Current status of Ibaraki biological crystal diffractometer iBIX – Several examples of the measurement

• Published in: Journal of physics. Conference series Vol. 251; no. 1; p. 012031
• Main Authors: Kusaka, K, Hosoya, T, Tanaka, I, Niimura, N, Kurihara, K, Ohhara, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bristol IOP Publishing 01.11.2010
• Subjects: Detectors; Diffraction; Industrial applications; Organic compounds; Physics; Ribonuclease A; Sensors; Support systems
• ISSN: 1742-6596; 1742-6588; 1742-6596
• DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/251/1/012031

Since 2004, Ibaraki prefecture has constructed the TOF neutron biological diffractometer (iBIX) at J-PARC for industrial use. Since the end of 2008, Ibaraki University has operated iBIX in order to support the experiment of users and to improve the instruments. The diffractometer is designed to measure samples with their cell edges up to around 150Å. In the beginning of December in 2008, the basic optics, the support system of detectors and the three detectors were completed for the diffraction experiments. We have tried to measure the TOF diffraction data of several proteins and organic compounds in order to estimate the efficiency and characteristics of the diffcactometer. The TOF diffraction data of Ribonuclease A can be measured under the following conditions, beam power: 20kW, pulse repetition: 25Hz, range of wavelength: 0.5∼4Å, exposure time: 18.7 hours. About one hundred Bragg reflections could be observed clearly on all detectors. The reflection of 1.58Å in minimum d-spacing which Iobs/γ(Iobs) > 7 was observed. This result implies that the efficiency of the iBIX will become 50∼100 times higher than that of the present high performance diffracatometer BIX-3 in JAEA after 1MW operation of J-PARC.