X-Ray Spectroscopy — The Driving Force to Understand and Develop Catalysis

Catalysis is involved in about 90% of manmade chemicals. The development of novel or improved catalysts requires fundamental understanding of the commanding steps of a catalytic reaction. In simple terms, a catalytic transformation depends on the coupling between catalyst electronic structure and reagents’ molecular orbitals. Herein, we report a spectroscopic technique capable of determining the electronic structure of metal containing catalysts under working conditions. The technique is called photon-in photon-out X-ray spectroscopy and can be employed to characterize materials, unveil substrate adsorption parameters, and follow changes in electronic structure during catalytic reactions

Double K-shell photoionization and hypersatellite x-ray transitions of 12⩽Z⩽23 atoms

Single-photon double K-shell ionization of low-Z neutral atoms in the range 12⩽Z⩽23 is investigated. The experimental method was based on measurements of the high- resolution Kαh hypersatellite x-ray spectra following the radiative decay of the K-shell double-vacancy states excited by monochromatic synchrotron radiation. The photon energy dependence of the double K-shell ionization was measured over a wide range of photon energies from threshold up to and beyond the maximum of the double-to- single photoionization cross section ratios. From the high-resolution x-ray emission spectra the energies and linewidths of the hypersatellite transitions, as well as the Kαh1:Kαh2 intensity ratios, were determined. The relative importance of the initial-state and final-state electron-electron interactions to the K-shell double photoionization is addressed. Physical mechanisms and scaling laws of the K-shell double photoionization are examined. A semiempirical universal scaling of the double- photoionization cross sections with the effective nuclear charge for neutral atoms in the range 2⩽Z⩽47 is established

Zrównoważona polityka oświetlenia zewnętrznego w mieście. Studium przypadku Kopenhagi

Copenhagen is a great example of how a city’s policy on sustainable out- door lighting can be shaped even when national law lacks a clear ‘hard’ legal basis for its implementation In this regard, the City of Copenhagen exercises its constitutionally granted legal self-governance, carrying out tasks in the field of urban planning, environmental protection, and the investment and construction process. The goals and measures to achieve them are formalized in complementary strategies and implementing acts that form a coherent vision of development. Copenhagen is an example of a comprehensive (multidisciplinary) approach to the management of the outdoor lighting infrastructure as part of a sustainable policy adjusted to the needs of people, the environment, and the economy, shaped in the city’s climate change adaptation plan, the lighting strategy for the city, and the operational outdoor lighting master plan.Kopenhaga jest wzorcowym przykładem tego, że polityka miejska w zakresie zrównoważonego oświetlenia zewnętrznego może być kształtowana nawet wtedy, gdy w porządku krajowym (ustawowym) brakuje wyraźnych „twardych” podstaw prawnych do jej wdrażania i prowadzenia. W tym zakresie miasto Kopenhaga korzysta z konstytucyjnie przyznanej samodzielności prawnej, realizując zadania z zakresu planowania przestrzennego, ochrony środowiska i procesu inwestycyjno-budowlanego. Sukces Kopenhagi opiera się na umiejętnym programowaniu polityk miejskich. Cele i sposoby ich realizacji są formalizowane w komplementarnych strategiach i aktach wykonawczych, które tworzą spójną wizję rozwoju Kopenhaga jest przykładem wszechstronnego (multidyscyplinarnego) podejścia do zarządzania infrastrukturą oświetlenia zewnętrznego w ramach zrównoważonej polityki dostosowanej do potrzeb ludzi, środowiska i gospodarki, kształtowanej w miejskim planie adaptacji do zmian klimatu, w strategii oświetlenia dla miasta oraz w operacyjnym masterplanie oświetlenia zewnętrznego

Laboratory von H\'amos X-ray Spectroscopy for Routine Sample Characterization

High energy resolution, hard X-ray spectroscopies are powerful element selective probes of the electronic and local structure of matter, with diverse applications in chemistry, physics, biology and materials science. The routine application of these techniques is hindered by the complicated and slow access to synchrotron radiation facilities. Here we propose a new, economic, easily operated laboratory high resolution von H\'amos type X-ray spectrometer, which offers rapid transmission experiments for X-ray absorption, and is also capable of recording X-ray emission spectra. The use of a cylindrical analyzer crystal and a position sensitive detector enabled us to build a maintenance free, flexible setup with low operational costs, while delivering synchrotron grade signal to noise measurements in reasonable acquisition times. We demonstrate the proof of principle and give examples for both measurement types. Finally, tracking of a several day long chemical transformation, a case better suited for laboratory than synchrotron investigation, is also presented

Performance of a laboratory von Hámos type x-ray spectrometer in x-ray absorption spectroscopy study on 3d group metals

With the recent progress regarding the development of x-ray instrumentation, compact x-ray spectrometers are becoming more and more popular as they allow x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and x-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) studies at the research institutes laboratories. Such setups provide a cost-effective tool for routine sample characterization with unlimited access and are of great utility in feasibility studies preceding the experiments at synchrotrons and x-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs). Herein, we present the operation and capabilities of the von Hamos type x-ray spectrometer in x-ray absorption spectra measurement for various 3d metal elements. Results allowed us to establish the photon counting performance of the setup, demonstrating a possible range of applications of the in-house x-ray spectroscopy apparatus