1. VIBRONIC FEATURES IN POLYMER NEXAFS
by Annette Greiner
(Contact: stephen.urquhart@usask.ca)

Researchers conducting polymer analyses with the Scanning Transmission X-Ray Microscope (STXM) on Beamline 7.0.1 have observed a phenomenon not previously considered relevant to the spectra of polymers. Their work has shown that vibronic effects--the combination of electronic and vibrational changes--have a significant effect on the near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectra of polystyrene. The observation of vibronic features in this polymer suggests that the phenomenon affects spectra of other large, complex molecules. This information will be crucial in interpreting future spectra as finer resolutions make smaller spectral features observable.

Read the full story at http://www-als.lbl.gov/als/science/sci_archive/polystyrene.html.

Publication about this research: S.G. Urquhart, H. Ade, M. Rafailovich, J.S. Sokolov, and Y. Zhang, "Chemical and vibronic effects in the high-resolution near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure spectra of polystyrene isotopomers," Chem. Phys. Lett. 322, 412 (2000).

2. FIRST COMMERCIAL LIGA BEAMLINE IN U.S. UNDER CONSTRUCTION
(Contact: dboehme@axsun.com)

The first beamline for commercial LIGA (deep-etch x-ray lithography) in the country has been approved by the ALS Scientific Advisory Committee and is expected to begin commissioning in February. Funding for Beamline 3.3.1 comes from AXSUN Technologies, a Massachusetts-based company that provides miniaturized opto-electronic modules for fiber-optic telecommunications networks. These modules are essentially optical benches the size of computer chips, containing complex assemblies of high-precision optical, mechanical, and electrical subassemblies that align and focus incoming photon signals, convert them into electrical signals, and route them through switches into the appropriate paths. AXSUN will use LIGA techniques at the new beamline for the microfabrication of key alignment structures (patent pending) measuring roughly 2 millimeters wide by 500 micrometers thick. The process involves an eight- to ten-hour x-ray exposure using a high-contrast PMMA resist to etch molds of the required shape. The ALS was selected for its appropriate wavelength range and its proximity to Livermore, California, site of a new AXSUN expansion facility dedicated to LIGA manufacturing. The new ALS beamline will have a footprint very similar to that of Beamline 3.3.2, the existing LIGA research and development facility in Sector 3.

3. REMINDER: COMPENDIUM ABSTRACTS DUE NEXT MONDAY
(Contact: LSTamura@lbl.gov)

By now, all ALS users from last year (including ALS staff members) should have received a packet in the mail calling for abstracts describing the work they have done, in whole or in part, at the ALS during the year 2000. The deadline for submitting abstracts is Monday, January 22, 2001. If you have not yet received an instruction packet, or have questions about the submission process, please contact Lori Tamura by email (LSTamura@lbl.gov) or phone (510-486-6172). The information in the packets (including author guidelines, file specifications, and a submission form) can also be found on the Web at http://alspubs.lbl.gov/Compendium_old.

The abstracts received will be published on a CD that will be included in the 2000 ALS Activity Report. The abstracts will also be added to the searchable database of abstracts available on our Web site at http://alspubs.lbl.gov/compendium. Like last year, we will again accept electronic files in a number of formats, preferably PDF; hardcopy submissions are no longer necessary. The ALS thanks you for your cooperation in this effort to demonstrate the breadth, depth, and importance of the ALS scientific program.

4. MICROSCOPES, JOBS INFO ADDED TO ALS WEB

Two new features have been added to the ALS Web site. First, a Microscopes page can be found at http://www-als.lbl.gov/als/microscopes. The page collects in one place performance specs, publications, and the like for all ALS beamlines with high spatial resolution. There is also a link to a PDF version of the May 1997 brochure "Soft X-ray Microscopy: Materials Characterization on a Microscale." Second, an ALS Employment Opportunities page can be found at http://www-als.lbl.gov/als/quickguide/employment.html. It gives instructions on how to find ALS-related jobs in the Berkeley Lab Current Job Opportunities pages. Both the Microscopes and Employment Opportunities pages can be reached via links on the main ALS Web site (http://www-als.lbl.gov).

5. WHO'S IN TOWN: A SAMPLING OF ALS USERS

Following are some of the experimenters who will be collecting data during the next four weeks at the ALS.

Beamline 1.4.3
T.J. Wilkinson and Dale Perry (Berkeley Lab)
Ted Raab (Univ. of Colorado at Boulder)
Hoi-Ying Holman (Berkeley Lab)
Karl Nieman and Ron Sims (Utah State Univ.)
Wendy Panero and Raymond Jeanloz (Univ. of California, Berkeley)

Beamline 5.3.1
Ali Belkacem, Ernie Glover, and Marcus Hertlein (Berkeley Lab)

Beamline 7.3.1.1
Boris Sinkovic (Univ. of Connecticut)
Harald Ade (North Carolina State Univ.)

Beamline 7.3.1.2
Bob Opila (Lucent Technologies)

Beamline 7.3.3
Alain Manceau (Univ. Joseph Fourier, France)

Beamline 8.0.1
Kevin Wilson (Univ. of California, Berkeley)
Christoph Bostedt (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory)

6. OPERATIONS UPDATE
(Contact: Lampo@lbl.gov)

For the user runs of December 13 - 18, December 19 - 21, January 5 - 8, and January 9 - 14, the beam availability was 98%. Of the scheduled beam, 91% was delivered to completion without interruption. There were no significant outages.

Long-term and weekly operations schedules are available on the Web (http://www-als.lbl.gov/als/accelinfo.html). Requests for special operations use of the "scrubbing" shift should be sent to Bruce Samuelson (BCSamuelson@lbl.gov, x4738) by 1:00 p.m. Friday. The Accelerator Status Hotline at (510) 486-6766 (ext. 6766 from Lab phones) features a recorded message giving up-to-date information on the operational status of the accelerator.

LBNL/PUB-848
Editors: lstamura@lbl.gov, alrobinson@lbl.gov, amgreiner@lbl.gov

This work was supported by the Director, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC03-76SF00098.