X-ray Emission Measurements Research Articles

Performances of a bent-crystal spectrometer adapted to resonant x-ray emission measurements on gas-phase samples

We describe a bent-crystal spectrometer adapted to measure x-ray emission resulting from core-level excitation of gas-phase molecules in the 0.8-8 keV energy range. The spectrometer is based on the Johann principle, and uses a microfocused photon beam to provide high-resolution (resolving power of approximately 7500). A gas cell was designed to hold a high-pressure (300 mbar) sample of gas while maintaining a high vacuum (10(-9) mbar) in the chamber. The cell was designed to optimize the counting rate (2000 cts/s at the maximum of the Cl Kalpha emission line), while minimizing self-absorption. Example of the Kalpha emission lines of CH(3)Cl molecules is presented to illustrate the capabilities of this new instrument.

The interactions of winds from massive young stellar objects: X-ray emission, dynamics and cavity evolution

2D axis-symmetric hydrodynamical simulations are presented which explore the interaction of stellar and disk winds with surrounding infalling cloud material. The star, and its accompanying disk, blow winds inside a cavity cleared out by an earlier jet. The collision of the winds with their surroundings generates shock heated plasma which reaches temperatures up to ~10^8 K. Attenuated X-ray spectra are calculated from solving the equation of radiative transfer along lines-of-sight. This process is repeated at various epochs throughout the simulations to examine the evolution of the intrinsic and attenuated flux. We find that the dynamic nature of the wind-cavity interaction fuels intrinsic variability in the observed emission on timescales of several hundred years. This is principally due to variations in the position of the reverse shock which is influenced by changes in the shape of the cavity wall. The collision of the winds with the cavity wall can cause clumps of cloud material to be stripped away. Mixing of these clumps into the winds mass-loads the flow and enhances the X-ray emission measure. The position and shape of the reverse shock plays a key role in determining the strength and hardness of the X-ray emission. In some models the reverse shock is oblique to much of the stellar and disk outflows, whereas in others it is closely normal over a wide range of polar angles. For reasonable stellar and disk wind parameters the integrated count rate and spatial extent of the intensity peak for X-ray emission agree with \textit{Chandra} observations of the deeply embedded MYSOs S106 IRS4, Mon R2 IRS3 A, and AFGL 2591.(abridged)

Using X-ray observations to explore the binary interaction in Eta Carinae

We study the usage of the X-ray light curve, column density toward the hard X-ray source, and emission measure (density square times volume), of the massive binary system Eta Carinae to determine the orientation of its semi-major axis. The source of the hard X-ray emission is the shocked secondary wind. We argue that, by itself, the observed X-ray flux cannot teach us much about the orientation of the semi-major axis. Minor adjustment of some unknown parameters of the binary system allows to fit the X-ray light curve with almost any inclination angle and orientation. The column density and X-ray emission measure, on the other hand, impose strong constrains on the orientation. We improve our previous calculations and show that the column density is more compatible with an orientation where for most of the time the secondary - the hotter, less massive star - is behind the primary star. The secondary comes closer to the observer only for a short time near periastron passage. The ten-week X-ray deep minimum, which results from a large decrease in the emission measure, implies that the regular secondary wind is substantially suppressed during that period. This suppression is most likely resulted by accretion of mass from the dense wind of the primary luminous blue variable (LBV) star. The accretion from the equatorial plane might lead to the formation of a polar outflow. We suggest that the polar outflow contributes to the soft X-ray emission during the X-ray minimum; the other source is the shocked secondary wind in the tail. The conclusion that accretion occurs at each periastron passage, every five and a half years, implies that accretion had occurred at a much higher rate during the 20 Great Eruption of Eta Carinae in the 19th century.

Optimized readout configuration for PIXE spectrometers based on Silicon Drift Detectors: Architecture and performance

An optimized readout configuration based on a charge preamplifier with pulsed-reset has been designed for Silicon Drift Detectors (SDDs) to be used in Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) measurements. The customized readout electronics is able to manage the large pulses originated by the protons backscattered from the target material that would otherwise cause significant degradation of X-ray spectra and marked increase in dead time. In this way, the excellent performance of SDDs can be exploited in high-quality proton-induced spectroscopy of low- and medium-energy X-rays. This paper describes the designed readout architecture and the performance characterization carried out in a PIXE setup with MeV proton beams.

Studies of X-ray production following charge exchange recombination between highly charged ions and neutral atoms and molecules

We have used microcalorimeters built by the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory SuperEBIT electron beam ion trap to measure X-ray emission produced by charge exchange reactions between highly charged ions colliding with neutral helium, hydrogen, and nitrogen gas. Our measurements show the spectral dependence on neutral species and also show the distinct differences between spectra produced by charge exchange reactions and those produced by direct electron-impact excitation. These results are part of an ongoing experimental investigation at the LLNL SuperEBIT facility of charge exchange spectral signatures and can be used to interpret X-ray spectra produced by a variety of laboratory and celestial sources including cometary and planetary atmospheres, the Earth's magnetosheath, the heliosphere, and tokamaks.

Investigation of Carbon $X$-Pinches as a Source for Point-Projection Radiography

We report on the first investigations of the use of carbon fibers in an <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">X</i> -pinch load using a 250-kA linear transformer driver (LTD). Multiframe laser shadowgraphy is used to examine the evolution of the pinch and shows that carbon loads demonstrate wire expansion and cross-point pinch and gap formation as observed in <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">X</i> -pinches constructed from high Z materials. Radiographs taken using the carbon <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">X</i> -pinch as the source demonstrate both that sufficient flux is emitted to provide a good contrast image at source-to-image distances of > 10 cm and that the cross point produces a relatively small hot spot. Radiographs of a series of fine wires (5-30 mum) using X-rays > 500 eV demonstrated that 25-mum wires can be resolved in this energy range. Time-resolved X-ray emission measurements showed that, while emission in the hnu > 500 eV range shows long (> 100 ns) timescales, emission in the hnu > 1 keV range shows a multiple-peaked structure with durations as short as 20 ns.

Soft x-ray emission spectra and ferromagnetism in wide-gap doped semiconductors

A study is made of the resonant and nonresonant L x-ray emission spectra of impurities in the semiconducting compounds ZnS:Mn, ZnO:Mn, ZnO:Co, and Co2O:Mn. An analysis of the Mn L2,3 x-ray emission spectra of Zn1−xMnxS (x=0.1–0.3) reveals that the Mn impurities do not form clusters in the ZnS lattice. Studies of the Mn L2,3 spectra and electronic structure of epitaxial films of Zn0.8Mn0.2O annealed at different temperatures show that the cause of the observed suppression of ferromagnetism at T&amp;gt;600°C is segregation of Mn atoms. In this case the Mn atoms occupy both Zn sites and interstitial positions. For Zn1−xCoxO (x=0.02, 0.06, and 0.10) the absence of free carriers that could mediate an exchange interaction between Co ions is established. Mn L2,3 x-ray emission measurements show that in Mn-doped oxides Cu2O synthesized at 650 and 800°C the Mn atoms are found both in interstitial positions and occupy Cu sites, but the configurations of these defects depend on the synthesis temperature. A decrease of the Curie temperature with increasing synthesis temperature may be explained as a manifestation of antiferromagnetic superexchange between substituent Mn atoms via oxygen.

Solar Intensity X-ray and particle Spectrometer (SIXS)

The Solar Intensity X-ray and particle Spectrometer (SIXS) on the BepiColombo Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) will investigate the direct solar X-rays, and energetic protons and electrons which pass the Spacecraft on their way to the surface of Mercury. These measurements are vitally important for understanding quantitatively the processes that make Mercury's surface glow in X-rays, since all X-rays from Mercury are due to interactions of the surface with incoming highly energetic photons and space particles. The X-ray emission of Mercury's surface will be analysed to understand its structure and composition. SIXS data will also be utilised for studies of the solar X-ray corona, flares, solar energetic particles, and the magnetosphere of Mercury, and for providing information on solar eruptions to other BepiColombo instruments. SIXS consists of two detector subsystems. The X-ray detector system includes three identical GaAs PIN detectors which measure the solar spectrum at 1–20 keV energy range, and their combined field-of-view covers ∼1/4 of the whole sky. The particle detector system consists of an assembly including a cubic central CsI(Tl) scintillator detector with five of its six surfaces covered by a thin Si detector, which together perform low-resolution particle spectroscopy with a rough angular resolution over a field-of-view covering ∼1/4 of the whole sky. The energy range of detected particle spectra is 0.1–3 MeV for electrons and 1–30 MeV for protons. A major task for the SIXS instrument is the measurement of solar X-rays on the dayside of Mercury's surface to enable modeling of X-ray fluorescence and scattering on the planet's surface. Since highly energetic particles are expected to also induce a significant amount of X-ray emission via particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) and bremsstrahlung when they are absorbed by the solid surface of the planet Mercury, SIXS performs measurements of fluxes and spectra of protons and electrons. SIXS performs particle measurement at all orbital phases of the MPO as the particle radiation can occur also on the night side of Mercury. The energy ranges, resolutions, and timings of X-ray and particle measurements by SIXS have been adjusted to match with the requirements for interpretation of data from Mercury's surface, to be performed by utilising the data of the Mercury Imaging X-ray Spectrometer (MIXS), which will measure X-ray emission from the surface.

A short working distance multiple crystal x-ray spectrometer

For x-ray spot sizes of a few tens of microns or smaller, a millimeter-sized flat analyzer crystal placed approximately 1 cm from the sample will exhibit high energy resolution while subtending a collection solid angle comparable to that of a typical spherically bent crystal analyzer (SBCA) at much larger working distances. Based on this observation and a nonfocusing geometry for the analyzer optic, we have constructed and tested a short working distance (SWD) multicrystal x-ray spectrometer. This prototype instrument has a maximum effective collection solid angle of 0.14 sr, comparable to that of 17 SBCA at 1 m working distance. We find good agreement with prior work for measurements of the Mn Kbeta x-ray emission and resonant inelastic x-ray scattering for MnO, and also for measurements of the x-ray absorption near-edge structure for Dy metal using Lalpha(2) partial-fluorescence yield detection. We discuss future applications at third- and fourth-generation light sources. For concentrated samples, the extremely large collection angle of SWD spectrometers will permit collection of high-resolution x-ray emission spectra with a single pulse of the Linac Coherent Light Source. The range of applications of SWD spectrometers and traditional multi-SBCA instruments has some overlap, but also is significantly complementary.

Design and initial operation of multichord soft x-ray detection arrays on the STOR-M tokamak

Two miniature pinhole camera arrays for spatially and temporally resolved measurements of soft x-ray emission have been designed and installed on the STOR-M tokamak. Each array consists of a photodiode array, with one array viewing vertically and one viewing horizontally through a plasma cross section. Preamplifiers with fixed gains of 10(5) VA and custom built amplifiers with variable gains are used for signal amplification. Digitizers with 14 bit resolution and 3 MSs sampling rate are used for data acquisition. In the initial operation, an Al foil with a thickness of 1.8 microm installed for one array and Be filter of 7.6 microm installed for the other array are used to test signal strength. Initial tests have identified sawtooth oscillations and 20 kHz fluctuations, which are also detected by Mirnov coils, superimposed on the sawtooth oscillations.

Near-Complete Absorption of Intense, Ultrashort Laser Light by Sub-λGratings

We demonstrate near-100% light absorption and increased x-ray emission from dense plasmas created on solid surfaces with a periodic sub-lambda structure. The efficacy of the structure-induced surface plasmon resonance, responsible for enhanced absorption, is directly tested at the highest intensities to date (3 x 10{15} W cm{-2}) via systematic, correlated measurements of absorption and x-ray emission. An analytical grating model as well as 2D particle-in-cell simulations conclusively explain our observations. Our study offers a definite, quantitative way forward for optimizing and understanding the absorption process.

Energy dependence of angular momentum capture states in charge exchange collisions between slow highly charged argon ions and argon neutrals

$K$-shell x-ray emission measurements of electron capture into Rydberg states of ${\mathrm{Ar}}^{17+}$ and ${\mathrm{Ar}}^{18+}$ ions are carried out as a function of collision energy in order to investigate the energy dependence of angular momentum capture states in slow charge exchange collisions. The highly charged ions are produced using an electron beam ion trap and extracted onto an external argon gas target. A retardation assembly in the beamline allows projectile energies from $\ensuremath{\sim}2\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{keV}∕\mathrm{amu}$ down to $\ensuremath{\sim}5\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{eV}∕\mathrm{amu}$ to be selected. For decreasing collision energies a shift to electron capture into low orbital angular momentum capture states is observed. Comparative $K$-shell x-ray emission measurements of electron capture by ${\mathrm{Ar}}^{17+}$ and ${\mathrm{Ar}}^{18+}$ ions from background gas in the trap are also presented. The results of the trapping experiments are in discrepancy with those obtained using extracted ions and possible explanations are discussed.

Laboratory studies into the effect of regolith on planetary X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy

In the analysis of X-ray fluorescence spectra from planetary surfaces, it is traditionally assumed that the observed surface is a plane-parallel, smooth, and homogeneous medium. The spectral and spatial resolutions of the instruments that have been used to measure X-ray emission from planetary surfaces to date have been such that this has been a reasonable assumption, but a new generation of X-ray spectrometers will provide enhanced spectral and spatial resolutions when compared with previous instrumentation. In light of these improvements in performance, it is important to assess how the requirements on the methodology of analysis of spectra may change when the surface is considered as a regolith. At other wavelengths, varying physical properties of planetary regoliths, such as the packing density, are known to have an effect on the observed signal as a function of viewing geometry. In this paper, the results from laboratory X-ray fluorescence measurements of regolith analogue materials at different viewing geometries are presented. Characteristic properties of the regolith such as particle sizes and packing density are found to affect the measured elemental line ratios. A semiempirical function is introduced as a tool for fitting fluorescent line intensity dependences as a function of viewing geometry. The importance of the results is discussed and recommendations are made for the future analysis of planetary X-ray fluorescence data.

RHESSI Microflares: II. Implications for Loop Structure and Evolution

We present simple analytic models which predict the peak X-ray emission measure and temperature attained in flares in which the chromospheric evaporation process takes place either in a single ‘monolithic’ loop or in a loop consisting of several filaments that are created successively as the energy release process proceeds in time. As possible mechanisms driving chromospheric evaporation we consider both classical heat conduction from the loop top and non-thermal electron beams. The model predictions are tested for a set of 18 well studied RHESSI microflares. The results suggest beam driven evaporation in filamented loops as being capable of accounting for the observed emission measures and temperatures though there are issues with the very high beam densities needed. On the other hand, estimates of the emission measures achieved by conductive evaporation which are derived by using the Rosner – Tucker – Vaiana (RTV) scaling law are much larger than the observed ones. Possible reasons for this discrepancy are discussed.

Coronal structure of the classical T Tauri star V2129 Oph

The nature of the magnetic coupling between T Tauri stars and their discs determines not only the mass accretion process but possibly the spin evolution of the central star. We have taken a recently published surface magnetogram of one moderately accreting T Tauri star (V2129 Oph) and used it to extrapolate the geometry of its large-scale field. We determine the structure of the open (wind-bearing) field lines, the closed (X-ray bright) field lines and the relatively small subset of field lines that pass through the equatorial plane inside the Keplerian corotation radius and which are therefore available to accrete. We consider a series of models in which the stellar magnetic field is opened up by the outward pressure of the hot coronal gas at a range of radii or source surfaces. As the source surface is increased, accretion takes place along progressively simpler field structures and impacts on progressively fewer sites at the stellar surface. This is consistent with the observed variation in the Ca ii IRT and He i lines which suggests that accretion in the visible hemisphere is confined to a single high-latitude spot. By determining the density and velocity of the accretion flows, we find that in order to have most of the total mass accretion rate impacting on a single high-latitude region we need disc material to accrete from approximately 7R⊙, close to the Keplerian corotation radius at 6.8R⊙. We also calculate the coronal density and X-ray emission measure. We find that both the magnitude and rotational modulation of the emission measure increase as the source surface is increased. For the field structure of V2129 Oph which is dominantly octupolar, the emission forms a bright, high-latitude ring that is always in view as the star rotates. Since the accretion funnels are not dense enough to cause significant scattering of coronal X-ray photons, they provide only a low rotational modulation of around 10 per cent at most.

Lower hybrid current drive experiments on Alcator C-Mod: Comparison with theory and simulation

Lower hybrid (LH) current drive experiments have been carried out on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak [I. H. Hutchinson et al., Phys. Plasmas 1, 1511 (1994)] using a radio-frequency system at 4.6GHz. Up to 900kW of LH power has been coupled and driven LH currents have been inferred from magnetic measurements by extrapolating to zero loop voltage, yielding an efficiency of neILHR0∕PLH≈2.5±0.2×1019(A∕W∕m2). We have simulated the LH current drive in these discharges using the combined ray tracing/three-dimensional (r,v⊥,v∥) Fokker–Planck code GENRAY-CQL3D (R. W. Harvey and M. McCoy, in Proceedings of the IAEA Technical Committee Meeting on Simulation and Modeling of Thermonuclear Plasmas, Montreal, Canada, 1992) and found similar current drive efficiencies. The simulated profiles of current density from CQL3D, including both ohmic plus LH drive have been found to be in good agreement with the measured current density from a motional Stark effect diagnostic. Measurements of nonthermal x-ray emission confirm the presence of a significant fast electron population and the three-dimensional (r,v⊥,v∥) electron distribution function from CQL3D has been used in a synthetic diagnostic code to simulate the measured hard x-ray data.

Defect-induced ferromagnetism in Mn-dopedCu2O

In an effort to understand the ferromagnetic behaviour ofCu2O-based diluted magnetic semiconductors, the electronic structures of Mn-dopedCu2O sintered samples have been investigated using both experimental and theoretical approaches. MnL2,3 x-ray emission measurements and first-principle calculations reveal that Mn-dopedCu2O sinteredat 650 and 800 °C contains Mn interstitials as well as substitutional Mn atoms, but thedefect configuration depends on the sintering temperature. A reduction ofTC with sintering temperature can be explained by the appearance of an antiferromagneticsuperexchange interaction between substitutional Mn atoms via oxygen.

Monocrystalline diamond detector for ionizing radiation emitted by high temperature laser-generated plasma

A monocrystalline diamond detector was used for measurements of soft x-ray and ion emission from laser plasma obtained with the use of the PALS Asterix laser at intensities on the order of 1016 W/cm2 and pulse duration of 300 ps. Measurements were performed by varying the laser intensity and the focal position of the laser beam with respect to the target position. The spectra were obtained with the use of a diamond detector, which was without a filter, and showed not only the photopeak due to UV and soft x rays but also the ions emitted from the plasma. The detector was employed with absorbers of different thicknesses to determine, as a first approximation, the energy distribution of soft x-ray emission from the plasma. The time-of-flight technique was employed to determine the ion kinetic energies.

Transition from quasiperiodicity to chaos just before sawtooth crash in the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak

In this paper we investigate the sawtooth crash in the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak and present evidence supporting the hypothesis of stochastization of magnetic field lines during the crash. We demonstrate on the basis of soft x-ray and electron cyclotron emission measurements that during the pre-crash phase the quasiperiodic transition to chaos occurs. Magnetohydrodynamic oscillations with two frequencies develop before the crash. Consistent with the most energetically favourable transition from quasiperiodicity to chaos, their frequency ratio is close to the conjugate golden ratio . We think that the sawtooth crash has a universal stochastic character and it would be worthwhile to search for these transition signatures in other tokamaks.

Properties of Ga1−xMnxAs with high x (&amp;gt;0.1)

We have investigated the magnetic and the crystalline properties of a set of Ga1−xMnxAs layers with high nominal Mn compositions (x=0.101–0.198). Magnetization measurements and combined channeling Rutherford backscattering (c-RBS) and particle induced x-ray emission (c-PIXE) measurements have been performed to determine the effective Mn composition xeff and the fraction of Mn atoms at various lattice sites. Here, xeff determined from magnetization measurements, which increases with increasing x, is consistent with the results determined from c-RBS-PIXE measurements.