Proceedings Article | 18 September 2007
KEYWORDS: Mirrors, Crystals, Optical simulations, Optical components, X-rays, Laser crystals, Ray tracing, Synchrotrons, Reflectivity, Monochromators
A novel X-ray tracing simulation tool XTrace has been developed recently in order to calculate the beam properties from
the X-ray source (bending magnet, undulator, wiggler, ...) through all optical elements (slit, filter, window, mirror,
crystal monochromator, multilayer, ...) and the sample to the detector. In XTrace, the diffraction by a perfect crystal is
described by the dynamical theory taking into account refraction and absorption effects. The code has been used to
simulate the X-ray beamline of the Synchrotron Laboratory for Environmental Studies (Synchrotron Umwelt-Labor,
SUL) at ANKA. XTrace has been successfully used to simulate precisely the beam parameters such as position, size,
divergence, photon flux, transmission, heat load, etc. at any distance from the source. For a better insight it is also
possible to visualize the beam profile, energy spectrum, transmission spectrum, intensity distribution, power density,
heat load, foot print, DuMond diagram, ray propagation diagram, etc. An excellent agreement between measured and
simulated flux intensities over the whole energy range at the sample position for the X-ray beamline SUL has been
found. XTrace has been proven to be a reliable, powerful, fast and easy to use tool for describing existing and designing
and optimizing new X-ray beamlines in the future.
