Development of a differential pumping system for soft X-ray beamlines for windowless experiments under normal atmospheric conditions.

A novel design for a differential pumping system has been investigated. This system allows windowless experiments in a soft X-ray beamline under normal atmospheric conditions. The new design consists of an aperture-based four-stage differential pumping system, based on a simple model calculation. A prototype system with a total length of 600 mm was constructed to confirm the validity of the design concept. Relatively short conductance-limiting components allow easy installation and alignment of the system on a synchrotron beamline. The fabricated system was installed on a beamline to test the transmission of soft X-rays through atmospheric helium.