FaXToR: the hard X-ray micro-tomography beamline at the Spanish synchrotron ALBA

FaXToR is the first hard X-ray imaging beamline built and commissioned at the Spanish synchrotron light source ALBA, and therefore the start of user operation marks the introduction of a new imaging user community to the facility. FaXToR has pushed the implementation of a multi-scale, multimodal approach to investigate the morpho-structural changes of a number of materials within a range of applications, including biomedicine, material science, cultural heritage and paleontology. In this work, we describe the FaXToR beamline optical layout and the beam properties and we provide details on the flexible in-house design of the endstation. Beamline commissioning results are presented as well. Finally, an overview of its main applications is provided, defining the main strategic program the beamline will develop during its lifetime.