Have you ever wondered how our choppers can support time-resolved macromolecular crystallography (MX)? Learn more about the two operation modes available which allow to synchronize the pattern of our chopper to the equipment of the end station of your beamline.
Have you ever wondered how our choppers can support time-resolved macromolecular crystallography (MX)? When it comes to short time pulses a seamless integration and timing is crucial. There are two operation modes (see also) available which allow to synchronize the chopper pattern to the equipment of the end station of the beamline. In the primary operation mode, the chopper CM-AMB provides a reference clock signal by an encoder output which then can be used to synchronize the end station equipment to the chopper pattern and light source.
Besides the chopper acting as the source of the reference signal, in the secondary mode the chopper pattern is synchronized to an externally provided clock signal, originating from any other source or position within the end station or the beamline.
At MAX IV our chopper is configured in this mode. Thomas Ursby, MX Group Manager and MicroMAX Project Manager at MAX IV Laboratory, explains the benefits of using our high-speed chopper technology in his lab as follows:
“At MicroMAX scientists will study protein dynamics to be able to learn how proteins function, which means studying these on a wide timescale. In particular, the microsecond to second range is very important. Below milliseconds, it will be crucial to have short X-ray pulses down to a few microseconds long so that we can determine how the protein molecules move and interact with their partners. The Celeroton chopper will allow us to do precisely this. We have successfully started commissioning the chopper and produce short X-ray pulses. It is exciting to now prepare for these experiments in 2025!”
Both of these configurations have their own advantages and which one is preferred is entirely up to the end user’s preference or general design concept of the end station. Both options have been successfully implemented by customers of Celeroton.
Ready to explore how our high-speed chopper technology can revolutionize your research? Contact us via moc.notorelec@ofni or +41 44 250 52 20 to learn more and take the next step in advancing your experiments!
