Proposals will be initially assessed by the beamline staff for technical feasibility. It is highly recommended to confirm the feasibility of your proposal before submitting. Typical reasons why proposals are marked unfeasible include:

• Safety procedures are not adequately described – All experiments need to be carried out in a safe manner at all times. It is extremely important that the researchers have considered strategies to minimise hazard exposure as well as not damage our equipment. For example, consider what will happen if there is a material spill?

• Sample composition – Sometimes based on the composition of your sample, an energy that avoids absorption edges and minimises micro-absorption (from high Z elements) cannot be selected. The energy range of the PD beamline is 8-22 keV. Please talk to a Beamline Scientist to check.

• Insufficient or confusing information – The experiment is not explained in enough detail, or is not explained clearly, therefore we are unsure what you want to do and what resources you need. 

• Researchers haven’t discussed the experiment with beamline staff prior to proposal submission –This is mandatory if you are bringing your own sample environment/equipment as we need to know that it will work on the beamline. Also, this is mandatory for all experiments using flammable gases or those needing a pressure higher than atmospheric.  

• Generation of toxic gases – The beamline currently does not have an extraction system in the hutch to remove toxic gases such as CO or H₂S. Proposals cannot be accepted if toxic gases will be generated.