X-ray characterization of a table-top synchrotron light source

An accurate characterization of hard X-rays emitted from thin targets, irradiated by electron beams circulating in the MIRRORCLE storage ring was performed. MIRRORCLE is a table-top synchrotron light source being investigated within an EC funded project named LABSYNC. Simulation of X-ray imaging performance of the novel source showed that physical image quality is similar to a conventional X-ray source for mammography when the X-ray emission is viewed from an output port antiparallel to the direction of the incident electron beam. Furthermore, to evaluate the potential of the MIRRORCLE system for medical imaging applications, a set of measurements were performed at the Photon Production Laboratory (Japan). By means of calibrated thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD) the average electron beam current circulating in the storage ring was also calculated. It was demonstrated that the available current is not sufficient at this stage for clinical applications. Finally, X-ray images of known details were obtained for different wire targets. From these measurements an evaluation of the electron beam size was performed. Results suggested that the cross-section of the electron beam circulating within the storage ring is about 6 mm.