Technician Support: (U-Th)/He laboratory at the University of Kansas [Phase I]

近年来，含铀和钍的副矿物的（U-Th）/He定年作为限制上地壳到近地表地质过程的广泛范围的时间和速率的一种手段引起了极大的兴趣。对高质量低温热年代学数据的需求迅速增加，超出了少数几个正在运行的实验室目前的分析能力。 这清楚地表明了大量的研究人员有兴趣利用库的设施和正在进行的合作项目的数量。 满足对（U-Th）/He数据需求的最大障碍是是否有人员进行分析工作和协助来访的科学家。 KU（U-Th）/He实验室的全职技术人员的增加将确保实验室的顺利和高效运行，大大提高研究生产力和样品吞吐量，并使实验室能够参与更多的合作，并接待希望使用实验室的访问科学家和学生。 为KU（U-Th）/He实验室增加一名全职技术人员是对国家和国际热年代学研究基础设施的重要投资，在科学价值和教育影响方面，地球科学界有着高回报的前景。 KU和来访的研究生和本科生将与KU（U-Th）/He实验室的技术人员一对一合作，获得对他们的智力成长至关重要的宝贵实践经验。

0414817StockliIn recent years, (U-Th)/He dating of U- and Th-bearing accessory minerals has attracted tremendous interest as a means of constraining the timing and rates of a wide spectrum of upper-crustal to near-surface geological processes. The rapidly increasing demand for high-quality low-temperature thermochronological data exceeds the current analytical capacity of the few operating laboratories. This is clearly expressed by the large number of researchers interested in utilizing the KU facilities and the number of ongoing collaborative projects. The biggest obstacle toward meeting the demand for (U-Th)/He data is the availability of personnel to carry out the analytical work and assist visiting scientists. The addition of a full-time technician dedicated to the KU (U-Th)/He laboratory will ensure the smooth and efficient operation of the laboratory, dramatically accelerate research productivity and sample throughput, and allow the laboratory to engage in additional collaborations and to host visiting scientists and students that want to use the laboratory. The addition of a full-time technician to the KU (U-Th)/He laboratory represents an important investment into the national and international thermochronology research infrastructure with the prospect of a high payoff for the geosciences community in terms of scientific merit and educational impact. KU and visiting graduate and undergraduate students will work one-on-one with the technician in the KU (U-Th)/He laboratory, gaining invaluable hands-on experience important to their intellectual growth.***