Upgrade of Mineral Separation Laboratory and Thermochronology Research Facilities

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9508075 Baldwin This grant provides $30,000 as one-half support of the costs of upgrading facilities at the University of Arizona, Center for Thermochronology and Noble Gas Studies, mineral separation laboratory. Specifically, the upgrades will include a new Frantz Magnetic Barrier Laboratory Separator, upgrade of an existing Frantz Isodynamic separator to a Barrier separator, outfitting one existing Frantz Isodynamic separator with a vertical feed mechanism, a new vibratory polisher for fission track mineral mount preparation, a microbalance and a research grade microscope with attached CCD camera and video monitor which will be used for one- on-one teaching of graduate students. The theromchronology mineral separation laboratory serves as the main facility for fission track and 40Ar/39Ar sample preparation. Both the fission track and 40Ar/39Ar facilities are state-of-the-art research laboratories, and this upgrade of the mineral separation facility will essentially be the first since its establishment in the early 1960's. These upgrades will enable this group to become more efficient and streamline sample preparation to aid in their research focused on thermochronologic evolution of crustal terranes and experimental determination of isotopically important diffusion laws.