| 1. |
- Aquila, A., et al.
(author)
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The linac coherent light source single particle imaging road map
- 2015
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In: Structural Dynamics. - : AIP Publishing. - 2329-7778. ; 2:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Intense femtosecond x-ray pulses from free-electron laser sources allow the imag-ing of individual particles in a single shot. Early experiments at the Linac CoherentLight Source (LCLS) have led to rapid progress in the field and, so far, coherentdiffractive images have been recorded from biological specimens, aerosols, andquantum systems with a few-tens-of-nanometers resolution. In March 2014, LCLSheld a workshop to discuss the scientific and technical challenges for reaching theultimate goal of atomic resolution with single-shot coherent diffractive imaging. This paper summarizes the workshop findings and presents the roadmap towardreaching atomic resolution, 3D imaging at free-electron laser sources.
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| 2. |
- Murphy, B. F., et al.
(author)
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Femtosecond X-ray-induced explosion of C-60 at extreme intensity
- 2014
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In: Nature Communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Understanding molecular femtosecond dynamics under intense X-ray exposure is critical to progress in biomolecular imaging and matter under extreme conditions. Imaging viruses and proteins at an atomic spatial scale and on the time scale of atomic motion requires rigorous, quantitative understanding of dynamical effects of intense X-ray exposure. Here we present an experimental and theoretical study of C-60 molecules interacting with intense X-ray pulses from a free-electron laser, revealing the influence of processes not previously reported. Our work illustrates the successful use of classical mechanics to describe all moving particles in C-60, an approach that scales well to larger systems, for example, biomolecules. Comparisons of the model with experimental data on C-60 ion fragmentation show excellent agreement under a variety of laser conditions. The results indicate that this modelling is applicable for X-ray interactions with any extended system, even at higher X-ray dose rates expected with future light sources.
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| 3. |
- Sanchez-Gonzalez, A., et al.
(author)
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Accurate prediction of X-ray pulse properties from a free-electron laser using machine learning
- 2017
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In: Nature Communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Free-electron lasers providing ultra-short high-brightness pulses of X-ray radiation have great potential for a wide impact on science, and are a critical element for unravelling the structural dynamics of matter. To fully harness this potential, we must accurately know the X-ray properties: intensity, spectrum and temporal profile. Owing to the inherent fluctuations in free-electron lasers, this mandates a full characterization of the properties for each and every pulse. While diagnostics of these properties exist, they are often invasive and many cannot operate at a high-repetition rate. Here, we present a technique for circumventing this limitation. Employing a machine learning strategy, we can accurately predict X-ray properties for every shot using only parameters that are easily recorded at high-repetition rate, by training a model on a small set of fully diagnosed pulses. This opens the door to fully realizing the promise of next-generation high-repetition rate X-ray lasers.
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| 4. |
- Aquila, Andrew, et al.
(author)
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Time-resolved protein nanocrystallography using an X-ray free-electron laser
- 2012
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In: Optics Express. - 1094-4087. ; 20:3, s. 2706-2716
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We demonstrate the use of an X-ray free electron laser synchronized with an optical pump laser to obtain X-ray diffraction snapshots from the photoactivated states of large membrane protein complexes in the form of nanocrystals flowing in a liquid jet. Light-induced changes of Photosystem I-Ferredoxin co-crystals were observed at time delays of 5 to 10 µs after excitation. The result correlates with the microsecond kinetics of electron transfer from Photosystem I to ferredoxin. The undocking process that follows the electron transfer leads to large rearrangements in the crystals that will terminally lead to the disintegration of the crystals. We describe the experimental setup and obtain the first time-resolved femtosecond serial X-ray crystallography results from an irreversible photo-chemical reaction at the Linac Coherent Light Source. This technique opens the door to time-resolved structural studies of reaction dynamics in biological systems.
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| 5. |
- Barillot, T., et al.
(author)
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Correlation-Driven Transient Hole Dynamics Resolved in Space and Time in the Isopropanol Molecule
- 2021
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In: Physical Review X. - : American Physical Society. - 2160-3308. ; 11:3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The possibility of suddenly ionized molecules undergoing extremely fast electron hole (or hole) dynamics prior to significant structural change was first recognized more than 20 years ago and termed charge migration. The accurate probing of ultrafast electron hole dynamics requires measurements that have both sufficient temporal resolution and can detect the localization of a specific hole within the molecule. We report an investigation of the dynamics of inner valence hole states in isopropanol where we use an x-ray pump-x-ray probe experiment, with site and state-specific probing of a transient hole state localized near the oxygen atom in the molecule, together with an ab initio theoretical treatment. We record the signature of transient hole dynamics and make the first tentative observation of dynamics driven by frustrated Auger-Meitner transitions. We verify that the effective hole lifetime is consistent with our theoretical prediction. This state-specific measurement paves the way to widespread application for observations of transient hole dynamics localized in space and time in molecules and thus to charge transfer phenomena that are fundamental in chemical and material physics.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Bielecki, Johan, 1982, et al.
(author)
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Electrospray sample injection for single-particle imaging with x-ray lasers
- 2019
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In: Science advances. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 2375-2548. ; 5:5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The possibility of imaging single proteins constitutes an exciting challenge for x-ray lasers. Despite encouraging results on large particles, imaging small particles has proven to be difficult for two reasons: not quite high enough pulse intensity from currently available x-ray lasers and, as we demonstrate here, contamination of the aerosolized molecules by nonvolatile contaminants in the solution. The amount of contamination on the sample depends on the initial droplet size during aerosolization. Here, we show that, with our electrospray injector, we can decrease the size of aerosol droplets and demonstrate virtually contaminant-free sample delivery of organelles, small virions, and proteins. The results presented here, together with the increased performance of next-generation x-ray lasers, constitute an important stepping stone toward the ultimate goal of protein structure determination from imaging at room temperature and high temporal resolution.
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| 8. |
- Bolognesi, P., et al.
(author)
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A study of the dynamical energy flow in uracil
- 2015
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In: Journal of Physics, Conference Series. - : IOP Publishing. - 1742-6588 .- 1742-6596. ; 635
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The time resolved photoionization of C 1s in uracil following excitation of the neutral molecule by 260 nm pulses has been studied at LCLS.
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| 9. |
- Chapman, Henry N, et al.
(author)
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Femtosecond X-ray protein nanocrystallography.
- 2011
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In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1476-4687 .- 0028-0836. ; 470:7332, s. 73-7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- X-ray crystallography provides the vast majority of macromolecular structures, but the success of the method relies on growing crystals of sufficient size. In conventional measurements, the necessary increase in X-ray dose to record data from crystals that are too small leads to extensive damage before a diffraction signal can be recorded. It is particularly challenging to obtain large, well-diffracting crystals of membrane proteins, for which fewer than 300 unique structures have been determined despite their importance in all living cells. Here we present a method for structure determination where single-crystal X-ray diffraction 'snapshots' are collected from a fully hydrated stream of nanocrystals using femtosecond pulses from a hard-X-ray free-electron laser, the Linac Coherent Light Source. We prove this concept with nanocrystals of photosystem I, one of the largest membrane protein complexes. More than 3,000,000 diffraction patterns were collected in this study, and a three-dimensional data set was assembled from individual photosystem I nanocrystals (∼200nm to 2μm in size). We mitigate the problem of radiation damage in crystallography by using pulses briefer than the timescale of most damage processes. This offers a new approach to structure determination of macromolecules that do not yield crystals of sufficient size for studies using conventional radiation sources or are particularly sensitive to radiation damage.
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| 10. |
- Duane Loh, N., et al.
(author)
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Profiling structured beams using injected aerosols
- 2012
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In: Proceedings of SPIE. - : SPIE. - 9780819492210 ; , s. 850403-
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Profiling structured beams produced by X-ray free-electron lasers (FELs) is crucial to both maximizing signal intensity for weakly scattering targets and interpreting their scattering patterns. Earlier ablative imprint studies describe how to infer the X-ray beam profile from the damage that an attenuated beam inflicts on a substrate. However, the beams in-situ profile is not directly accessible with imprint studies because the damage profile could be different from the actual beam profile. On the other hand, although a Shack-Hartmann sensor is capable of in-situ profiling, its lenses may be quickly damaged at the intense focus of hard X-ray FEL beams. We describe a new approach that probes the in-situ morphology of the intense FEL focus. By studying the translations in diffraction patterns from an ensemble of randomly injected sub-micron latex spheres, we were able to determine the non-Gaussian nature of the intense FEL beam at the Linac Coherent Light Source (SLAC National Laboratory) near the FEL focus. We discuss an experimental application of such a beam-profiling technique, and the limitations we need to overcome before it can be widely applied.
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| 11. |
- Fang, L., et al.
(author)
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Multiple Ionization and Double Core-hole Production in Molecules using the LCLS X-ray FEL
- 2012
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In: Journal of Physics, Conference Series. - : IOP Publishing. - 1742-6588 .- 1742-6596. ; 388:3, s. 032028-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We used the world's first hard x-ray FEL to investigate the response of molecular systems to the ultra-intense, femtosecond x-ray radiation. We report sequential multiphoton ionization, frustrated absorption and double core hole production mechanisms.
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| 12. |
- Gomez, L. F., et al.
(author)
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Shapes and vorticities of superfluid helium nanodroplets
- 2014
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In: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 345:6199, s. 906-909
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Helium nanodroplets are considered ideal model systems to explore quantum hydrodynamics in self-contained, isolated superfluids. However, exploring the dynamic properties of individual droplets is experimentally challenging. In this work, we used single-shot femtosecond x-ray coherent diffractive imaging to investigate the rotation of single, isolated superfluid helium-4 droplets containing ~108 to 1011 atoms. The formation of quantum vortex lattices inside the droplets is confirmed by observing characteristic Bragg patterns from xenon clusters trapped in the vortex cores. The vortex densities are up to five orders of magnitude larger than those observed in bulk liquid helium. The droplets exhibit large centrifugal deformations but retain axially symmetric shapes at angular velocities well beyond the stability range of viscous classical droplets.
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| 13. |
- Larsson, Mats, et al.
(author)
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Double core-hole formation in small molecules at the LCLS free electron laser
- 2013
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In: Journal of Physics B. - : IOP Publishing. - 0953-4075 .- 1361-6455. ; 46:16, s. 164030-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We have investigated nonlinear processes in small molecules by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy using the Linac Coherent Light Source free electron laser, and by simulations. The main focus of the experiments was the formation of the two-site double core-hole (tsDCH) states in the molecules CO2, N2O and N-2. These experiments are described in detail and the results are compared with simulations of the photoelectron spectra. The double core-hole states, and in particular the tsDCH states, have been predicted to be highly sensitive to the chemical environment. The theory behind this chemical sensitivity is validated by the experiments. Furthermore, our simulations of the relative integrated intensities of the peaks associated with the nonlinear processes show that this type of simulation, in combination with experimental data, provides a useful tool for estimating the duration of ultra-short x-ray pulses.
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| 14. |
- Li, S., et al.
(author)
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Two-dimensional correlation analysis for x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
- 2021
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In: Journal of Physics B. - : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP). - 0953-4075 .- 1361-6455. ; 54:14
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measures the binding energy of core-level electrons, which are well-localised to specific atomic sites in a molecular system, providing valuable information on the local chemical environment. The technique relies on measuring the photoelectron spectrum upon x-ray photoionisation, and the resolution is often limited by the bandwidth of the ionising x-ray pulse. This is particularly problematic for time-resolved XPS, where the desired time resolution enforces a fundamental lower limit on the bandwidth of the x-ray source. In this work, we report a novel correlation analysis which exploits the correlation between the x-ray and photoelectron spectra to improve the resolution of XPS measurements. We show that with this correlation-based spectral-domain ghost imaging method we can achieve sub-bandwidth resolution in XPS measurements. This analysis method enables XPS for sources with large bandwidth or spectral jitter, previously considered unfeasible for XPS measurements.
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| 15. |
- Loh, N. D., et al.
(author)
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Fractal morphology, imaging and mass spectrometry of single aerosol particles in flight
- 2012
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In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 486:7404, s. 513-517
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The morphology of micrometre-size particulate matter is of critical importance in fields ranging from toxicology(1) to climate science(2), yet these properties are surprisingly difficult to measure in the particles' native environment. Electron microscopy requires collection of particles on a substrate(3); visible light scattering provides insufficient resolution(4); and X-ray synchrotron studies have been limited to ensembles of particles(5). Here we demonstrate an in situ method for imaging individual sub-micrometre particles to nanometre resolution in their native environment, using intense, coherent X-ray pulses from the Linac Coherent Light Source(6) free-electron laser. We introduced individual aerosol particles into the pulsed X-ray beam, which is sufficiently intense that diffraction from individual particles can be measured for morphological analysis. At the same time, ion fragments ejected from the beam were analysed using mass spectrometry, to determine the composition of single aerosol particles. Our results show the extent of internal dilation symmetry of individual soot particles subject to non-equilibrium aggregation, and the surprisingly large variability in their fractal dimensions. More broadly, our methods can be extended to resolve both static and dynamic morphology of general ensembles of disordered particles. Such general morphology has implications in topics such as solvent accessibilities in proteins(7), vibrational energy transfer by the hydrodynamic interaction of amino acids(8), and large-scale production of nanoscale structures by flame synthesis(9).
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| 16. |
- Martin, A. V., et al.
(author)
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Femtosecond dark-field imaging with an X-ray free electron laser
- 2012
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In: Optics Express. - 1094-4087. ; 20:12, s. 13501-13512
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The emergence of femtosecond diffractive imaging with X-ray lasers has enabled pioneering structural studies of isolated particles, such as viruses, at nanometer length scales. However, the issue of missing low frequency data significantly limits the potential of X-ray lasers to reveal sub-nanometer details of micrometer-sized samples. We have developed a new technique of dark-field coherent diffractive imaging to simultaneously overcome the missing data issue and enable us to harness the unique contrast mechanisms available in dark-field microscopy. Images of airborne particulate matter (soot) up to two microns in length were obtained using single-shot diffraction patterns obtained at the Linac Coherent Light Source, four times the size of objects previously imaged in similar experiments. This technique opens the door to femtosecond diffractive imaging of a wide range of micrometer-sized materials that exhibit irreproducible complexity down to the nanoscale, including airborne particulate matter, small cells, bacteria and gold-labeled biological samples.
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| 17. |
- Martin, A. V., et al.
(author)
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Noise-robust coherent diffractive imaging with a single diffraction pattern
- 2012
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In: Optics Express. - 1094-4087. ; 20:15, s. 16650-16661
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The resolution of single-shot coherent diffractive imaging at X-ray free-electron laser facilities is limited by the low signal-to-noise level of diffraction data at high scattering angles. The iterative reconstruction methods, which phase a continuous diffraction pattern to produce an image, must be able to extract information from these weak signals to obtain the best quality images. Here we show how to modify iterative reconstruction methods to improve tolerance to noise. The method is demonstrated with the hybrid input-output method on both simulated data and single-shot diffraction patterns taken at the Linac Coherent Light Source. (C) 2012 Optical Society of America
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| 18. |
- Pedersoli, E., et al.
(author)
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Mesoscale morphology of airborne core-shell nanoparticle clusters : x-ray laser coherent diffraction imaging
- 2013
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In: Journal of Physics B. - : IOP Publishing. - 0953-4075 .- 1361-6455. ; 46:16 SI, s. 164033-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Unraveling the complex morphology of functional materials like core-shell nanoparticles and its evolution in different environments is still a challenge. Only recently has the single-particle coherent diffraction imaging (CDI), enabled by the ultrabright femtosecond free-electron laser pulses, provided breakthroughs in understanding mesoscopic morphology of nanoparticulate matter. Here, we report the first CDI results for Co@SiO2 core-shell nanoparticles randomly clustered in large airborne aggregates, obtained using the x-ray free-electron laser at the Linac Coherent Light Source. Our experimental results compare favourably with simulated diffraction patterns for clustered Co@SiO2 nanoparticles with similar to 10 nm core diameter and similar to 30 nm shell outer diameter, which confirms the ability to resolve the mesoscale morphology of complex metastable structures. The findings in this first morphological study of core-shell nanomaterials are a solid base for future time-resolved studies of dynamic phenomena in complex nanoparticulate matter using x-ray lasers.
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| 19. |
- Sahlén, Martin, et al.
(author)
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Experimental Verification of the Chemical Sensitivity of Two-Site Double Core-Hole States Formed by an X-Ray Free-Electron Laser
- 2012
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In: Physical Review Letters. - 0031-9007 .- 1079-7114. ; 108:15, s. 153003-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We have performed x-ray two-photon photoelectron spectroscopy using the Linac Coherent Light Source x-ray free-electron laser in order to study double core-hole (DCH) states of CO2, N2O, and N-2. The experiment verifies the theory behind the chemical sensitivity of two-site DCH states by comparing a set of small molecules with respect to the energy shift of the two-site DCH state and by extracting the relevant parameters from this shift.
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| 20. |
- Saleacuten, P., et al.
(author)
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X-ray FEL-induced Double Core-Hole Formation in Polyatomic Molecules
- 2012
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In: Journal of Physics, Conference Series. - : IOP Publishing. - 1742-6588 .- 1742-6596. ; 388:2, s. 022083-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We use extremely intense, ultrashort soft X-Ray pulses generated by the LCLS X-Ray Free Electron Laser to investigate the production of molecular double core-hole states by sequential two-photon X-Ray absorption. The effect of critical LCLS parameters such as the number of photons per pulse, the pulse duration, and the focal spot size on the photoelectron and Auger spectra is modeled in detail and the results of these simulations are used as an aid in the interpretation of the experimental spectra obtained. The emphasis is on double core-hole formation in small polyatomic molecules such as CO2.
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| 21. |
- Sanchez-Gonzalez, A., et al.
(author)
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Auger electron and photoabsorption spectra of glycine in the vicinity of the oxygen K-edge measured with an X-FEL
- 2015
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In: Journal of Physics B-Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics. - : IOP Publishing. - 0953-4075 .- 1361-6455. ; 48:23
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report the first measurement of the near oxygen K-edge auger spectrum of the glycine molecule. Our work employed an x-ray free electron laser as the photon source operated with input photon energies tunable between 527 and 547 eV. Complete electron spectra were recorded at each photon energy in the tuning range, revealing resonant and non-resonant auger structures. Finally ab initio theoretical predictions are compared with the measured above the edge auger spectrum and an assignment of auger decay channels is performed.
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| 22. |
- Sorensen, S. L., et al.
(author)
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From synchrotrons for XFELs : The soft x-ray near-edge spectrum of the ESCA molecule
- 2020
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In: Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics. - : IOP Publishing. - 0953-4075 .- 1361-6455. ; 53:24
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A predictive understanding of soft x-ray near-edge absorption spectra of small molecules is an enduring theoretical challenge and of current interest for x-ray probes of molecular dynamics. We report the experimental absorption spectrum for the electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) molecule (ethyl trifluoroacetate) near the carbon 1s absorption edge between 285-300 eV. The ESCA molecule with four chemically distinct carbon sites has previously served as a theoretical benchmark for photoelectron spectra and now for photoabsorption spectra. We report a simple edge-specific approach for systematically expanding standard basis sets to properly describe diffuse Rydberg orbitals and the importance of triple excitations in equation-of-motion coupled-cluster calculations of the energy interval between valence and Rydberg excitations.
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| 23. |
- Zhaunerchyk, Vitali, et al.
(author)
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Disentangling formation of multiple-core holes in aminophenol molecules exposed to bright X-FEL radiation
- 2015
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In: Journal of Physics B. - : IOP Publishing. - 0953-4075 .- 1361-6455. ; 48:24
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Competing multi-photon ionization processes, some leading to the formation of double core hole states, have been examined in 4-aminophenol. The experiments used the linac coherent light source (LCLS) x-ray free electron laser, in combination with a time-of-flight magnetic bottle electron spectrometer and the correlation analysis method of covariance mapping. The results imply that 4-aminophenol molecules exposed to the focused x-ray pulses of the LCLS sequentially absorb more than two x-ray photons, resulting in the formation of multiple core holes as well as in the sequential removal of photoelectrons and Auger electrons (so-called PAPA sequences).
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