High Precision Motion Control System for the Two-Stage Light Gas Gun at the Dynamic Compression Sector

The Dynamic Compression Sector (DCS) at the Advanced Photon Source (APS), located at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), has a diverse set of dynamic compression drivers to obtain time resolved x-ray data in single event, dynamic compression experiments. Because the APS x-ray beam direction is fixed, each driver at DCS must have the capability to move through a large range of linear and angular motions with high precision to accommodate a wide variety of scientific needs. Particularly challenging was the design and implementation of the motion control system for the two-stage light gas gun, which rests on a 26' long structure and weighs over 2 tons. The target must be precisely positioned in the x-ray beam while remaining perpendicular to the gun barrel axis to ensure one-dimensional loading of samples. To accommodate these requirements, the entire structure can pivot through 60$^{\circ}$ of angular motion and move 10's of inches along four independent linear directions with 0.01$^{\circ}$ and 10$\mu$m resolution, respectively. This presentation will provide details of how this system was constructed, how it is controlled, and provide examples of the wide range of x-ray/sample geometries that can be accommodated.