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Synchrotron radiation based X-Ray microfluorescence of samples from deep earth to insterstellar space

QUICK INFORMATION
Type
ESRF Colloquia
Start Date
22-09-2017 14:30
End Date
22-09-2017 16:30
Location
Auditorium, Central Building
Speaker's name
Laszlo Vincze
Speaker's institute
Ghent University
Contact name
Fabienne Mengoni
Host name
P. Bruno and C. Ferrero
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Due to their high sensitivity and non-destructive nature, synchrotron radiation based X-ray fluorescence (XRF) micro- and nano-imaging methods play an increasingly important role in many scientific disciplines, including life, environmental as well as Earth and planetary science. This work illustrates selected applications of these techniques for 2D/3D elemental/chemical imaging with a spatial resolution level reaching 40-50 nm.

Next to an overview on scanning type of elemental/chemical imaging applications, a novel full-field X-ray fluorescence approach will be presented which makes use of a unique two-dimensional energy-dispersive CCD detector developed for non-destructive elemental microanalysis. The advantage of this ‘color X-ray camera’ (SLcam), produced by IFG (Berlin, Germany) and PNSensor (Munich, Germany), lies in its ability to record spatially and spectrally resolved images simultaneously by measuring the position of impact and energy of single photons in the energy range of 3-40 keV. The combination offers new opportunities in XRF microanalysis, especially with respect to 3D elemental imaging, by significantly enhancing the acquisition of 3D elemental data-sets.

Applications of both scanning and full-field synchrotron elemental/structural imaging will be illustrated for the non-destructive analysis of a) microscopic inclusions in natural diamonds1 and b) unique cometary and interstellar matter brought to Earth in the framework of NASA’s Stardust mission2.

The presented X-ray fluorescence micro-/nano-imaging experiments were performed at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) ID13, ID16B, DUBBLE and PETRA III P06 beam lines.

References
[1] Pearson et al., “A hydrous mantle transition zone indicated by ringwoodite included within diamond”, Nature, 507, 221–224 (2014).
[2] Westphal et al., “Evidence for interstellar origin of seven dust particles collected by the Stardust spacecraft”, Science, 345 (6198) 786-791 (2014).
 
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