The New Beamline LISA at ESRF: Performances and Perspectives for Earth and Environmental Sciences

LISA (Linea Italiana per la Spettroscopia di Assorbimento di raggi X) is the new Italian Collaborating Research Group (CRG) beamline at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) dedicated to X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The beamline covers a wide energy range, 4 < E < 90 keV, which offers the possibility for probe the K and L edges of elements that are heavier than Ca. A liquid He/N-2 cryostat and a compact furnace are available for measurements in a wide temperature range (10-1000 K), allowing for in situ chemical treatments and measurements under a controlled atmosphere. The sub-millimetric beam size, the high photon flux provided, and the X-ray fluorescence detectors available (HP-Ge, SDD) allow for the study of liquid and highly diluted samples. Trace elements in geological or environmental samples can be analyzed, even for very small sample areas, gaining information on oxidation states and host phases.