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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Marshall 100-Meter X-ray Beamline

The Marshall 100-Meter X-ray Beamline is a user facility for x-ray and EUV optics and instrumentation calibration, located at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Also known as the Stray Light Test Facility, the Marshall-100 provides a range of focal plane detectors, x-ray sources, translation stages, cleanrooms, and high-vacuum level capability to the high-energy astrophysics community. Facility time is made available to Astronomy and Physics Research and Analysis (APRA) funded projects and is also available to the broader community upon request made to beamline management. The beamline has successfully been employed in the calibration of larger scope projects such as the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma Astronomical Roentgen Telescope X-ray Concentrator (ART-XC) telescope and the Small Explorer (SMEX) class Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) Space Telescope. Additionally, the Marshall-100 is instrumental in supporting testing related to MSFC’s high-angular resolution optics development program.

X-ray Beamline, Test Facility, X-ray Calibration↗
NASA NTRS2011

Development of the ASTRO-H Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT): Engineering Model Performance

The X-ray astronomy satellite ASTRO-H, being developed under the collaboration among JAXA, NASA's GSFC and ESA, will have two Soft X-ray Telescopes (SXTs), among other instuments onboard, with a sensitive energy band below 12 keV. One is for an X-ray micorocalorimeter detector and the other for a X-ray CCD detector. The SXT uses a conically approximated Wolter I grazing incidence optic implemented by thin aluminum foil substrates with thickness of 0.152, 0.229, and 0.305 mm. It is similar to the Suzaku XRT, but with larger diameter (45 cm) and longer focal length (5.6 m). Goal of the angular resolution and effective area are 1 arcmin and 390 cm$A2$ at 6 keV, respectively. We made serveral improvements from Suzaku to ASTRO-H, such as thicker substrates, more forming mandrels, thinner epoxy layer for replication, stiffer housings, precise alignment bars, etc. With all these changes, we have fabricated the engineering test unit of the SXT. In this paper, we will discuss all the changes made, their effects, and report X-ray performance of the SXT test unit. An angular resolution of the test unit was measured at new Goddard X-ray calibration facility (100 m X-ray beamline) and was found to be 1.1 arcmin. We will also discuss further improvements toward the flight unit to be delivered to JAXA in 2012.

Okajima, Takashi↗
DOE OSTI2026

FY26 Progress Report on the Operation of the Activated Materials Laboratory at the Advanced Photon Source as a Nuclear Science User Facilities Partner Facility

The Activated Materials Laboratory (AML), located in the Long Beamline Building of the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), provides a centralized radiological capability for preparing, handling, and supporting synchrotron experiments on activated materials. As a Nuclear Science User Facilities (NSUF) partner facility, the AML enables the receipt of radioactive shipments, open-form sample handling, encapsulation, transport of specimens to and from APS beamlines, and experimentation with dedicated equipment. The partnership includes the APS 1-ID and 20-ID beamlines, which provide high-energy x-ray scattering, tomography, and diffraction microscopy techniques for ex-situ, in-situ, and grainresolved three-dimensional (3D) characterization. All samples supported through the AML and partner beamlines must meet radiological limits of less than 100 mrem/h at 30 cm. This FY26 progress report summarizes the first full year of AML operations as an NSUF partner facility and highlights progress in both user support and capability development. By the end of FY26, the AML had received a total of 10 NSUF-awarded projects, including 2 Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research (CINR), 7 Rapid Turnaround Experiment (RTE), and 1 Super RTE projects. Beamtime was fully delivered for 3 RTE projects and partially delivered for 1 CINR project, demonstrating successful workflows for receipt, encapsulation, beamline transfer, and radiological experiment execution. These efforts demonstrated safe radiological experiments at APS beamlines for samples with dose rates above the historical 5 mrem/h threshold and now up to 100 mrem/h at 30 cm, marking an important milestone for neutron-irradiated materials research. During FY26, the AML also expanded its experimental capabilities. A Psylotech xTS load frame with in-grip rotation was deployed for room-temperature mechanical testing with threedimensional x-ray characterization during interrupted loading. A Linkam TS1500V vacuum heater was commissioned for thermally driven studies, and temperature calibration experiments were performed to establish specimen-relevant thermal profiles. In parallel, a customized split-tube furnace for high-temperature mechanical testing entered commissioning, and initial work began on robotic sample handling to reduce worker dose and improve operational efficiency. Data workflow and beamline operations continued to mature. Together, these developments demonstrate that the AML is becoming a unique national resource for safe, efficient, and scientifically advanced characterization of activated materials at the APS.

Zhang, Xuan↗