NECAT Beamline

The Northeastern Collaborative Access Team (NE-CAT) facility at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory is managed by Cornell University and consists of seven member institutions:

  • Columbia University
  • Cornell University
  • Harvard University
  • Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Rockefeller University
  • Yale University.

    • Primary funding for this project comes from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Additional financial support for NE-CAT comes from the member institutions.

    Status of NE-CAT Sector 24 Activities

     

    March 2007  

     

    24-ID Phase 1 Beam Line User Operations

    The 24-ID-C variable energy ID beam line was heavily used during March. Research groups from all seven institutional member organizations of NE-CAT were users as well as APS General Users from Michigan State University, the University of Maryland, and Rib-X Pharmaceuticals. The beam line performed very well during the entire month with no lost of operational time and all users stated that they had good runs and were able to collect good data.

    24-ID Phase 2 Fixed-Energy Beam Line Installation and Commissioning

    As part of the crystallographic commissioning program for this new beam line, researchers from three NE-CAT institutions, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Harvard, and Cornell conducted experiments on the beam line. With the exception of a few small glitches, which were quickly corrected, the users reported successful experiments with this beam line.

    These user experiences as well as the experiments conducted by our resident staff have demonstrated that this new fixed-energy beam line is now fully functional and can produce high quality data, comparable to that obtainable with 24-ID-C. During the May shutdown, the first crystal cooling block in the side-bounce monochromator will be replaced as well as the motors controlling the Si311 crystal. These last two installations will complete construction of 24-ID-E. Usage of this beam line for the remaining period of the 2007-1 operation will be devoted to bringing the MD2 micro-diffractometer into operation (see below).

    Installation of the MD2 Microdiffractometer

     The MD2 was mounted on the completed alignment support, the entire assembly placed in the beam line immediately behind the existing goniometry of 24-ID-E, installation of the cabling was completed, and the cryo-jet installed. Within a few hours using the alignment adjustments provided by the support table and the MD2 itself, beam was passed cleanly through the MD2 apertures and full functionality testing of the MD2 began. In testing, a few problems were uncovered, such as a disconnected wire on the spindle motor, a mal-functioning limit switch, etc. All these relatively minor remaining problems will be corrected when Maatel engineers arrive on site in April. Fortunately, these problems did not delay the commissioning schedule. To date, testing of the MD2 functions using the MD2 software uncovered no additional problems and the staff was quite impressed with its functionality. During early April, integration of the MD2 software with the Console control system will be completed and we will be able to conduct some early data taking with the MD2 before the APS month long shut down beginning April 17.

    Following are two pictures showing the current MD2 installation:

     

     
     

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