Tensor Tomography SAXS/WAXS

Small/Wide Angle‐X‐ray Scattering Tensor Tomography (TTSAXS/WAXS) is a relatively new but powerful technique for studying the multiscale architecture of hierarchical structures. In the TTSAXS/WAXS the computer tomography concepts are combined with scanning SAXS/WAXS to obtain the full 3D reciprocal space map, which can be used to retrieve information about the average nanostructure within each voxel including its orientation.

 The TomoSAXS setup is a motion tower specifically designed for tomographic measurements at I22. The setup includes two orthogonal motorised rotational stages, and, in phase one, a manual goniometer assembled and aligned into the system allowing two-axes rotation of a sample and its positional adjustment into the beam. During the experiment the setup is positioned onto the beamline sample table, which adds two axes – X and Y – into the scanning protocol allowing an X-Y mapping at each chosen rotation angle. Rotational axes allow accurate positioning of the sample within 0.1 degree. The two-axial rotational sphere of confusion is about 50 microns.

In phase two we want to replace the manual goniometer with a motorised version to allow automated sample changing utilizing the Automation Robot. Motorising the goniometer will ultimately allow us to perform SAXS Tomography experiments in an automated mode as part of Phase II of the Automated Sample Delivery System project for I22.

Latest TomoSAXS Publication:

Nanostructural evolution during carious and demineralisation process of human dentine using small angle X-ray scattering tensor tomography

Tayyaba Rabnawaz, Nathanael Leung, Leonard C. Nielsen, Robert A. Harper, Richard M. Shelton, Gabriel Landini, Tim Snow, Andy Smith, Nick Terrill, Marianne Liebi, Tan Sui

Journal Of Structural Biology, 218Mar 2026DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2025.108284