MRI: Acquisition of a Hitachi S-3400N-II Variable Pressure Scanning Electron Microscope with an Analytical Quantitative Element Detector for the University of Hawaii at Hilo

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The PI requests MRI RAPID funding to Acquire a Hitachi S-3400N-II Variable Pressure Scanning Electron Microscope with an Analytical Quantitative Element Detector. This instrument will support a wide range of faculty and student research projects, including analysis of volcanic material ejected from the currently erupting volcano; analysis of locally-collected plankton, micro-molluscs, and botanical samples; sediment cores showing evidence of paleo-tsunami activity; analysis of Native Hawaiian artifacts in use-wear studies; and chemical / structural analysis of pharmaceutical crystal characteristics using SEM/EDS technology.Broader ImpactsThe equipment will enhance a new graduate program, several science programs and over twenty courses at the university. It will provide unique learning opportunities at the only 4 year college on the Big Island of Hawaii, a population base of great ethnic diversity. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory collaboration should be fruitful and opportunities for pre-college students are described. The multi-ethnic nature of the population of students (and everyone really on Hawaii) is clearly demonstrated, so NSF support would enhance the utilization of tax payer funds to under-served portion of the US population. And an SEM is an instrument which easily lends itself to outreach to high school and broad community application/ appreciation as "(microscopic) pictures are worth 1000s of words"