Upgrade of Electron Microprobe Instrumentation at North Carolina State University: new computer and one-time service visit

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The ARL-SEMQ electron microprobe in the Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences (MEAS) at North Carolina State University is critical for acquiring compositional data from geologic material, mainly minerals, within an academic program that serves graduate student and faculty research, and provides information for graduate theses, journal publications, and the general public. The computer that was interfaced with the microprobe in year 2004 has recently failed, and the microprobe has not been professionally serviced since year 2000. While the instrument is still operating, including the rebuilt computer, the instrument overall is failing in areas of electron beam stability, high vacuum, counting electronics, and in some hardware components - and the repaired computer can no longer be trusted. This proposal requests funds for a new instrument-interfaced computer and a one-time visit by a professional service person to bring the electron microprobe up to optimum operating condition.