We’re proud to spotlight our recent collaboration with Cornell University, which involed designing and building a bespoke box chamber for their Sector 4 Double Crystal Monochromator (DCM) at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS). This project challenged our team to innovate within tight specifications, ensuring the new ultra-high vacuum chamber met the unique demands for space and performance. Our solution—a custom chamber equipped with a durable wire-seal door—will play a crucial role in CHESS’s ongoing efforts to enhance their X-ray capabilities, reflecting our commitment to supporting cutting-edge scientific research and precision engineering.
“The Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS) is a National Science Foundation funded facility located on the Cornell University campus in Ithaca, New York. CHESS provides high-energy synchrotron X-rays serving over 1300 user visits from the physical, biological, engineering, and life sciences. The 2018 upgrade (CHESS-U) is a major effort utilizing a $15M grant to upgrade the facilities to produce even brighter X-rays.
The Sector 4 Double Crystal Monochromator (DCM) is a device that transmits a mechanically selectable band of wavelengths of radiation. This instrument requires ultra-high vacuum and extreme stability and precision. Because of how small the equipment area is, custom vacuum chambers are often a necessity. The Sector 4 DCM chamber is a custom UHV vacuum chamber that fits precisely into “Sector 4”, an area with a skewed back wall. Because of the size of the equipment inside the chamber, a custom wire-seal door to install large components was required. This aluminum wire-seal is a process commonly used on large vacuum chambers at Cornell, as rubber gaskets degrade over time due to the nuclear radiation inside the facility.“
The new chamber will be installed as a “hutch” tangent along the synchrotron beam line. It will hold instrumentation with a diamond that diffracts an incoming x-ray beam (Bragg’s Law). For example: X-rays used to study metallurgical stress (think of repeatedly bending a paperclip––this is what happens to airplane wings!)
This collaboration with Cornell exemplifies our dedication to providing tailored solutions for advanced scientific research. We look forward to supporting future projects that push the boundaries of innovation and precision in the field of high-energy synchrotron X-ray research.