Information on APS Operations and General User Programs During the COVID Pandemic
Onsite, Remote, and Mail in data collection is available to the research community via a peer reviewed proposal system, and is supported by the U. S. Department of Energy, Office of Biological and Environmental Research.
All Experimenters collecting data must register with the APS User Office.
- New Users register with APS at least 2 weeks prior to beamtime to allow approval time and complete required training. Non-Us citizens can take up to 6 weeks for approval.
- Returning Users check the APS Portal to update site access and complete required training.
- The SBC Beamtime Request System allows users to view and submit a request for available beamtime at 19-ID and 19-BM.
- To collect data at SBC, users should submit a macromolecular crystallography, General User Proposal (GUP) and make a Beamtime Request (BTR) for 19-ID and 19-BM.
Once your request is approved, you will be contacted with a confirmation date and time.
Complete the APS Experimental Safety Approval Form (ESAF). The APS requests you submit ESAF form at least 1 week prior to beam time to avoid a delay in approval.
Complete Required User Training
Users should check their APS portal before each data collection to check required training. Training must be complete from all experimenters before the ESAF can be approved.
Remote users should download the ThinLinc remote desktop client prior to data collection.
Onsite Users should make all travel accommodations before coming onsite.
Recommended Robot Pucks, Sample Pins, and Loops
Robot Pucks
On 19-ID, five Unipucks can be accessed routinely in dewar #01, and five Rigaku pucks can be accessed routinely in dewar #02.
On 19-BM, ten Unipucks can be accessed routinely. Rigaku pucks cannot be used.
Each dewar accommodates only one style of puck.
Sample Pins
Check the base of all pins. Pins with Hampton barcodes or painted pins will not work. Pins with broken parts will not work. If you have questions on pucks and pins, please contact your host.
Sample Pin: Length
Use 18.0 mm pins.
Samples being mounted by the Actor Robot on 19-ID must be 18.0 mm in length.
All crystals mounted manually, on 19-ID or 19-BM, must also use 18.0 mm pins.
Sample Pin: Choice of Loop
Take care to mount crystals in loops which resist moving in a nitrogen-gas cold-stream.
Keep the “neck” of the loop as short as possible; considerer reinforcing it with 5-minute epoxy glue. Rigid loop considerations are particularly important with low mosaicity, highly diffracting crystals. Sample motion within the cold-stream nitrogen flow will be particularly evident for these crystals, and lead to poor quality diffraction data.
Follow all DOT Regulations.
When shipping your dewar to SBC please be sure to label the dewar case and the dewar inside with the P.I.’s name and institution. Argonne does not accept shipments on Saturday or Sunday. Please have your dewars arrive by Friday if you have a weekend data collection.
The following address can be used for shipping non-hazardous samples, shipped in a dry shipper:
Recipient's name,
c/o YOUR ASSIGNED HOST,
APS Bldg. 435D Sector 19,
Argonne National Laboratory,
9700 South Cass Avenue,
Argonne, IL 60439
Telephone: (630) 252-0560
SBC Staff support is from 8:00am to 10:00pm (CST), Monday-Friday. If you need weekend assistance, please make special arrangements with host prior to beamtime.
Check your Data Backups.
Download the SBC Site File.
Log out of all terminals.
Complete the APS End of Experiment (EEF) form.
Submit publications from data collected at SBC.