title: Precise stress measurements with white synchrotron x rays.
abstract: In situ measurement of stress in polycrystalline samples forms the basis for studies of the mechanical properties of materials with very broad earth science and materials science applications. Synchrotron x rays have been used to define the local elastic strain in these samples, which in turn define stress. Experimental work to date has been carried out on a prototype detection system that provided a strain measurement precision >10(-4), which corresponds to a stress resolution >50 MPa for silicate minerals. Here we report operation of a new, permanent, energy dispersive detection system for white radiation, which has been developed at the National Synchrotron Light Source. The new system provides differential strain measurements with a precision of 3 x 10(-5) for volumes that are 50 x 50 x 500 microm(3). This gives a stress precision of about 10 MPa for silicate minerals.
authors.affiliation: Mineral Physics Institute, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA.
authors.forename: Donald J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Weidner
authors.forename: Michael T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Vaughan
authors.forename: Liping
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hongbo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Nathaniel A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Dixon
authors.forename: William B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Durham