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PEARL sample environment
19 Oct 2022
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Sample environment available for experiments on PEARL

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Assembly of all the Paris-Edinburgh presses at the ISIS facility on top of the PEARL instrument (TS1). Taken in 2018.

​​Assembly of all the Paris-Edinburgh (PE) presses at the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source on top of the PEARL instrument (TS1), taken in 2018 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the production of the PE-press, and the machining of the 100th press, which is on display at the University of Edinburgh.​

 
Details of the types of presses, anvils, and approximate pressure/temperature ranges possible on the PEARL instrument are shown below. Aside from the Paris-Edinburgh press, there are a number of pieces of standard ISIS sample environment (cryostats, furnaces etc) compatible with PEARL. For more information see the sample environment page.

The instrument has access to a number of different pressure media for use with the press loadings, including deuterated methanol:ethanol (4:1 by volume), deuterated pentanes and fluorinert. We also have the capability of cryogenically loading the press, or loading using a gas loader. Please contact the instrument scientists​ to discuss this further.



Standard Equipment

    
  Paris-Edinburgh presses (V3, V4, VX1, VX3, VX4) full details available here

Anvil Materials​

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ISIS uses a mixture of anvils materials depending on the type of measurement, the scattering geometry being used, and the anticipated diffraction signal. These include zirconia-toughened alumina (ZTA), sintered diamond (SD), tungsten carbide (WC) and cubic boron nitride (BN).

We also have different anvil geometries and profiles depending on the scattering geometry, sample volume and maximum pressure required. 


Maximum Pressure

6 GPa using single toroid profile ZTA anvils.
10 GPa using single toroid profile WC anvils.
12 GPa using single toroid profile SD anvils.
25 GPa using double-toroid SD anvils.

Note: all quoted maximum pressures are only approximate, actual values will depend on the compressibility of the sample, and how it is loaded. Please discuss your requirements with an instrument scientist.

Initial Sample Volume
   
      66 mm3 for single toroid profile.
      35​ mm3 for double toroid profile.

Temperature Range

Internal graphite heaters can be used with WC or SD anvils. 300 - 1300 K (max ~10 GPa).​ Rhenium furnaces can be used to extend this to approximately 1700 K.

Variable temperature insert can be used with single toroid profile anvils. 120 - 500 K.​
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Liquid nitrogen tanks can be used for all anvil types. 80 - 400 K.

Dual-CCR system can be used for single toroid profile anvils. 50 - 300 K.
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