Course Information
GEOL 498.3 Special Topics – Synchrotron X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy
GEOL 898.3 Special Topics – Advanced X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy
Instructors:
Graham George, 966-5722, Geology room 328
Ingrid Pickering, 966-5706, Geology room 330
Course Objectives:
The course will describe the physical principals, experimental technique and data analysis of X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Frequent reference to practical applications will be included, and relevant synchrotron technology will also be reviewed. This course will equip the student with a practical working knowledge of the technique and its capabilities.
Course Outline:
X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) is among the most powerful and versatile of modern synchrotron techniques. It is one of the primary techniques that will be available at the Canadian Light Source, Canada’s first Synchrotron, located at the University of Saskatchewan. XAS has a broad range of applications in many disciplines including the Earth, Environmental, Chemical, Biomedical and Life Sciences. XAS probes the local molecular and electronic structure of a specific element, and can be applied without pre-treatment of the sample. XAS can thus be used to answer fundamental chemical questions about almost any sample or system, from soils and rocks to intact biological tissues to purified proteins or chemicals.
The course will include a description of the physical principals underlying XAS, practical aspects of experimental technique, details of data analysis and some common pitfalls and difficulties. The utility of the technique will be illustrated by reference to a range of practical applications. Relevant aspects of synchrotron beamline technology will also be reviewed. This course will equip the student with a practical working knowledge of the technique and its capabilities.
Course work will include assignments and a tour of the Canadian Light Source, highlighting the Hard X-ray Materials Analysis (HXMA) beamline and its unique capabilities for X-ray absorption spectroscopy and related measurements.