APS USAXS/SAXS/WAXS facility

Ultra-Small-Angle X-ray Scattering Facility

User Info

Important user instructions

This page walks you through a USAXS experiment in chronological order: planning, before arrival, at the beamline, and after your experiment.

Stay informed: Subscribe to our newsletter with important user information (~4× per year, e-mail; same link to unsubscribe). General APS user information is here — also read the Tips for Success flyer.

1. Planning or proposing an experiment

Read our Capabilities, Instrument geometries, and Sample environments pages, and check our other equipment. Decide what type of access works for you.

Then read these pages — before AND after your experiment: planning experiment data collection, how data are reduced and calibrated, and how to use them in Igor Pro or other tools.

2. Before your experiment (beamtime allocated)

ESAF — at least 21 days ahead

Submit your ESAF at least 21 days before the start of your experiment, using the link sent to you by APS.

Experimental plan

Users are expected to perform experiments according to the proposals reviewed by the GU review committee and granted time. Any changes to the plans must be pre-approved by USAXS staff ([email protected]) and reflected in the ESAF. Plan data collection properly based on these instructions so the automatic data collection routine works.

Staffing requirements

For safety and efficiency we require:

  • Two or more experimenters for experiments longer than 2 shifts (16 hours)
  • Three or more experimenters for experiments longer than 6 shifts (48 hours)

Experiments with insufficient staffing may be canceled. If you feel your experiment can be done with fewer experimenters, get approval from USAXS staff ([email protected]) ahead of time.

Getting samples to the APS

The authoritative instructions from the APS safety group are here — these must be followed. In short:

  • Ship samples via common carrier (FedEx, UPS, USPS), properly packaged per DOT rules — strongly recommended, and THE ONLY permitted way to deliver nonexempt hazardous materials to the APS. Plan for delivery at least 48 hours before the start of your experiment and account for possible delays; ANL receiving is not available over the weekend and on site transfer from receiving to beamline takes one business day. See our shipping instructions page.
  • Under no circumstances may users transport a nonexempt hazardous material to the APS in their own car or other personal vehicle.
  • Small non-hazardous samples may be hand-carried only if properly packaged and labeled. Packaging must follow DOT and all other applicable regulations (airline rules, etc.) and be suitable for review by ANL security — details on safety, chemical composition, and owner contact must be on each package.

3. At the APS

Arrival — one day early

Plan to arrive one day before your experiment and check in with beamline staff before 3 pm that day. Sort out badging and training with the ANL visitor center and APS Users Office one day before your arrival at the beamline. If you need access to the chemistry lab for sample preparation before your beamtime, arrange it with staff ([email protected]) ahead of arrival and mark it on the ESAF.

Beamline-specific training

Staff must train all users on safety and operations of each beamline. After the training, read and submit this form. Only after this training is performed and recorded may users do any hands-on work.

Chemical waste

Tell beamline staff if any chemical waste will be generated during your experiment. Fill in the waste generator log and e-mail it to beamline staff ([email protected]). Make sure all waste containers are properly labeled.

Syringes

All syringes are now considered biohazard by APS and must be disposed of as such. Use of syringes is strongly discouraged; other methods (pipettes) are strongly encouraged.

4. After your experiment

Departure

Plan on departing from the APS after 10 am on the last day of measurements. If you need help with data reduction, reserve more time before your departure.

Shipping samples/equipment back

Follow the instructions on our shipping page. Download and read the instructions, then fill in the shipping form with Adobe Acrobat, print, and save. E-mail the saved copy to two addresses — beamline staff and Alexis — and place a paper copy in the box. Hand the box to a staff member.

Getting your data

The amount of data generated is typically 0.1–1 GB/day. Two easy options:

  • USB drive/stick with sufficient space
  • Box.com — USAXS uses business Box.com to store data off-site as backup and to share with users. We can send an invite link to the folder(s) with your data, and you can download from there. No Box.com account needed!

Data format and calibration

We use HDF5 data files following the NXcanSAS and NXsas NeXus definitions. Our automatic data reduction tool Matilda provides reduced and calibrated data for most users; manual data reduction (using Igor Pro) may be needed in special cases — staff will help you here. Read the details on data collection, Igor data description, and data import.

Publications

All publications REQUIRE the APS acknowledgement. Send publication drafts to USAXS staff for review — to ensure the instrument description and data interpretation are reasonable — before submitting to a journal or conference. Send a copy of each published work to USAXS staff so it can be included in the APS publication database.