Mail-in Powder Diffraction
We are starting up a pilot program to enable mail-in powder diffraction data at SSRL. The goal of this program is to provide users with access to high quality synchrotron powder diffraction data with the shortest possible turnaround time. Currently, this is limited to non-hazardous samples which can be loaded into kapton capillaries with measurements performed at room temperature. The anticipated time between submitting a proposal and obtaining data is between 2 and 4 weeks. A calendar of upcoming beamtimes dedicated to mail-in samples can be found here.
To use the mail-in program, you will need to do the following:
- Register as a user in the SSRL User Portal: https://userportal.slac.stanford.edu/urawi/Login.html
- Complete cyber security training (this is required even for mail-in and remote users)
- Submit a short proposal here: https://forms.gle/4wRevJDHPeL88gzcA
Once a user has satisfied the above criteria, they can submit a short proposal of no more than 400 words giving a brief explanation of what they would like to do and the type of samples they would like to study. The primary criteria by which these will be reviewed are feasibility and safety. As part of the proposal, users should specify how many samples they want to measure. Each proposal can request up to 25 samples, which corresponds to roughly one 8-hour shift of beamtime. Proposals can request fewer than 25 samples, but if more than 25 samples are needed, this should be split across multiple proposals. Proposals can be submitted at the website below.
Once you submit a proposal, it will be reviewed by beamline staff. After staff have reviewed your proposal, they will reach out to you with any clarifying questions or with information about mailing a sample kit to you. At this point, if you have not already, you will need to create an account in our sample database (instructions here). The database will be the portal through which you will provide sample metadata and where you can view and download your data once collected.
Once you receive your sample kit in the mail, it is time to prepare and load your samples. Follow the instructions found at this video for best results: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT00U5D6-ow
Once you have loaded your samples and entered all of the relevant sample information into the database, carefully package them to ship to SSRL. Bear in mind, samples may be handled roughly during shipping, so take care to ensure that your samples are well packed. If any capillaries come out of their bases during shipping, beamline staff will do our best to remount them. However, if they come out of their base and cannot be matched up with the appropriate sample ID (e.g. multiple capillaries came loose and are not contained within the plastic caps) the beamline staff will have no way of matching the sample to the appropriate ID and all means of identifying that sample will be lost. Do not ship anything in glass containers, not matter how well padded. Samples should be shipped to the following address, any sample tracking information can be entered into the Modelyst database for staff to view.
Beamline 2-1 c/o Kevin Stone
SSRL/SLAC MS 99
2575 Sand Hill Road
Menlo Park, CA 94025-7015
USA
Once your samples are received at the beamline, the status will be updated in the Modelyst database. Samples will be kept unopened until the next beamtime for mail-in measurements. Your samples will be measured during the next mail-in beamtime at SSRL beamline 2-1. Once a sample is measured, the data will be automatically uploaded to the Modelyst database where it is available to the user. Beamline staff will do their best to notify users directly when their samples are run, but make no guarantee of this. Check the database to see if samples have been measured.
Samples will be held for a minimum of 2 weeks after measurement. During this time, users should look at their data and identify any potential issues. If samples need to be re-run, contact beamline staff to discuss your concerns. After 2 weeks, samples will either be returned to the user or wasted at SSRL following appropriate waste management procedures (this is one of the reasons that it is important to provide proper composition and hazard information for each sample).
Refine it! Extract useful information, learn things about your samples, and publish your results. If you do publish results that include data from this program, please reference the paper below. This helps us in many ways, including a way to measure the productivity of this program so that we can show our management and our funders at DOE.
Then write more proposals and submit more samples!
