HIGH BRILLANCE ROTATING X-RAY ANODE

THE MAXIMUM POWER LOADING AND RESULTING BRILLIANCE OF LABORATORY ROTARY X-RAY SOURCES ARE LIMITED CURRENTLY BY THE HEAT SINKING CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SOLID COPPER TARGETS. THIS PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE A TWO-PHASE HEAT TRANSFER METHOD FOR COOLING A THIN-WALLED ROTARY ANODE TARGET. VAPORATION OF COOLANT IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF THE FOCAL SPOT CAN PROVIDE GREATER HEAT REMOVAL AND SPREADING CAPABILITY THAN IS POSSIBLE BY CONDUCTION. CENTRIFUGAL FORCES MAINTAIN A LIQUID LAYER AT THE TARGET. PHASE I EFFORT CONCERNS HEAT SPREADER DESIGN, MATERIALS SELECTION, AND FABRICATION METHODS. INITIAL PERFORMANCE DATA FOR CLOSED, ROTARY, TWO-PHASE ANNULAR HEAT SPREADERS WILL BE GATHERED AND COMPARED WITH THERMAL MODEL PREDICTIONS. PHASE II WOULD DEVELOP A PROTOTYPE HIGH-BRILLIANCE ANODE FOR USE IN (ANOMALOUS DISPERSION) PROTEIN CRYSTALLOGRAPHY. IF SUCCESSFUL, THE PROJECT WILL LEAD TO HEAT SPREADER COMPONENTS THAT CAN BE RETROFITTED ONTO CONVENTIONAL LABORATORY X-RAY SOURCES AND WILL ENABLE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER X-RAY BRILLIANCE.