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Date updated: to support proposal submissions for round 2024-3.

Submissions for Round 2024-3 open 20 March 2024 and close 16 April 2024.

• NO NEW PROPOSALS ACCEPTED FOR ROUND 3/24 - following recent and ongoing repairs to critical equipment, and with limited staffing, we will run a reduced experimental program across round 2/24 to enable staff to attend to these issues. We also have a number of experiments in the backlog. Given that we can accommodate so few new proposals in round 2/24, and given the popularity (oversubscription) at XAS, the facility has decided to not put out a call for proposals for round 3/24. We will instead use the existing list of proposals from round 2 for round 3. These have already been ranked by the PAC and those rankings will stand for round 3. This will allow some proposals which would have missed out in round 2 to get beamtime.

• BEAMLINE CONTACT - contact the beamline team onas-xas@ansto.gov.au

• CHOOSING CORRECT BEAMLINE - not sure if you should apply for XAS or MEX? check our handy flow chart. Note that measurements below the Mn K-edge are no longer offered at XAS from cycle 3/24. To enable more efficient beamline operations we are removing our harmonic rejection mirror (HRM) that was used for V, Cr, and Mn in the past. We will still offer Mn K-edge measurements, but now on the proviso that you accept harmonic content will likely be greater than 10^-5. In the future, we may explore options for harmonic content rejection via monochromator detuning, but this is not implemented yet. Please get in touch with the MEX beamlines for low energy work, including Cr and V.

• PROPOSAL GUIDELINES - all proposals must follow the submission guidelines for the XAS beamline. Failure to do so will limit the chances of your proposal being successful.

• SLEW SCANNING - expect scans to be about 2 times faster than traditional (old) step scans, and with no time spent on scan overheads, for same data quality, eg 20 min per EXAFS, 10 min per XANES as a rule-of-thumb. Faster scanning is certainly possible, for example, we have collected good EXAFS data on transmission user samples in situ in well under 60 s. Fluorescence samples will by nature always be more challenging and more time consuming. For ex situ studies there is little benefit in collecting at this fast rate (unless you are trying to avoid radiation damage). When estimating your beamtime requirements don’t forget to set aside time for sample changes, alignment, etc. Given how new and complex the system is (also with a new user interface and a new fluorescence detector) we are seeing software bugs that are actively worked on by the computing team. These may slow your experiment down at times, but the complete removal of scan overheads outweighs these minor setbacks in most instances.

• SPECTROMETER - a crystal spectrometer (eg for HERFD) is located in the second experimental station (Hutch C). We continue to build capability and experience with the instrument and encourage you to submit proposals to use the new facility, but you must contact us first to discuss feasibility. We will consider all proposals covering Mode 2 and Mode 1, above 7 keV (incl the Fe K-edge). For operational reasons, Hutch C will only accommodate experiments using the spectrometer. Most experiments, including in-situ, can be accommodated for in Hutch B as per normal, eg batteries, catalysis, and some high-temperature setups using capillaries (described here).

📢 Beamline news

• 5th March 2024: All experimental endstations are fully operational for Cycle 2 2024, and are available for Cycle 3 2024

🔬 Experimental Systems

Prevac Endstation

• 5th March 2024: Sample-holder transfer and exchange mechanism inside the Prevac UHV endstation has been fully refurbished and back to “as-new” operation

High-Throughput NEXAFS system

• 5th March 2024: Vortex EM single-element Silicon Drift Detector (SDD) now offered to users. Currently only offered in Total Fluoresence Yield (TFY) mode. Contact beamline staff for technical assistance

Toroidal Analyser (ARPES)

⚠️ IMPORTANT ⚠️

• Contact beamline scientists for specific questions on capabilities or consult the User Wiki

• New User are STRONGLY encouraged to discuss proposal ideas with a member of the beamline time: as-softxray@ansto.gov.au

• Proposal submission guidelines for the SXR beamline.

• Not sure if you should apply for MEX or XAS? Check our handy flow chart.

• Potential Users MUST CONTACT BEAMLINE STAFF and discuss the proposed measurements prior to submitting their proposal (as-mex@ansto.gov.au).

• All proposals must contain a sample table that summarises the experiment (use the table template available in the XAS proposal guidelines document). Use above scan times for XANES and EXAFS, and apply the default overheads for setup) already given in the table template.

• Please noteex situ samples ONLY. Samples must suitable for transmission measurements in air, under ambient temperature and pressure.

Please see the MEX User Wiki and ANSTO website for more information about the MEX beamlines.

• Not sure if you should apply for MEX or XAS? Check our handy flow chart.

• Potential Users MUST CONTACT BEAMLINE STAFF and discuss the proposed measurements prior to submitting their proposal (as-mex@ansto.gov.au).

• All proposals must contain a sample table that summarises the experiment (use the table template available in the XAS proposal guidelines document). Use above scan times for XANES and EXAFS, and apply the default overheads for setup) already given in the table template.

• Please noteex situ samples ONLY. Samples must suitable for drain current measurements in vacuum.
  

Please see the MEX User Wiki and ANSTO website for more information about the MEX beamlines.