Techniques for Time-Resolved X-Ray Diffraction Using a Position Sensitive Counter

Abstract

To make feasible X-ray analysis of rapidly changing structures, a method for collecting time-resolved diffraction data has been developed. The method is based on detection of the times and positions of X-ray photons scattered from the specimen under a structural change by means of a multiwire position sensitive counter and on recording this information in computer memory. Data measured over many cycles of the transition are processed by a computer program to obtain diffraction diagrams at arbitrary phases of the periodic change with the highest time resolution of 50 µs. The system is useful for dynamic study of muscle contraction and other transient phenomena involving rapid change of atomic or molecular structure on a millisecond time scale.