HIGH-PRESSURE-CELL FOR SMALL-AND WIDE-ANGLE X-RAY-SCATTERING

A compact high pressure cell and its control environment designed for small-and wide-angle x-ray scattering experiments under hydrostatic pr essure up to 3000 bar and temperatures between -20 degrees C and + 80 degrees C are described. With this system x-ray scattering experiments can be performed at constant pressure and temperature with a conventi onal laboratory x-ray source and it can be easily modified to carry ou t time resolved pressure jump studies at synchrotron radiation sources . The computer-aided pressure adjustment has a calibrated accuracy of +/- 0.5%, and temperature is computer-controlled to a precision of +/- 0.05 degrees C. The instrument has been designed to investigate syste ms of biological interest, especially lipid-water dispersions, but it is equally possible to measure highly viscous or solid samples. The pe rformance is illustrated by a pressure dependent small-and wide-angle x-ray scattering study of a phospholipid-water dispersion at constant temperature. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.