title: Visualizing aerosol-particle injection for diffractive-imaging experiments.
abstract: Delivering sub-micrometer particles to an intense x-ray focus is a crucial aspect of single-particle diffractive-imaging experiments at x-ray free-electron lasers. Enabling direct visualization of sub-micrometer aerosol particle streams without interfering with the operation of the particle injector can greatly improve the overall efficiency of single-particle imaging experiments by reducing the amount of time and sample consumed during measurements. We have developed in-situ non-destructive imaging diagnostics to aid real-time particle injector optimization and x-ray/particle-beam alignment, based on laser illumination schemes and fast imaging detectors. Our diagnostics are constructed to provide a non-invasive rapid feedback on injector performance during measurements, and have been demonstrated during diffraction measurements at the FLASH free-electron laser.
authors.forename: Salah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Awel
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Kirian
authors.forename: Niko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Eckerskorn
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wiedorn
authors.forename: Daniel A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Horke
authors.forename: Andrei V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Rode
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Küpper
authors.forename: Henry N
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Chapman