Opening after CHESS-U! Employees beyond the lab, Science Highlights, and more
From the Associate Director
Tomorrow, Oct. 16th, CHESS resumes user operations with an upgraded and transformed facility: The energy of the stored beam was raised from 5.3GeV to 6.0GeV, the beam emittance is significantly reduced and we plan to gradually increase the stored current from around 100mA to 200mA over the next year. Seven new experimental systemsincluding x-ray optics, experimental hutches, safety systems, and control systems were installed on the reconfigured CHESS experimental floor and are now available to users. Each experimental station is fed by its own Cornell compact undulator based on an innovative approach originally developed by A. Temnykh here at CHESS and featured in this newsletter.
Recent publications based on experiments performed at CHESS before the shutdown include a study of synergistic Co−Mn oxide catalyst for oxygen reduction reactions. The PIPOXS beamline--which is part of the Center for High Energy X-ray Sciences (CHEXS) at CHESS--will allow similar studies in the future. We also showcase the development and experimental verification of an advanced computational model to predict the residual stress state in additively manufactured components.In early 2020, a laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing system is expected to be installed at the CHEXS FAST beamlinewhich will make it possible to monitor these build processes in-situ.
Our series “Beyond the Lab” profiles Kurt McDonald this month. As CHESS operator, Kurt ensures that CHESS equipment operates perfectly and user experiments are successful as possible. Outside the lab, as co-owner and brewing master of Summerhill Brewing, Kurt creates tasty craft beers that local customers as well as tourists traveling through the area enjoy immensely.
Looking ahead, CHESS is now accepting proposals for the January to March 2020 cycle. Important information about CHESS beamlines and capabilities can be found in the Beamline Directory. Submitting a general user proposal is the most common way for users to access a beamline. Users can also submit a beamtime request (BTR)for a proposal that was submitted in the previous cycle. Our “New User Guide” with important information on the proposal submission and review process can be found here.
While a lot has changed here at CHESS over the past year, some important things stay the same: CHESS will continue to educate and train the next generation of scientists, develop cutting edge x-ray technologies, and support world-class X-ray science.
This October, the new user facilities at the Cornell High-Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS) will open their doors to researchers. This opening follows a major upgrade project, known as CHESS-U, which establishes CHESS as one of the world’s leading X-ray sources.
Researchers at CHESS are working to improve the already impressive CHESS Compact Undulator, or CCU. Within the new NSF-funded CHEXS award, Sasha Temnykh is developing the driving mechanisms that will allow for variable gap control and better tuning of the device, resulting in higher magnetic fields and more overall flux; both desirable qualities for a variety of experimental needs.
Beyond the Lab with Kurt McDonald: CHESS Operator:As a CHESS operator, Kurt McDonald has a full time job. As an integral part of the daily functions of the lab, Kurt’s position involves working with scientists, engineers, and CHESS technical staff to provide visiting researchers with the resources that they need.
Predicting and measuring residual stresses in additively manufactured components:Researchers developed an advanced computational model to predict the residual stress state in a bridge shaped part and compared the simulated data with experimental results obtained at CHESS, finding good qualitative and quantitative agreement.
Synergistic Co−Mn Oxide Catalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reactions: Researchers employed synchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) at CHESS to investigate the synergistic interaction of Co1.5Mn1.5O4/C catalysts under realtime operando electrochemical conditions.