Upgrade of the Earth & Environmental Science Electron Microprobe Laboratory at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

地球的升级

• 批准号: 1262252
• 负责人: Frank Spear
• 金额: $ 5.46万
• 依托单位: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-02-15 至 2015-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1262252&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Upgrade; Earth; & Environmental; Science

This project is to upgrade the Earth & Environmental Science's Electron Microprobe Laboratory (EMPL) housing a Cameca SX-100 Electron Probe Microanalyzer at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). The upgrade involves the installation of a new computer workstation running Probe for EPMA and Probe Image interfaced with the instrument. This upgrade was justified on the basis of three main criteria: First, examples were provided of major limitations imposed by the current vendor-supplied software package (Cameca's Peak Sight) that may be overcome using software available from Probe Software, Inc including (1) new algorithms to improve minimum detection limits, precision, and accuracy; (2) superior time-dependent intensity corrections; and (3) improved X-ray mapping capabilities. Second, a description was presented of ongoing and future projects that have compelling scientific merit and require characterization using a state-of-the-art electron microprobe. Third, this facility has had an excellent track record of high quality science with current instrumentation, a successful and sustainable maintenance and administration plan, numerous collaborative research efforts, and a highly diverse user base. An upgraded Electron Microprobe Laboratory at RPI will benefit both the larger Rensselaer Community and the broader Upstate New York/New England Region by enhancing current capabilities as a regional facility. The EMPL has been and will continue to be open to the public along with undergraduates, graduate students, post-docs, research faculty, and professors at Rensselaer and elsewhere. In addition to providing analyses free of charge to undergraduates completing various projects, this facility participates annually in the ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp, a free two-week program for fifty middle school students (grades 6-8) from the New York Capital Region designed to instill a life-long interest in math and science. This upgrade will greatly enhance the learning experiences of students, visitors, and new users alike thanks to the fully-integrated, user-friendly nature of Probe for EPMA which visually emphasizes important considerations (background models, time-dependent intensity corrections, wave scans, etc.).

该项目旨在升级伦斯勒理工学院 (RPI) 的地球与环境科学电子探针实验室 (EMPL)，该实验室配备有 Cameca SX-100 电子探针显微分析仪。升级涉及安装新的计算机工作站，运行 Probe for EPMA 和与仪器连接的 Probe Image。此次升级基于三个主要标准：首先，提供了当前供应商提供的软件包（Cameca 的 Peak Sight）所施加的主要限制的示例，这些限制可以使用 Probe Software, Inc 提供的软件来克服，包括 (1)新算法可提高最低检测限、精度和准确度； (2) 卓越的时间依赖性强度校正； (3) 改进的 X 射线绘图能力。其次，介绍了正在进行的和未来的项目，这些项目具有令人信服的科学价值，需要使用最先进的电子微探针进行表征。第三，该设施在高质量科学方面拥有良好的记录，拥有当前的仪器、成功且可持续的维护和管理计划、大量的合作研究工作以及高度多样化的用户群。 RPI 升级后的电子微探针实验室将通过增强区域设施的现有能力，使更大的伦斯勒社区和更广泛的纽约州北部/新英格兰地区受益。 EMPL 已经并将继续向公众开放，包括伦斯勒大学和其他地方的本科生、研究生、博士后、研究人员和教授。除了为完成各种项目的本科生免费提供分析外，该机构每年还参加埃克森美孚伯纳德·哈里斯夏季科学营，这是一项针对纽约首都地区 50 名中学生（6-8 年级）的免费为期两周的计划旨在灌输对数学和科学的终生兴趣。此次升级将极大地增强学生、访客和新用户的学习体验，这要归功于 Probe for EPMA 的完全集成、用户友好的特性，它在视觉上强调了重要的考虑因素（背景模型、随时间变化的强度校正、波扫描、 ETC。）。