Equipment Upgrade for the Cameca SX-50 Electron Microprobe at the University of Oregon

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9510026 Rice The Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Oregon will upgrade their present Cameca SX-50 electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA). This instrument forms the core of their analytical facilities and is crucial for research currently being conducted by nearly half of their department. The upgrade will include the purchase of a SUN SPARCstation 5 as part as part of a "SXPACK" upgrade offered though Cameca, image processing software and two x-ray diffracting pseudocrystals used for the precise analysis of light elements. The SUN computer will replace a DEC PDP-11 minicomputer that is at the end of its useful life, and more importantly is no longer supported in terms of software development. Without this upgrade, the PI's scientific creativity and productivity would be severely limited by an antiquated computer system. Additionallly, the SUN-based computer system will provide a modern computing platform that is fully compatible with existing machines on their network and will enable access to recently developed software packages designed to fully utilize the capabilities of the SX-50. Recent advances in pseudocrystal technology and analytical techniques have resulted in the capability of analyzing elements in the range from boron to oxygen with precision and accuracy approaching that commonly associated with heavier elements. Ongoing and planned research projects require relatively precise analyses of oxygen and boron in a variety of bulk compositions. ***