A beamline digital twin

Abstract

In recent years, the concept of digital twins has become pervasive, yet it carries a degree of ambiguity due to its wide applicability across different domains. Within this framework, our project aims to construct a digital twin of a beamline, leveraging the capabilities of the simulation programs RAY-UI, our X-ray tracer employed for beamline design and commissioning. This work is part of a comprehensive digitalization initiative at the facility, and it aims to provide easy access to beamline simulations, abstracting the complexity that derives from correctly using these programs. The feasibility of this project is significantly enhanced by the adoption of Bluesky, a framework for experiment orchestration and data collection. Chosen as the backbone for experiment orchestration, Bluesky is supported at the facility and has been implemented at an increasing number of beamlines. Written in Python, this modern software facilitates an accessible and flexible approach to experiment management, making it an ideal platform for this digitalization initiative. RayPyNG is a Python API made to RAY-UI. We exploit its ability to read the RAY-UI beamline configuration file and modify it, and to communicate with the RAY-UI program. Through the RayPyNG-bluesky package, we achieve integration of all optical elements into the Bluesky device abstraction framework. This integration allows beamline operators to simultaneously run simulations and manage actual systems via a unified interface, enhancing operational efficiency, and giving them the ability to directly compare theoretical predictions with real-time outcomes, without the need to learn an additional interface or program.