An Angstrom Introduction to Crystallography
Scientists have been observing and studying the physical properties of solid materials for centuries. Crystallography, the study of crystals, introduced what was then an entirely new scale of material sciences and was first conducted by assessing the geometry of smaller crystal samples. This was done by measuring the angles of the crystal faces relative to theorized reference or control axes in order to establish a crystal's symmetry. The first major hypotheses in crystallography was the investigation of the hexagonal symmetry of snowflakes. In 1611 AD Johannes Kepler theorized in his work, Strena seu de Nive Sexangula (A New Year's Gift of Hexagonal Snow), that this occurs because of the nature of how spherical objects [water droplets] pack with each other. The statements therein later became known as the Kepler conjecture, which, to reiterate, describes the most efficient arrangement of packing spheres.Various other experimental studies had been conducted over the next several hundred years, slightly advancing the field of study to a point of near conclusiveness toward the end of the 19th century, or so some scientists thought. Skeptical physicists weren't having it, and it wouldn't be until 1895 with the discovery of X-rays and into the early 1900's when Sir William Henry Bragg and his son significantly advanced the study to a scale of Angstrom measurement with their invention of the X-ray Spectrometer.
X-ray diffraction, also known as X-ray crystallography, is a technique used to determine the atomic and molecular structure of crystal samples. A crystal sample is bombarded with X-ray beams sourced from a device called a goniometer and, as a result, the rays scatter into specific directions. By measuring the angles and intensities of these beams, average positions of the atoms within the crystal can be determined as well as a host of other data. This data allows us to render 3D images of the electron density of the crystal as well as its molecular structure. Rosalind Franklin used X-ray diffraction to discover the double-helix structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).
What We Do at Angstrom Advanced:
Angstrom Advanced designs and manufactures world class X-ray diffraction and flaw detection instruments for use in a wide array of biology, material sciences, and industrial applications. The Angstrom Advanced X-ray Diffraction (XRD) instrument provides the most technically advanced, versatile and cost-effective diffraction solution. Our range of portable X-ray Flaw Detectors have a reputation for quality, reliability, high performance and exceptional value. Different techniques allow these flaw detectors to study both internal and superficial defects in wide fields.
Our instruments and plants have been delivered to many renowned organizations.
Some Angstrom Advanced Inc. History:
"Best of Boston"
Angstrom Advanced Inc. is at the forefront of XRD technology. As a result of producing quality X-ray diffraction instruments along with a host of other apparatus, we have been awarded the "Best of Boston" award for scientific instruments and apparatus for four consecutive years, and are on track to win it again in 2014.
Learn more about specific Angstrom Advanced X-ray diffraction and flaw detection technology with our Tech Base: X-ray Diffractometers (XRD) page. Of course, you can also learn more about our XRD products by visiting our corporate website at www.angstrom-advanced.com and as always, contact us for custom quotations and to discuss your XRD needs. Whether it’s a stationary laboratory XRD setup or a need for a portable X-ray Flaw Detection solution, Angstrom Advanced has you covered.
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