Mail-in Experiments

Applications for mail-in small batch microtomography measurements at P05

Starting in September 2023, the microtomography endstation of our beamline P05 will accept proposals for mail-in automated µCT measurements through the regular DOOR proposal submission system. This new access mode is available to all our users.

These so-called mail-in small batch measurements will be performed with predefined standard settings to increase throughput and to allow users with only few samples to get beamtime. In order to be eligible for an automated sample processing, the proposed measurement and the corresponding samples must follow strict guidelines, as defined in the following:

Photon energy: During the beamtime application process users must select one of two predefined energies, 20 kev or 30 keV.

Field-of-view: There will be two predefined FOV’s available:
a) 6x2.5 mm, effective voxel size after 2x binning ~ 2.5µm
b) 3x2.5 mm, effective voxel size after 2x binning ~ 1.25µm
The FOV can be chosen per sample.

Duration: The total sample processing time (sample handling and data acquisition) must not exceed 3 shifts (24hrs) as documented by the proposal. The date of the measurement will be decided by the beamline staff.

Samples: Each sample must fit inside predefined cylindrical sample containers, available in two diameters: 6 mm diameter and 3 mm. Multiple height steps can be requested per sample.

Shipment: Please send your samples to the User Office.

Upon the acceptance of their beamtime proposal, users request the amount and size of sample containers for mail delivery. The users must return the loaded containers no later than 2 weeks before the scheduled measurement along with clear information about the region-of-interest for data acquisition.

Safety: The samples must be non-hazardous, i.e. beamline staff must be able to handle the sample containers without the necessity for special procedures or personal safety equipment. The sample set must also include a general documentation and a signed confirmation that the samples are non-hazardous.

In order to indicate a request for the new standard measurement type, users need to select one of the available “Microtomography mail-in small batch” modes in the experimental setup section of the proposal submission web form while submitting.