21011SP Synchronous X-ray Diagnostic Measurements

Diamond Light Source is a national facility which produces intense X-ray beams for scientific research in a wide range of fields, from physics to archaeology. In order to produce accurate results these X-ray beams need to be as stable as possible. The first and most important step in keeping the beam stable is being able to accurately measure where it is! To do this, we use a variety of measurement instruments, including fast, 600fps, X-ray cameras; photoelectric intensity monitors that measure the edges of the beam; and even synthetic single-crystal diamonds.

The aim of this project is to develop a method to synchronously trigger multiple instruments and capture fast X-ray beam position data simultaneously, at different locations on the beamline. Before reaching the sample, the X-ray beam is focused and shaped by monochromators, slits, and mirrors. By making synchronous observations of fast beam movements at different locations along the beam path, identification of specific components introducing beam movement and vibrations can be made.

The student’s time will be spent understanding the experimental equipment with a hands-on approach in the lab, making hardware to trigger data acquisition, collecting measurements on the beamline, and finally developing a software tool which can be used to analyse the data acquired. Being able to find correlated motion that is measured on all instruments and uncorrelated motion that is only measured on one instrument is extremely useful in finding the source of beam motion. This work will help Diamond to find the uncorrelated motion along the beam path, better understand where beam motion originates, and help us improve our beamlines.