MRI: Acquisition of an Electron Microprobe

这项主要研究仪器计划（MRI）资助支持购买电子探针显微分析仪（EPMA）。 地球科学仪器和设施计划司的资金也提供了支持。 EMPA分析是天然和合成固体材料化学表征的关键和多功能技术。EPMA是迄今为止定量矿物中常量和微量元素丰度的最重要方法，EPMA数据对于我们理解行星形成、成矿过程、火山动力学、地球内部过程、非生物和生物矿物形成以及稀土元素和其他有经济价值的微量元素在矿物中的结合至关重要。EPMA与材料科学和工程的关系也越来越广泛，例如，电池、二氧化碳封存和通过合成无机固体进行杂质分布等方面的创新工作现在已经成为可能。新的电磁分析仪将取代一台在一九八八年启用的老化仪器，该仪器现已过时，主要部件容易出现严重故障。该仪器也缺乏现代研究的关键功能。新仪器将支持弗吉尼亚理工大学（VT）正在进行的研究工作，并将促进新的研究方向和改善地球科学内外和区域机构的教育机会。EPMA通过检测和表征电子束聚焦在样品上时产生的X射线，在微米尺度上提供材料成分的量化。一个现代化的和可靠的电子探针是必不可少的直接支持许多研究人员在VT的工作，并提供宝贵的“预处理”链接到校园内的其他仪器，如透射电子显微镜（TEM）和二次离子质谱（西姆斯）。在过去的半个世纪里，VT的EPMA实验室的数据为科学和工程研究做出了贡献，涉及数百篇已发表的摘要，论文和学生论文。在VT的地球科学中，EPMA对于研究地壳起源和演化，地球和地外行星的深地幔过程，生命的早期演化，成矿过程，火山系统的演化，自然和合成系统中矿物平衡的过程以及地球的挥发性循环（特别是关于碳和硫）的团体至关重要。EPMA分析将支持基于实地的研究、地质年代学研究、地壳流体实验和深行星实验岩石学。获得一个新的电子探针将提供VT与新的能力，包括同步阴极发光成像和微量/主要元素映射，这是越来越重要的几个院系的地质年代学工作。它还将允许对天然和合成材料中关键轻元素的丰度和分布进行精确量化。最后，它将提高检测和定量微量金属的能力，在某些情况下，通过一个数量级。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

This Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI) grant supports acquisition of an Electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA). Support is also leveraged with funds from the Division of Earth Sciences Instrumentation and Facilities Program. EMPA analysis is a critical and multi-functional technique for chemical characterization of natural and synthetic solid materials. EPMA is by far the most important method for quantifying the abundance of major and trace elements in minerals, and EPMA data are crucial for our understanding of planetary formation, ore-forming processes, volcano dynamics, processes in the Earth’s interior, abiotic and biotic mineral formation, and incorporation of Rare Earth Elements and other economically valuable trace elements into minerals. EPMA is also becoming increasingly relevant to a broader spectrum of materials science and engineering, with innovative work now possible on, for example, batteries, CO2 sequestration, and impurity distribution through synthetic inorganic solids. The new EMPA will replace an aging instrument which was commissioned in 1988 and is now obsolete and vulnerable to critical failure of major components. This instrument also lacks key functionality for modern research. The new instrument will support ongoing research efforts at Virginia Tech (VT) and will facilitate new research directions and improved educational opportunities within and outside geosciences and at regional institutions.EPMA provides quantification of the compositions of materials at the micrometer scale through detection and characterization of the X-Rays that are produced when an electron beam is focused on a sample. A modern and reliable EPMA is essential to directly support the work of many researchers at VT and to provide valuable ‘pre-processing’ links to other instrumentation on campus, such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). During the past half-century, data from VT’s EPMA labs have contributed to science and engineering studies related to hundreds of published abstracts, papers, and student theses. Within Earth Sciences at VT, EPMA is critical for groups researching the origin and evolution of Earth’s crust, deep mantle processes in Earth and extraterrestrial planets, the early evolution of life, ore-forming processes, the evolution of volcanic systems, processes governing the equilibration of minerals in natural and synthetic systems, and Earth’s volatile cycles (particularly concerning carbon and sulfur). EPMA analysis will support field-based research, geochronologic studies, crustal-fluids experimentation, and deep-planet experimental petrology. Acquisition of a new EPMA will provide VT with new capabilities, including simultaneous cathodoluminescence imaging and trace/major elemental mapping, which is increasingly important for the geochronological work of several faculty. It will also permit precise quantification of the abundance and distribution of critical light elements in natural and synthetic materials. Finally, it will improve capabilities to detect and quantify trace metals by an order of magnitude in some cases.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.