Micro-focus Sources 

The SuperNova diffractometer has been designed around two low power consumption yet high intensity X-ray micro-sources.

Built in-house by Agilent, the Nova (Cu) and Mova (Mo) X-ray sources combine the latest in micro-focus X-ray tube technology with specially designed multilayer X-ray optics.

Of the orthogonal, double bounce design, these multilayer optics achieve the efficient capture and focusing of X-rays into a high purity and well shaped X-ray beam (140 microns for Nova, 180 microns for Mova).

In a dual wavelength SuperNova system the low divergence, high brilliance X-ray beams are arranged at a 21.5 degree offset to each other, such that both beams coincide at the centre of the goniometer where they are directed onto the crystal sample.

The SuperNova’s two X-ray sources are powered from a single software controlled generator unit. This high voltage (50kV), low power consumption unit provides up to 50W of power to each X-ray source and provides virtually instantaneous switching between Mo and Cu wavelengths. Wavelength switching is completely automatic and can be initiated either by the click of a software icon or by queued Mo and Cu experiments which can be run automatically back to back.