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A 1D imaging soft X-ray spectrometer installed on the small quantum systems (SQS) scientific instrument of the European XFEL is described. It uses movable cylindrical constant-line-spacing gratings in the Rowland configuration for energy dispersion in the vertical plane, and Wolter optics for simultaneous 1D imaging of the source in the horizontal plane. The soft X-ray fluorescence spectro-imaging capability will be exploited in pump-probe measurements and in investigations of propagation effects and other nonlinear phenomena., (open access.)

Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) is a major method for investigation of electronic structure and dynamics, with applications ranging from basic atomic physics to materials science. In RIXS applied to inversion-symmetric systems, it has generally been accepted that strict parity selectivity applies in the sub-kilo-electron volt region. In contrast, we show that the parity selection rule is violated in the RIXS spectra of the free homonuclear diatomic O 2 molecule. By analyzing the spectral dependence on scattering angle, we demonstrate that the violation is due to the phase difference in coherent scattering at the two atomic sites, in analogy with Young's double-slit experiment. The result also implies that the interpretation of x-ray absorption spectra for inversion symmetric molecules in this energy range must be revised.

We present time-resolved X-ray absorption spectra of ionized liquid water and demonstrate that OH radicals, H 3 O + ions, and solvated electrons all leave distinct X-ray-spectroscopic signatures. Particularly, this allows us to characterize the electron solvation process through a tool that focuses on the electronic response of oxygen atoms in the immediate vicinity of a solvated electron. Our experimental results, supported by ab initio calculations, confirm the formation of a cavity in which the solvated electron is trapped. We show that the solvation dynamics are governed by the magnitude of the random structural fluctuations present in water. As a consequence, the solvation time is highly sensitive to temperature and to the specific way the electron is injected into water.

X-ray absorption and resonant inelastic x-ray scattering spectra of LaPt 2 Si 2 single crystal at the Si 2 p and La 4 d edges are presented. The data are interpreted in terms of density functional theory, showing that the Si spectra can be described in terms of Si s and d local partial density of states (LPDOS), and the La spectra are due to quasi-atomic local 4 f excitations. Calculations show that Pt d -LPDOS dominates the occupied states, and a sharp localized La f state is found in the unoccupied states, in line with the observations., (Creative Commons Attribution license.)