The Dynamic Compression Sector: Current Capabilities, Representative Achievements, and Future Enhancements

The Dynamic Compression Sector – a first-of-its-kind user facility – was designed and built to address an important and long-standing need in dynamic compression science: real-time, in-situ measurements to gain microscopic/atomic scale insight into condensed matter response during dynamic compression. A diverse suite of experimental platforms capable of producing high stress impulsive loading (peak stresses to > 400 GPa; time durations ~5 ns to 1 µs) were linked to the brightest, high energy (>20 keV) x-ray source in the U.S. – the Advanced Photon Source (APS). A wide range of x-ray and optical detection capabilities routinely permit real-time measurements spanning multiple length scales. To date, the DCS capabilities have been utilized successfully by a diverse user community to address long-standing scientific questions – related to structural transformations, deformation mechanisms, and chemical reactions at extreme thermodynamic conditions – and to make discovery class advances. Starting in April 2023, the APS will undergo a major upgrade resulting in significant x-ray beam enhancements. In conjunction with the APS upgrade, the DCS will undertake complementary enhancements to ensure that condensed matter scientific frontiers continue to be explored and advanced after the APS-U completion. For example, users will be able to routinely obtain x-ray measurements to 60 plus keV – a unique capability for dynamic compression science. This talk will provide a brief overview of current capabilities, highlight representative scientific achievements, and discuss new opportunities that will be available to users due to the APS and DCS enhancements.



*The following colleagues should be viewed as co-authors for this talk: P. Rigg, A. Bhagwat, K. D’Amico, P. Das, R. Gunawidjaja, P. Kwiecinski, Y. Li, P. Renganathan, D. Rickerson, A. Schuman, J. Sethian, N. Sinclair, S. Turneaure, Y. Toyoda, X. Wang, and R. Zill.