Peering into the Atomic Level
The Advanced Photon Source at Argonne Lab BY LARRY ATSEFF
LEFT: JÖRG MASER AND ROBERT WINARSKI, OF ARGONNE'S CENTER FOR NANOSCALE MATERIALS, X-RAY MICROSCOPY GROUP, AT THE HARD X-RAY NANOPROBE BEAMLINE ON ADVANCED PHOTON SOURCE (APS)
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ne of the most impressive and impactful labs at Argonne is the Advanced Photon Source (APS). The APS is, in effect, a giant X-ray microscope in the form of a huge, complex ring, large enough to encircle each of Chicago’s Major League Baseball stadiums. According to Steve Davey, technical operations specialist at the APS, it is one of the most productive X-ray light-source facilities in the world, providing highbrightness X-rays to 5,000 researchers annually in the fields of materials science, chemistry, condensed-matter physics, life and environmental sciences and applied research. “X-rays are produced by electrons that are accelerated to high energies, moving at nearly the speed of light as they pass through arrays of large, powerful magnets," Davey said. "X-rays are emitted as the magnets steer the electrons around a ring measuring two-thirds of a mile in circumference. Throughout the ring, X-rays beams are delivered to enclosures, where researchers set up various instruments and experiments to investigate the structure and chemistry of a wide variety of matter.”
of atoms, molecules and cells, just as the longer wavelengths of visible light match the sizes of the smallest things the human eye can see. This allows us to measure atomic-scale properties with high precision. We can also do this very fast—such as seeing shock-waves—since the APS X-rays are about one billion times brighter than X-rays produced in a dentist’s office." In sum, the APS has helped scientists go far beyond a basic knowledge of materials and processes to actual controlled testing at the most basic levels of matter. For example, the APS has been used to better understand energy storage, manufacturing of materials, information technology/nanotechnology (even smaller matter), research of pharmaceuticals, advances in bio-medicine, oil and gas, transportation, agriculture, the environment—virtually everything that affects our lives every day. As a result, we now have improved processes for oil extraction from shale. Today, our batteries last longer, recover faster and can be more
effectively recycled. Our vehicles are more fuel-efficient, materials that go into our infrastructure have been made stronger, and our electronics, from computers to smart-phones to data storage, are more powerful and efficient. Pharmaceutical breakthroughs have led to medicines that stop the progressions of deadly diseases. We also have a better understanding of our solar system and the earth itself through APS studies of meteorites and space dust, which have been compared to the rocks and minerals around us. Scientists have even used the APS to uncover historical and archaeological secrets by studying the composition of an ancient Egyptian mummy and the arms of SUE, the Tyrannosaurus Rex specimen at The Field Museum of Chicago. Even with all that success, Argonne is not standing still. This past July, it was awarded a $815 million grant to upgrade the APS, which will keep Argonne in the world forefront for Advanced Photon Source technology for years to come. The APS staff we talked to are excited
“The APS X-rays are extremely bright and penetrating, allowing them to peer through dense materials, ranging from metallic engine-blades to full-sized mummies,” said Jonathan Almer, physicist and group leader in the X-ray science division of the APS. “X-rays lie on the part of the electromagnetic spectrum where their wavelengths match corresponding features 22
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NEAR LIGHT SPEED ELECTRONS FLOW FROM THE ACCELERATOR TO A CHAMBER WHERE THE MICROSCOPIC X-RAY IS TAKEN..
