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Experimental characterization of the structural, electronic and dynamic properties of dilute systems in aqueous solvents, such as nanoparticles, molecules and proteins, are nowadays an open challenge. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is probably one of the most established approaches to this aim as it is element-specific. However, typical dilute systems of interest are often composed of light elements that require extreme-ultraviolet to soft X-ray photons. In this spectral regime, water and other solvents are rather opaque, thus demanding radical reduction of the solvent volume and removal of the liquid to minimize background absorption. Here, we present an experimental endstation designed to operate a liquid flat jet of sub-micrometre thickness in a vacuum environment compatible with extreme ultraviolet/soft XAS measurements in transmission geometry. The apparatus developed can be easily connected to synchrotron and free-electron-laser user-facility beamlines dedicated to XAS experiments. The conditions for stable generation and control of the liquid flat jet are analyzed and discussed. Preliminary soft XAS measurements on some test solutions are shown.

Laser pulses are largely used for processing and analysis of materials and in particular for nano-particle synthesis. This paper addresses fundamentals of the generation of nano-materials following specific thermodynamic paths of the irradiated material. Computer simulations using the hydro code MULTI and the SESAME equation of state have been performed to follow the dynamics of a target initially heated by a short laser pulse over a distance comparable to the metal skin depth.

In plasma-driven X-ray lasers, it is critical to optimize the duration and time delay between pump pulses. In this study, we have done parametric simulations in order to systematically investigate the optimum time configuration of pump pulses. Here, we are mainly interested in soft X-ray lasers created using a Ar target irradiated with laser pulses, which operate at a wavelength \\(=46.9\\) nm in the \\(2p^5 3p^1(J=0) 2p^5 3s^1(J=1)\\) laser transition. It is shown that the optimum time scale required to achieve Ne-like ions, as well as the time required to generate a population inversion depend on the combined effect of the electron temperature and electron density. The electron density and temperature are respectively a factor of \\(\\)\\(2.1\\)- and \\(\\)\\(5\\)-times higher in the case of a short pulse of \\(0.1\\) ps in comparison to a long pulse of 1,000 ps (at a constant fluence). The most effective lasing happens with short pulses with a pulse duration comparable to the total relaxation time from the upper level, namely \\(_p35\\) ps. Power laws to predict the optimum laser intensity to achieve Ne-like \\(Ar^+8\\) are obtained.

Our ability to manipulate short wavelength radiation (0.01-100nm, equivalent to 120keV-12eV) has increased significantly over the last three decades. This has lead to major advances in applications in a wide range of disciplines such as: the life and medical sciences, including cancer-related studies; environmental science, including studies of pollution and its effects; archaeology and other cultural heritage disciplines; and materials science. Although expansion in application areas is due largely to modern synchrotron sources, many applications will not become widespread, and therefore routinely available as analytical tools, if they are confined to synchrotrons. There is a need to develop bright but small and low cost X-ray sources, not to replace synchrotrons but to complement them and this book will look at how to facilitate these developments. Written by a distinguished team of international authors, this book is based on the COST Action MP0601: Short Wavelength Laboratory Sources. The contents are divided into five main sections. the introductory section provides a comprehensive introduction to the fundamentals of radiation, generation mechanisms and short wavelength laboratory sources. The middle sections focus on modelling and simulation, source development: improvement and characterisation and integrated systems: sources, optics and detectors. The final section looks at recent applications. Aimed at academic and industrial researchers in physical chemistry and chemical physics, the contents provides practical information about the implementation of short wavelength laboratory sources and their applications.

Several applications in material science and magnetic holography using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation require the measurement of the degree and state of polarization. In this work, an instrument to measure simultaneously both parameters from EUV pulses is presented. The instrument determines the Stokes parameters after a reflection on an array of multilayer mirrors at the Brewster angle. The Stokesmeter was tested at Swiss Light Source at different EUV wavelengths. The experimental Stokes patterns of the source were compared with the simulated pattern.

Chlorinated paraffins (CP) are complex molecular mixtures occurring in a wide range of isomers and homologs of environmental hazards, whose analytical complexity demand advanced mass spectrometry (MS) methods for their characterization. The reported formation of chlorinated olefins (COs) and other transformation products during CP biotransformation and degradation can alter the MS analysis, increasing the high resolution required to distinguish CPs from their degradation products. An advanced setup hyphenating a plasma ionization source and an external high-performance data acquisition and processing system to the legacy hybrid LTQ Orbitrap XL mass spectrometer is reported. First, the study demonstrated the versatility of a liquid sampling atmospheric pressure glow discharge, as a soft ionization technique, for CP analysis. Second, enhanced resolution and sensitivity provided by the absorption mode Fourier transform spectral representation on this legacy mass spectrometer are shown. The developed Orbitrap-based platform allowed the detection of new isotopic clusters and CPs and COs to be distinguished at medium resolution (setting 30,000 at m/z 400, ~ 400 ms transients), and even chlorinated di-olefins (CdiOs) at higher resolution (setting 100,000 at m/z 400, ~ 1500 ms transients). Overall, such proof-of-principle instrumental improvements are promising for environmental and analytical research in the field of CP analysis.

Our ability to manipulate short wavelength radiation (0.01-100nm, equivalent to 120keV-12eV) has increased significantly over the last three decades. This has lead to major advances in applications in a wide range of disciplines such as: the life and medical sciences, including cancer-related studies; environmental science, including studies of pollution and its effects; archaeology and other cultural heritage disciplines; and materials science. Although expansion in application areas is due largely to modern synchrotron sources, many applications will not become widespread, and therefore routinely available as analytical tools, if they are confined to synchrotrons. There is a need to develop bright but small and low cost X-ray sources, not to replace synchrotrons but to complement them and this book will look at how to facilitate these developments. Written by a distinguished team of international authors, this book is based on the COST Action MP0601: Short Wavelength Laboratory Sources. The contents are divided into five main sections. the introductory section provides a comprehensive introduction to the fundamentals of radiation, generation mechanisms and short wavelength laboratory sources. The middle sections focus on modelling and simulation, source development: improvement and characterisation and integrated systems: sources, optics and detectors. The final section looks at recent applications. Aimed at academic and industrial researchers in physical chemistry and chemical physics, the contents provides practical information about the implementation of short wavelength laboratory sources and their applications.

In the following sections, the various components constituting the facility will be described in some detail. An artist's impression of the layout of the BeAGLE facility is shown. This chapter is organized in such a way that we will follow the optical path of the driver beam from the oscillator down to the target chamber. The laser pulse delivery onto the target, as a line focus, triggers a hot and dense plasma column. The latter sustains the amplification of the spontaneous emission (ASE) which is the “X-ray laser”. Here we will put more emphasis on the architecture of the integrated system, which means a module wise description of the drive laser.

Ultratrace anion analysis in high-purity industrial applications is done using commercially available plastic vials to store the eluted liquid samples. Plastic vials are manufactured with materials containing several additives. Such additives might potentially release anionic contaminants, thus degrading the blank quality and determination limits (DL). The durability and thermal stability of several materials was found to be a function of anionic species. Fluorinated materials showed the best results for the majority of anions with the exception of fluoride. For the selective analysis of fluoride, polypropylene was found to be the best vial material, together with glass. Cold water extraction showed better results compared to hot water extraction. Over a long observation period, hot water extraction did not at all improve the performance, indicating that this type of supposedly efficient cleaning of the plastic containers to render them less prone to contaminant release does not hold true.