Fast X-ray detector system for XAFS applications

Lorenzo Fabris
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
July 12, 2002

Abstract:
Recent developments in synchrotron light sources have imposed the need to accommodate higher fluences and count rates on the instrumentation while preserving the excellent energy resolution offered by semiconductor detectors.

The system designed and built by the MSG group at LBNL addresses the problem of detecting X-ray fluorescence of radioactive environmental samples at an input rate in excess of 10^6 counts per second per channel with minimal dead time. The purpose of this seminar is to give an overview of the entire system and a description of the custom electronics, from the low-noise front-end to the data conversion.

Currently, there are three 4-channel systems routinely working on beamlines and a 12-channel system in progress.