Synopsis

FAME-PIX, the French Absorption spectroscopy beamline in Material and Environmental science, is dedicated to X-ray absorption spectroscopy. FAME-PIX covers a wide variety of scientific fields (materials science, biophysics, chemistry) but focuses mainly in geochemical sciences where, in most cases, the probed elements are highly diluted.

It currently offers only one end-station, dedicated to XAS, but the construction of a ptychograpphy end-station is on-going.

Disciplines

• Materials and Engineering
• Earth and Planetary Sciences
• Environmental Sciences
• Life Sciences
• Chemistry
• Cultural Heritage

Techniques

• EXAFS - Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure
• XANES - X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure

Sample environments

• Liquid He cryostat:
  • Temperature: 4-300 K
  • 3 samples per holder
  • He atmosphere
• High pressure / high temperature autoclave:
  • Pressure: 1-2000 bar
  • Temperature: 20-1100 °C
  • Internal cell: glassy carbon
  [D. Testemale et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. (2005, 2016)]
• Catalysis setups:
  • Heating up to 1000 °C
  • Pressure up to 1000 bar
  • Mixing up to 5 gases (remotely controlled) + gas analysis by mass spectrometer
  [A. Aguilar-Tapia et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. (2018) & A. Nassereddine et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. (2024) ]
• Cell for air sensitive samples:
  • Able to hold up to five pellets
  • Vacuum or inert atmosphere
  • For transmission and fluorescence analysis
  
• Gas blower furnace from the ESRF sample environment loan pool:
  • Maximum temperature: 1000°C
  • Atmosphere: nitrogen
• Many user sample environments can also be installed.

Detectors

• Fluorescence energy resolved detector: Mirion 16 elements Ge detector