at each of two inequivalent Nd sites (g and f
sites) in a tetragonal single crystal of Nd2Fe14B,
which is currently known to be the strongest permanent magnet. The
results provide clear evidence that intrinsic magnetic stability has its
atomic origins predominantly at Nd g sites, which exhibit a
strong preference for c-axis alignment at ambient temperature and
dictate the macroscopic easy-axis direction. Chemical substitution at
Nd f sites, which undermines stability by favoring the xy plane,
could enhance intrinsic coercivity.
For more information, contact Catherine Foster (+1-630-252-5580,
cfoster@anl.gov) at Argonne, and
also see the paper, gAtomic Origin of Magnetocrystalline Anisotropy
in Nd2Fe14Bh, D. Haskel
et
al., Phys. Rev. Lett.,
95, 217207 (2005).
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Time-resolved X-ray spectroscopy tracks photosynthetic O2 formation (November 11, 2005)
Natural photosynthesis can convert solar energy into chemical energy
with almost 100% efficiency. During photosynthesis, O2 is
evolved at a tetra manganese-calcium complex bound to the proteins of
photosystem II. As the details of the mechanism have not been fully
understood, artificial solar systems still capture only a minute amount
of energy. Very recently, a German research group has succeeded in
providing new insights into the mechanism by means of time-resolved
X-ray absorption spectroscopy, which measures Mn K X-ray fluorescence
after laser-flash illumination with a time resolution of 10 Ęs. The
model of the so-called S-cycle treats the manganese complex cycles
through five oxidation states, but only four intermediates have been
identified experimentally (S0 through S3). Dioxygen is formed during
the transition from S3 to S0, but the expected S4 intermediate in this
transition has been elusive. Real-time X-ray monitoring of
photosynthetic O2 production has identified the S4
intermediate and, in contrast to previous proposals, the research group
concluded that it is formed by a deprotonation process rather than by
electron transfer. The experiments were done at beamline ID26, European
Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), Grenoble, France. For more
information, see the paper, gPhotosynthetic O2 Formation
Tracked by Time-Resolved X-ray Experimentsh, M. Haumann
et
al., Science, 310,
1019-1021 (2005).
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In-situ X-ray analysis reveals how dioxin forms during waste incineration (October 21, 2005)
Japanese scientists at Kyoto University have recently found that copper
plays a significant role in the formation of toxic dioxin during the
incineration of urban waste. They measured copper K X-ray absorption
spectra for fly ash, and investigated the changes in oxidation number
when the temperature was controlled near 300 C, where dioxin is
sometimes formed. The data suggest some clear correlation between the
existence of cuprous chloride (CuCl) and the formation of dioxin.
The experiments were done at beamline BL01B1, SPring-8, Harima, Japan. The
scientists presented the results at the 41st Annual Conference on X-Ray
Chemical Analysis, Japan held at Fukui Institute for Fundamental
Chemistry, Kyoto University.
For more information, contact
Professor Masaki Takaoka, Kyoto University, phone: +81-75-753-5162,
fax: +81-75-753-5170,
takaoka@epsehost.env.kyoto-u.ac.jp
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Sulfur and iron X-ray fluorescence analysis of the wooden timbers of the English warship Mary Rose (September 26, 2005)
An international team led by Professor M. Sandström (University of
Stockholm) has analyzed the sulfur and iron composition of the wooden
timbers of the Mary Rose, a warship of King Henry VIII of England that
was wrecked in 1545 and salvaged two decades ago. Synchrotron X-rays
from the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (USA) and the
European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (France) were employed. The
experimental results indicate the surviving wood contains two tons of
sulfur in different forms, uniformly distributed within the 280-ton
hull. In addition, the Mary Rose contains a great deal of iron from
corroded iron bolts, nails and other objects from the ship. Exposed to
oxygen in air, the iron catalyzes the oxidation of sulfur into sulfuric
acid. For more information, see the paper, gSulfur
accumulation in the timbers of King Henry VIII's warship Mary Rose: a
pathway in the sulfur cycle of conservation concernh,
M.
Sandström
et
al., Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences of USA,
102,
14165-14170 (2005).
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X-ray certifies perfection of one-dimensional Bi nanolines buried in silicon crystal (September 21, 2005)
Control of nano-structures with molecular precision is a key problem in
nano sciences and technologies. While the surface can be readily imaged
by scanning probe microscopes, it is not easy to observe buried
structures nondestructively. Dr. O. Sakata and his colleagues recently
reported on their success in fabricating Bi nanowires on a Si(001)
substrate and their encapsulation in an epitaxially grown crystalline
silicon layer. To explore the buried nanowires, they employed X-ray
diffraction (reciprocal-lattice space mapping) with 25.3 keV photons at
grazing-incidence geometry (~0.1 deg) using an image plate as a 2D
detector. The results indicate that the nanolines maintain their
one-dimensional character and Bi dimerization. The experiments were
carried out
at beamline BL13XU, SPring-8, Harima, Japan. For more information, see
the paper, gEncapsulation of atomic-scale Bi wires in epitaxial
silicon without loss of structureh, O.
Sakata
et
al., Phys. Rev. B 72,
121407(R) (2005).
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New Japanese community for advanced X-ray and neutron reflectometry (November 17, 2005)
The Japan Society of Applied Physics (JSAP) recently approved the launch
of a new professional group for X-ray and neutron analysis on surfaces
and 'buried' interfaces. This is significant in that the new group will
bring together those who are currently working with X-ray and neutron
reflectometry or those who are simply interested in these subjects. So
far in Japan, there have been very few meetings to discuss scientific
problems in this area despite growing demand. There also exists a
strong demand to plan and build beamlines dedicated to reflectometry and
related methods at synchrotron radiation (Photon Factory and SPring-8)
and neutron facilities (J-PARC to be started in 2008). The group will
discuss applications with respect to a variety of materials, i.e.,
semiconductors, metals, ceramics, polymers, magnetic materials, and
multilayers. It is of key importance to extend the technique in order
to devise solutions for difficult problems in realistic specimens —. in
particular, analysis of specific small areas and/or unstable systems
that need to be measured in a very short time. The JSAP has an
English-language Web page:
http://www.jsap.or.jp/english/index.html
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New web page for X-ray free-electron laser (November 2, 2005)
xfel.net is a new web site, presenting
the latest status of the
European X-ray laser project XFEL,
which is being prepared at DESY, Hamburg.
Visit
http://www.xfel.net
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SCANNA increases portable X-ray safety with flat panel imager (October 26, 2005)
SCANNA, a UK screening and detection specialist company, has released a
new panel to upgrade its SCANTRAK portable X-ray system for daily police
and
Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD)
operation. The new product, SCANTRAK WEDGE, is approximately 1 inch
thick thus enabling it to fit into tight spaces and sends X-ray images
straight to a laptop PC without the need for scanning or processing to
speed up image viewing time. In addition, there are no moving parts or
fragile mirrors that could break in the field. For more information,
contact Scanna MSC Ltd, 179 Piccadilly, London W1J 9EN United Kingdom,
Phone:+44-207-355-3555, Fax: +44-207-355-3556.
http://www.scanna-msc.com/
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Diamond Materials provides UHV window for X-rays (October 7, 2005)
Diamond Materials, a spin-off company of the Fraunhofer Institute IAF in
Freiburg, Germany, has now launched diamond windows to be used in UHV as
X-ray or infrared windows at synchrotrons and/or other facilities. Thin
CVD diamond has excellent mechanical and thermal properties with only
small absorption of X-rays and thus could be a promising alternative to
conventional Beryllium windows. For more information, contact Christoph
Wild, Managing Director, Diamond Materials GmbH, Tullastr. 72, 79108
Freiburg, Germany, Phone: +49-761-6006554, Fax: +49-761-6006553,
wild@diamond-materials.com,
http://www.diamond-materials.com
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PANalytical's new focusing mirror makes macromolecular analysis possible on a standard XRD system (September 9, 2005)
PANalytical has added a new focusing mirror to its range of PreFIX
optics, allowing transmission diffraction experiments to be carried out
on macromolecules, such as proteins, using a standard X-ray diffraction
system. Macromolecular materials have traditionally been considered not
to be easy subjects for X-ray diffraction, because of their weak
scattering characteristics and small sample volumes. Indeed, a lot of
effort has been devoted to growing crystals of sufficient size for a
single crystal diffractometer. In cases where this was impossible,
synchrotron X-rays were required for recording powder patterns.
Therefore, the introduction of the new mirror is a breakthrough in
macromolecular analysis. As a PreFIX optic, the focusing mirror is
interchangeable with all other available incident optics without the
need for any realignment. The size of the capillary tube no longer
governs angular resolution, and peaks narrower than 0.05 degrees can be
resolved easily. Use of the X'Celerator detector significantly reduces
the time taken for data collection. For more information, Phone:
+31-546-534444, Fax: +31-546-534592,
info@panalytical.com
http://www.panalytical.com/
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Bruker AXS completes acquisitions of both Roentec AG and Princeton Gamma-Tech Instruments (November 17, 2005)
On October 14th and 26th, 2005, Bruker AXS announced agreements for the
acquisition of Roentec AG and the microanalysis business of Princeton
Gamma-Tech (PGT) Instruments, Inc., respectively. The announcements
bring to a close these two complementary acquisitions in the X-ray
microanalysis market, which will strengthen the company in the fields of
nanotechnology and advanced materials research. For more information,
contact Michael Willett, Public Relations & Investor Relations Officer,
Bruker BioSciences Corporation, Phone: +1-978-663-3660 ext. 1411,
Michael.Willett@bruker-biosciences.com,
http://www.bruker-axs.de/
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SII NanoTechnology announces acquisition of U.S. Radiant Detector Technologies' X-ray detector business (October 26, 2005)
SII NanoTechnology Inc. recently acquired Radiant Detector Technologies,
LLC (Radiant), which was established in Northridge, California, in 2001
by Jan. S. Iwanczyk, Ph.D. and Bradley E. Patt, Ph.D. and has been
engaged in the development, manufacture and sales of silicon
multi-cathode drift-type X-ray detectors. This acquisition is expected
to allow SII NanoTechnology to enhance its fluorescent X-ray analysis
technology, in particular, for the environmental analysis market. For
more information, contact Inoue,
Seiko
Instruments Inc. Corporate Communications Dept. Fax: +81-43-211-8011,
http://www.siint.com/en/contact/index.html
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NITON Portable XRF wins gold industrial design excellence award (October 3, 2005)
Thermo Electron Corporation announced that its family of NITON X-ray
Fluorescence (XRF) analyzers has recently been awarded a gold IDEA
(Industrial Design Excellence Award) in the Medical & Scientific
Products category. The IDEA is a program sponsored by BusinessWeek and
the Industrial Designers Society of America, and is "dedicated to
fostering business and public understanding of the importance of
industrial design excellence to the quality of life and the economy"
(quote: http://www.idsa.org/idea/idea2005/). The IDEA winners are
honored at annual ceremonies, i.e. the IDSA 2005 National Conference in
Washington D.C.. The judges apply the following five criteria:
Innovation (how is the design new and unique?), aesthetics (how does the
appearance enhance the product?), user (how does the design solution
benefit the user? ), earth (how is the project ecologically responsible?
), and business (How did the design improve the client's business? ).
For more information about NITON XRF analyzers and accessories, call
+1-1-800-875-1578, e-mail
analyze@thermo.com or visit
http://www.thermo.com/niton
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SpectroscopyNow.com
For additional news about X-ray analysis and other spectroscopy sciences, browse the Wiley website.
http://www.SpectroscopyNow.com
Kenji Sakurai
Director, X-Ray Physics Group,
National Institute for
Materials Science (NIMS)
and Professor, Doctoral Program in Materials Science and
Engineering,
Graduate School of Pure and Applied Sciences,
University of Tsukuba
1-2-1, Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047 Japan
Phone : +81-29-859-2821, Fax : +81-29-859-2801
sakurai@yuhgiri.nims.go.jp
http://www.nims.go.jp/xray/lab/