Acquisition of a high resolution ICP & XRD for environmental, Earth, & material science research in biology, Chemistry, Geology, & Physics at Southern Oregon University

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0420855ElliotWith support form the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program, the acquisition of an x-ray diffractometer (XRD) and inductively coupled plasma spectrometer (ICP) will significantly improve the earth science, materials, and environmental research facilities at Southern Oregon University (SOU). The ICP will assist earth science faculty with elemental characterization of water samples associated with acid mine drainage and naturally occurring arsenic in groundwater. The ICP will also provide biology, chemistry, and geology faculty with the ability to evaluate natural and anthropogenic trace metal distributions on the physiological effects of serpentine-rich geologic terrains on small mammals and on the identification and protection of threatened and endangered sturgeon species. The XRD will provide earth science faculty the capability of identifying unknown minerals, studying the distribution and environmental conditions that result in the formation of various clay minerals within mudrocks, and assessing the mineralogical composition of sulfide minerals and precipitated salts associated with acid mine drainage. The XRD will immediately be highly beneficial to our materials research program under NSF grant DMR-0137323. All new potentially-ferroelectric materials examined are locally prepared, with few exceptions. Each preparation must be single phase to produce definitive results and this is achievable only by using XRD in close conjunction with each preparation. It will now become possible to prepare single phase K2HCr2AsO10, NaSb3F10, YInO3 and a series of related oxides, among a large backlog of promising materials, so that conclusive measurements can be made. It will also improve our analytical and research capability in training and educating students in our new Material Sciences program. In addition to the collaborative research conducted at SOU, the XRD and ICP will also provide new research opportunities for faculty and students at regional institutions throughout southern Oregon and northern California as well as local, state, and federal researchers in the community. ***