In situ characterization of liquids at high pressure combining X-ray tomography, X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption using the white beam station at PSICHÉ.

A novel experimental setup dedicated to the study of liquid and amorphous materials, on the white beam station of the PSICHÉ beamline at SOLEIL, is described. The Beer-Lambert absorption method has been developed using a broad-spectrum (white) incident beam for in situ density measurements at extreme conditions of pressure and temperature. This technique has been combined with other existing X-ray techniques (radiographic imaging, tomography and combined angle energy dispersive X-ray diffraction). Such a multi-technical approach offers new possibilities for the characterization of liquid and amorphous materials at high pressure and high temperature. The strength of this approach is illustrated by density measurements of liquid gallium at pressures up to 4 GPa, combining the three independent X-ray techniques (the Beer-Lambert absorption method, tomography and X-ray diffraction).