scholarly journals X-Ray Free-Electron Lasers for the Structure and Dynamics of Macromolecules

2019 ◽  
Vol 88 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry N. Chapman
Keyword(s):  
Free Electron ◽  
Conformational Dynamics ◽  
Cryogenic Cooling ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Free Electron Lasers ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Virus Particles ◽  
Structure And Dynamics ◽  
Small Crystals ◽  
Serial Crystallography

X-ray free-electron lasers provide femtosecond-duration pulses of hard X-rays with a peak brightness approximately one billion times greater than is available at synchrotron radiation facilities. One motivation for the development of such X-ray sources was the proposal to obtain structures of macromolecules, macromolecular complexes, and virus particles, without the need for crystallization, through diffraction measurements of single noncrystalline objects. Initial explorations of this idea and of outrunning radiation damage with femtosecond pulses led to the development of serial crystallography and the ability to obtain high-resolution structures of small crystals without the need for cryogenic cooling. This technique allows the understanding of conformational dynamics and enzymatics and the resolution of intermediate states in reactions over timescales of 100 fs to minutes. The promise of more photons per atom recorded in a diffraction pattern than electrons per atom contributing to an electron micrograph may enable diffraction measurements of single molecules, although challenges remain.

Accelerator-based X-ray sources: synchrotron radiation, X-ray free electron lasers and beyond

2019 ◽  
Vol 377 (2147) ◽  
pp. 20180231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tetsuya Ishikawa
Keyword(s):  
Synchrotron Radiation ◽  
Storage Ring ◽  
Free Electron ◽  
Continuous Wave ◽  
Transitional Period ◽  
Light Sources ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Free Electron Lasers ◽  
Beam Emittance ◽  
X Ray

The evolution of synchrotron radiation (SR) sources and related sciences is discussed to explain the ‘generation’ of the SR sources. Most of the contemporary SR sources belong to the third generation, where the storage rings are optimized for the use of undulator radiation. The undulator development allowed to reduction of the electron energy of the storage ring necessary for delivering 10 keV X-rays from the initial 6–8 GeV to the current 3 Gev. Now is the transitional period from the double-bend-achromat lattice-based storage ring to the multi-bend-achromat lattice to achieve much smaller electron beam emittance. Free electron lasers are the other important accelerator-based light sources which recently reached hard X-ray regime by using self-amplified spontaneous emission scheme. Future accelerator-based X-ray sources should be continuous wave X-ray free electron lasers and pulsed X-ray free electron lasers. Some pathways to reach the future case are discussed. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Fifty years of synchrotron science: achievements and opportunities’.

scholarly journals Time-Resolved Macromolecular Crystallography at Pulsed X-ray Sources

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 1401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marius Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Structural Biology ◽  
Free Electron ◽  
Reaction Dynamics ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Free Electron Lasers ◽  
Macromolecular Crystallography ◽  
Time Resolved ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Methodological Aspects

The focus of structural biology is shifting from the determination of static structures to the investigation of dynamical aspects of macromolecular function. With time-resolved macromolecular crystallography (TRX), intermediates that form and decay during the macromolecular reaction can be investigated, as well as their reaction dynamics. Time-resolved crystallographic methods were initially developed at synchrotrons. However, about a decade ago, extremely brilliant, femtosecond-pulsed X-ray sources, the free electron lasers for hard X-rays, became available to a wider community. TRX is now possible with femtosecond temporal resolution. This review provides an overview of methodological aspects of TRX, and at the same time, aims to outline the frontiers of this method at modern pulsed X-ray sources.

On-line monitoring of the spatial properties of hard X-ray free-electron lasers based on a grating splitter

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 619-628 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenqiang Hua ◽  
Guangzhao Zhou ◽  
Zhe Hu ◽  
Shumin Yang ◽  
Keliang Liao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Free Electron ◽  
Incident Beam ◽  
Single Pulse ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Free Electron Lasers ◽  
Spatial Characteristics ◽  
X Ray ◽  
First Order ◽  
Spatial Properties ◽  
On Line

X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) play an increasingly important role in addressing the new scientific challenges relating to their high brightness, high coherence and femtosecond time structure. As a result of pulse-by-pulse fluctuations, the pulses of an XFEL beam may demonstrate subtle differences in intensity, energy spectrum, coherence, wavefront, etc., and thus on-line monitoring and diagnosis of a single pulse are required for many XFEL experiments. Here a new method is presented, based on a grating splitter and bending-crystal analyser, for single-pulse on-line monitoring of the spatial characteristics including the intensity profile, coherence and wavefront, which was suggested and applied experimentally to the temporal diagnosis of an XFEL single pulse. This simulation testifies that the intensity distribution, coherence and wavefront of the first-order diffracted beam of a grating preserve the properties of the incident beam, by using the coherent mode decomposition of the Gaussian–Schell model and Fourier optics. Indicatively, the first-order diffraction of appropriate gratings can be used as an alternative for on-line monitoring of the spatial properties of a single pulse without any characteristic deformation of the principal diffracted beam. However, an interesting simulation result suggests that the surface roughness of gratings will degrade the spatial characteristics in the case of a partially coherent incident beam. So, there exists a suitable roughness value for non-destructive monitoring of the spatial properties of the downstream beam, which depends on the specific optical path. Here, experiments based on synchrotron radiation X-rays are carried out in order to verify this method in principle. The experimental results are consistent with the theoretical calculations.

Thorough small-angle X-ray scattering analysis of the instability of liquid micro-jets in air

2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 193-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benedetta Marmiroli ◽  
Fernando Cacho-Nerin ◽  
Barbara Sartori ◽  
Javier Pérez ◽  
Heinz Amenitsch
Keyword(s):  
Small Angle ◽  
Free Electron ◽  
Liquid Jets ◽  
Liquid Jet ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Free Electron Lasers ◽  
X Ray ◽  
X Ray Scattering ◽  
Break Up ◽  
Ray Scattering

Liquid jets are of interest, both for their industrial relevance and for scientific applications (more important, in particular for X-rays, after the advent of free-electron lasers that require liquid jets as sample carrier). Instability mechanisms have been described theoretically and by numerical simulation, but confirmed by few experimental techniques. In fact, these are mainly based on cameras, which is limited by the imaging resolution, and on light scattering, which is hindered by absorption, reflection, Mie scattering and multiple scattering due to complex air/liquid interfaces during jet break-up. In this communication it is demonstrated that synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) can give quantitative information on liquid jet dynamics at the nanoscale, by detecting time-dependent morphology and break-up length. Jets ejected from circular tubes of different diameters (100–450 µm) and speeds (0.7–21 m s−1) have been explored to cover the Rayleigh and first wind-induced regimes. Various solvents (water, ethanol, 2-propanol) and their mixtures have been examined. The determination of the liquid jet behaviour becomes essential, as it provides background data in subsequent studies of chemical and biological reactions using SAXS or X-ray diffraction based on synchrotron radiation and free-electron lasers.

scholarly journals Reducing sample consumption for serial crystallography using acoustic drop ejection

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 1820-1825 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley Davy ◽  
Danny Axford ◽  
John H. Beale ◽  
Agata Butryn ◽  
Peter Docker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Efficient Method ◽  
Free Electron ◽  
Crystal Quality ◽  
Free Electron Lasers ◽  
Fixed Target ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Essential Aspect ◽  
Time Usage ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
Serial Crystallography

Efficient sample delivery is an essential aspect of serial crystallography at both synchrotrons and X-ray free-electron lasers. Rastering fixed target chips through the X-ray beam is an efficient method for serial delivery from the perspectives of both sample consumption and beam time usage. Here, an approach for loading fixed targets using acoustic drop ejection is presented that does not compromise crystal quality, can reduce sample consumption by more than an order of magnitude and allows serial diffraction to be collected from a larger proportion of the crystals in the slurry.

scholarly journals Rapid sample delivery for megahertz serial crystallography at X-ray FELs

IUCrJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 574-584 ◽  
Author(s):  
Max O. Wiedorn ◽  
Salah Awel ◽  
Andrew J. Morgan ◽  
Kartik Ayyer ◽  
Yaroslav Gevorkov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bragg Diffraction ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Free Electron Lasers ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Damaged Material ◽  
Optical Images ◽  
Subsequent Measurement ◽  
Serial Crystallography ◽  
Liquid Microjets ◽  
Serial Femtosecond Crystallography

Liquid microjets are a common means of delivering protein crystals to the focus of X-ray free-electron lasers (FELs) for serial femtosecond crystallography measurements. The high X-ray intensity in the focus initiates an explosion of the microjet and sample. With the advent of X-ray FELs with megahertz rates, the typical velocities of these jets must be increased significantly in order to replenish the damaged material in time for the subsequent measurement with the next X-ray pulse. This work reports the results of a megahertz serial diffraction experiment at the FLASH FEL facility using 4.3 nm radiation. The operation of gas-dynamic nozzles that produce liquid microjets with velocities greater than 80 m s−1 was demonstrated. Furthermore, this article provides optical images of X-ray-induced explosions together with Bragg diffraction from protein microcrystals exposed to trains of X-ray pulses repeating at rates of up to 4.5 MHz. The results indicate the feasibility for megahertz serial crystallography measurements with hard X-rays and give guidance for the design of such experiments.

scholarly journals Materials Imaging and Dynamics (MID) instrument at the European X-ray Free-Electron Laser Facility

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 637-649
Author(s):  
A. Madsen ◽  
J. Hallmann ◽  
G. Ansaldi ◽  
T. Roth ◽  
W. Lu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Free Electron ◽  
Free Electron Laser ◽  
Condensed Matter ◽  
Coherent Scattering ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Structured Materials ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Structure And Dynamics ◽  
Laser Facility

The Materials Imaging and Dynamics (MID) instrument at the European X-ray Free-Electron Laser (EuXFEL) facility is described. EuXFEL is the first hard X-ray free-electron laser operating in the MHz repetition range which provides novel science opportunities. The aim of MID is to enable studies of nano-structured materials, liquids, and soft- and hard-condensed matter using the bright X-ray beams generated by EuXFEL. Particular emphasis is on studies of structure and dynamics in materials by coherent scattering and imaging using hard X-rays. Commission of MID started at the end of 2018 and first experiments were performed in 2019.

The advent of X-ray free electron lasers

Photoniques ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 22-26
Author(s):  
Marie-Emmanuelle Couprie
Keyword(s):  
Free Electron ◽  
Peak Power ◽  
Short Pulse ◽  
Far Infrared ◽  
Gain Medium ◽  
High Peak Power ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Free Electron Lasers ◽  
Free Electrons ◽  
X Ray

Free Electron Lasers (FEL) use free electrons in the periodic permanent magnetic field of an undulator as a gain medium. They extend from far infrared to X-rays, they are easily tunable and provide a high peak power. The advent of tunable intense (few mJ) short pulse (down to the attosecond regime) FELs with record multi GW peak power in the X-ray domain enables to explore new scientific areas. These unprecedent X-ray sources come along with versatile performance.

Diamond crystal optics for self-seeding of hard X-rays in X-ray free-electron lasers

2013 ◽  
Vol 33 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Stoupin ◽  
V.D. Blank ◽  
S.A. Terentyev ◽  
S.N. Polyakov ◽  
V.N. Denisov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Free Electron ◽  
Diamond Crystal ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Free Electron Lasers ◽  
Crystal Optics ◽  
X Ray

Two-color X-ray free-electron laser consisting of broadband and narrowband beams

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 1720-1724
Author(s):  
Ichiro Inoue ◽  
Taito Osaka ◽  
Toru Hara ◽  
Makina Yabashi
Keyword(s):  
Photon Energy ◽  
Free Electron ◽  
Free Electron Laser ◽  
Intensity Ratio ◽  
Energy Separation ◽  
Nonlinear Interactions ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Free Electron Lasers ◽  
Simple Scheme ◽  
X Ray

A simple scheme is proposed and experimentally confirmed to generate X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) consisting of broadband and narrowband beams with a controllable intensity ratio and a large photon-energy separation. This unique two-color XFEL beam will open new opportunities for investigation of nonlinear interactions between intense X-rays and matter.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document