ID15b, crystallography and Earth sciences

In the last decades, experiments at non-ambient conditions have greatly benefited from the improvement of home-lab instruments and large-scale facilities allowing to investigate matter at extreme PT conditions (megapascal and temperatures ranging from few to thousands kelvin). Experiments performed at non-ambient conditions devoted to unveil the structure, properties and the deformation mechanisms of minerals and synthetic compounds, improve our knowledge regarding the evolution of planets and allow to tailor future new cutting-edge materials. In this context, Earth sciences have (and still can) greatly benefited from a number of dedicated beamlines, such as ID15b (ESRF), devoted to the determination of structural properties of minerals at non-ambient PT conditions using angle-dispersive-diffraction and diamond anvil cells. ID15b is capable to provide high-quality data, thanks to a bright and focalized X-ray beam (λ ∼ 0.410 Å) that can be made as small as 2x3 μm2 and an EIGER2 X 9M CdTe (340x370 mm) flat panel detector. The extremely high brightness of the EBS-ESRF source, the first fourth-generation high-energy synchrotron in the world, allows to perform a completed single crystal data collection in few minutes. In addition to conventional membrane-driven diamond anvil cells, the beamline is equipped with a He-cooled cryostat and external resistive heating devices which allow to perform high-pressure experiments at low temperatures (down to 10K) and high temperatures (up to 600K). An ex-situ Nd-YAG laser system can anneal samples inside the diamond anvil cell at high-temperature, further increasing the range of the investigable T-induced effects allowing to investigate minerals suggested at shallow-crust to mantle-like conditions. At ID15b, Earth-sciences researchers can find a cooperating and competent staff willing to make fruitful suggestion and help during experiments. Allocations of beam time is open to every scientist via submission of standard or long-term Research Proposal. This poster is meant to be a showcase of the ID15b beamline, featuring what it can provide for all the Earth-science researchers.