THE ELECTRONIC ALADDIN NEWSLETTER NO. 32

March 2003

1. CaPeRS Produces Exciting PEEM Results at SRC


SRC is now home to not one, but two Elmitec photoemission electron microscopes (PEEM). Joining the longstanding PEEM program of Pupa De Stasio and her collaborators, is CaPeRS - the Canadian Photoemission Research Spectromicroscope, operated by Stephen Urquhart (U. Saskatchewan), Adam Hitchcock (McMaster University) and their collaborators. Eventually CaPeRS will be transferred to the Canadian Light Source (CLS) in Saskatoon when the CLS beamlines are ready to receive it. In the meanwhile it is being used at SRC for a wide range of scientific projects, including assisting the development of improved biomaterials, studying thin magnetic films, and spectral imaging of many samples, from minerals to meteorites. In addition to specific scientific goals, CaPeRS operation at SRC is developing an experienced PEEM user community which will help scientific productivity at SRC, and eventually, at CLS.

CaPeRS was delivered to SRC in April 2002 and gave excellent performance ‘right out of the box’. So far it has been used for over 20 weeks, on 5 different beamlines (Hermon, 4mNIM, 10mTGM, CSRF-SGM, CSRF-DCM). Most recently it was used on the Canadian double crystal monochromator beam line, where imaging, spectroscopy, and spectromicroscopic analysis was carried out at energies up to 4 keV. To the knowledge of the investigators, this is the highest energy at which a PEEM has been operated.

In the area of biomaterials, results from both Hermon and the Canadian SGM were able to map fibrinogen, a blood protein, on a surface phase segregated blend of polystyrene-polymethyl-methacrylate. This was the first demonstration of its kind, despite several previous attempts elsewhere. The ability to make measurements over an extended time due to the low radiation damage rates with SRC fluxes, was a key factor in this success. A poster describing those results is on the north wall of the SRC vault.

In the near future, a preparation chamber will be added to CaPeRS to allow in situ preparation of air sensitive surfaces. This will facilitate planned programs in surface and thin film magnetism (Kazacheev (CLS), Robertson (U. Nebraska)) and in amino acid surface chemistry (Urquhart, Mitchell - U. Sask). The instrument is open to other investigators for collaborative or independent work. Please contact Stephen Urquhart (stephen.urquhart@usask.ca) for details.

Click here to view some of the CaPeRS results.

2. January Infrared Workshop Enthusiastically Received


The first Midwestern workshop on applications and training in the use of infrared spectromicroscopy was held January 13-17, 2003 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Synchrotron Radiation Center (SRC). Twenty-one scientists from the United States and Canada attended this week-long workshop which was intended for researchers of infrared spectromicroscopy who use synchrotrons as their sources of infrared light. The workshop was sponsored and hosted by the Synchrotron Radiation Center (Stoughton, WI) and consisted of a series of lectures, exercises, tutorials, and hands-on practical sample analysis. It was co-taught by Professor Carol Hirschmugl (Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) and Dr. Bob Julian (SRC staff scientist) with additional help by Tim May (Canadian Light Source).

The first three days of the workshop consisted of lectures and tutorials on infrared spectromicroscopy followed by two days of hands-on experience at the storage ring. There was also a detailed tour of the SRC facility. In order to accommodate users with all levels of infrared experience, the three days of lecture made a systematic progression from basic infrared spectroscopy all the way through spectromicroscopy with the synchrotron.

The first day covered the basics of non-microscopic infrared spectroscopy. During the second day, the concepts of the previous day were expanded to cover the use of an infrared microscope for sample analysis. The emphasis here was to focus the discussion on the use of standard laboratory FTIR-Microscope combinations. The extension of infrared spectromicroscopy to include applications using a storage ring as an infrared source was presented on the third day. Practical applications were a primary aspect of the workshop with the objective of answering any questions that attendees might have regarding their own areas of interest. During the first three days of the workshop participants examined three application areas: the adhesion of printing inks; the make up of algae; and multilayer polymer additive migration. These three applications were examined each day in order to illustrate the principles learned in the lectures and discussion. The first day dealt with sample analysis using conventional infrared spectrometers, while more detailed analyses were conducted on the second day using bench top infrared microscopes. Finally, the minute details of each sample, which could only be undertaken with the use of IRSR, were examined on the third day. The overall goal of these exercises was to get the participants to differentiate between which types of analyses required synchrotron radiation and which did not.

During the last two days of the workshop participants were divided into small groups and assigned time on the SRC infrared beamline so that they could apply the new knowledge and skills they had acquired. Most groups had their own samples to measure, ranging from algae to potash. Each group practiced sample handling, data collection setup, simple point measurements and, finally, a practical mapping exercise. The participants expressed overwhelming enthusiasm for the workshop in the evaluation forms they completed. An “A” rating was almost universal. Participants commented that they felt that all of the information presented was practical and informative. They especially appreciated the variety of activities and the reinforcement of lecture material with exercises and tutorials. Finally, some very positive suggestions were presented which will be incorporated in future workshops. The next workshop will be held in May.

 

3. Lowered Emittance Now Standard Operating Mode at SRC


Lowered emittance is now operational at the Aladdin storage ring at 800 MeV, with this accelerator set up running as the standard operating mode during select quanta. In particular, it has been found to offer significantly improved flux density for PEEM experiments. The regular emittance configuration, previously referred to as the "Aladdin beam," is now called the "base lattice." The base lattice remains the standard 1 GeV beam and is available upon request for the midnight shift. A lowered emittance 1 GeV tuning is under development. For more information on the low emittance beam, see the SRC newsletter #30, March 2002.

 

4. Congratulations to:


Keith Symon, former director of SRC, will be awarded the Particle Accelerator Science and Technology Award in May 2003. This award is given to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the development of particle accelerator science and technology. Symon, who is an Emeritus Professor of Physics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was awarded the prize for many fundamental accelerator concepts which include invention of Fixed Field Alternating Gradient Accelerators (FFAG), most notably incorporated into spiral sector cyclotrons; for defining a formalism describing motion under the influence of RF as required for stacking and other particle manipulations; and for techniques for analyzing collective instabilities.

Gelsomina "pupa" de Stasio received one of five 2003 Romnes Awards. The Romnes Award,named after the late H.I. Romnes, former chair of the board of AT&T and former president of the WARF Board of Trustees, is designed to help younger faculty further establish their scholarly careers.The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation supports the $50,000 fellowships. The Graduate School Research Committee chooses the recipients.The Romnes for the Physical Sciences was awarded to Prof. Gelsomina "pupa" De Stasio, recognizing her as an exceptional faculty member amongst the ones who have attained tenure within the past four years.

Mike Bancroft has been named an officer of the Order of Canada for his work with synchrotron radiation and the creation of Canada's first synchrotron.

 

5. Upcoming Events


May 28-30, 2003 - The Infrared Spectromicroscopy Workshop with Environmental Applications will be held at SRC. Information about the workshop can be found at http://www.src.wisc.edu/ir_workshop/

September 14, 2003 - The SRC Open House

October 24-25, 2003 - SRC's 36th Users' Meeting. More information will be available shortly at http://www.src.wisc.edu/meetings/SRC_UM2003/