Acquisition of a pXRF and refurbishment of used germanium detectors for research and undergraduate research training

这笔赠款支持扩大奥伯林学院的伽马计数设施，以提高用于确定河流沉积物中短期尘埃放射性核素活度的样品的吞吐量。赠款将用于购买一个功能齐全的旧锗探测器，翻新和升级两个旧的旧探测器，并购置支持这些新的奥伯林仪器的用品。这些探测器将用于对侵蚀深度进行指纹识别的项目，以应对重大风暴和人类土地利用的变化。这些探测器支持的正在进行的项目包括记录飓风玛丽亚对多米尼克侵蚀的影响、古巴大范围向有机农业过渡的影响、以及中国砍伐森林和重新造林项目的影响。奥伯林学院是一所文理学院，在本科生参与研究方面有着很强的历史。平均每学期和暑期将有7名学生使用探测器。许多将使用这些设备的学生很可能是地球科学界通常代表性较低的团体的成员。因此，这笔拨款包括每年资助一名教职员工和一名学生参加一个以少数人参与地球科学为重点的会议。此外，这些探测器将用于与K-12和大学生进行接触。现代定量地质学越来越依赖于化学测量来观察地球过程。施密特的地貌学小组使用放射性尘埃(210Pb、137Cs、7Be)对上游流域侵蚀时间和深度的相对变化进行指纹识别，以了解土地利用变化和主要风暴对侵蚀的影响。这项研究依靠锗探测器进行伽马计数。每个样品在施密特唯一的探测器上被计数24-96小时；机器时间是实验室吞吐量的主要限制点。该项目的资金将用于整修送给Oberlin的两个锗探测器，并获得一个使用过但仍在运行的探测器。它还将用于获得必要的样品制备和分析设备，以优化学生培训和使用锗探测器。额外的锗探测器将使计算样品的机器数量增加四倍，从而使实验室的样品吞吐量增加四倍。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This grant supports the expansion of gamma counting facilities at Oberlin College to improve the throughput of samples used to determine the activity of short-lived fallout radionuclides in river sediment. The grant will be used to acquire a used and fully functional germanium detector, refurbish and upgrade two older used detectors, and acquire supplies to support these new-to-Oberlin instruments. The detectors will be used for projects fingerprinting depth of erosion in response to major storms and changes in human land use. Ongoing projects supported by these detectors include documenting the effects of Hurricane Maria on erosion in Dominica, the effects of wide spread transition to organic agriculture in Cuba, and the effects of deforestation and reforestation projects in China. Oberlin is a liberal arts college with a strong history of undergraduate involvement in research. An average of 7 students per semester and summer will use the detectors. Many of the students who will work with the equipment are likely to be members of groups typically underrepresented in the earth sciences. Thus, the grant includes funding for a faculty member and student each year to attend a conference focused on minority participation in earth science. In addition, the detectors will be used for outreach with K-12 and college students. Modern quantitative geology increasingly relies on chemical measurements to make observations about Earth processes. Schmidt's geomorphology group uses fallout radionuclides (210Pb, 137Cs, 7Be) to fingerprint relative changes in timing and depth of erosion in upstream watersheds in order to understand the effects of land use change and major storms on erosion. This research relies on a germanium detector for gamma counting. Each sample is counted for 24-96 hours on Schmidt's only detector; machine time is a major constriction point for lab throughput. Funds from this project will be used to refurbish two germanium detectors given to Oberlin and acquire a used, but functioning, detector. It will additionally be used to acquire sample preparation and analysis equipment necessary to optimize student training and use of the germanium detectors. The additional germanium detectors will increase throughput of samples in the lab by quadrupling the number of machines counting samples and thus quadruples sample throughput in the lab.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.