Next-Gen CT for environmental sciences

我们建议收购的最先进的，下一代X射线计算机断层扫描（CT）扫描仪。这将被安置在亨斯菲尔德设施，一个中心，致力于CT的环境科学在诺丁汉大学（UoN）。该系统将在任何可比系统上取得若干重大进展（在同步加速器设施之外，科学界不容易获得这些设施，特别是在时间序列研究中，在数周或数月内扫描相同的样品）。新功能包括i）改进的对比度分辨率，使我们能够检测样品中的特征，例如土壤有机碳，这些特征目前由于类似的X射线衰减而“不可见”，为研究开辟了新的可能性; ii）更快的扫描时间（c）。1-2与C相比，60分钟），使我们能够进行几乎“实时”成像，如土壤中的溶质运输;和iii）集成的自动样品加载系统，允许在数小时内扫描，以增加样品吞吐量。该仪器将具有广泛的跨学科吸引力，因为主要输出是基于X射线衰减/密度的未受干扰材料的3D可视化/模型，其中关键特征（例如根，碳，水等）可以通过附带的图像分析软件进行量化。特别重点将是解决与土壤安全有关的问题，特别是与当前气候紧急情况有关的问题。英国政府的25年环境计划确定了改善土壤健康的必要性，从而提高全国的土壤安全。下议院最近对土壤健康的审计指出，“健康的土壤对粮食生产和人类福祉很重要”。英国的大多数土壤都在退化，有机质正在迅速和逐步流失，导致土壤质量下降，释放破坏性温室气体，许多生态系统服务（例如生物多样性，碳储存，粮食生产，养分循环）的次优交付。我们将使用新的扫描仪来发展对重要土壤机制的新理解。例如，我们将开发一种新方法来可视化和测量土壤团聚体中的有机碳，以提供对碳如何储存在土壤中的新见解，支持生成新模型来预测碳损失对气候变化的作用，以及能够被土地所有者广泛采用的政策相关解决方案，以增强土壤中的碳封存。此外，我们将探索耐旱植物操纵根际（即紧密粘附在根部的土壤）的潜力，以改善土壤的保水性，并赋予对日益极端的天气事件的抵抗力。通过提供更广泛的NERC社区，特别是早期职业科学家，由我们的设施专家提供全面的培训计划的支持，我们寻求在环境科学中使用X射线成像。

We propose the acquisition of a state of the art, next generation X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) scanner. This will be housed at the Hounsfield Facility, a centre dedicated to CT for the environmental sciences at the University of Nottingham (UoN). The system will have several significant advances on any comparable system (outside of a synchrotron facility which are not readily available to the scientific community especially for time series studies where the same sample is scanned over weeks or months). New functionality includes i) improved contrast resolution allowing us to detect features in samples, such as soil organic carbon, that are currently 'invisible' due to similar X-ray attenuation opening new possibilities for research; ii) faster scan times (c. 1-2 mins compared to c. 60 mins) enabling us to undertake almost 'real-time' imaging such as solute transport in soil; & iii) an integrated automated sample loading system allowing out of hours scanning to increase the sample throughput. The instrument will have wide interdisciplinary appeal as the primary output is 3D visualisation/models of undisturbed materials based on X-ray attenuation/density in which key features (e.g. roots, carbon, water etc.) can be quantified via accompanying image analysis software. The particular focus will be addressing issues concerned with soil security especially those associated with the current climate emergency. The UK Government's 25 Year Environment Plan identified the need to improve soil health and thus soil security across the nation. The recent House of Commons audit on soil health stated 'Healthy soils are important for food production and human wellbeing'. Most soils in the UK are degraded and suffering a rapid and progressive loss of organic matter, leading to a decline in soil quality, release of damaging greenhouse gases and the sub-optimal delivery of many ecosystem services (e.g. biodiversity, carbon storage, food production, nutrient cycling). We will use the new scanner to develop a new understanding for important soil mechanisms. For example, we will develop a new method to visualise and measure organic carbon in soil aggregates to provide a new insight into how carbon is stored in soil, supporting the generation of new models to predict the role of carbon loss on climate change and policy-relevant solutions capable of widespread adoption by land-owners for enhancing carbon sequestration in soil. In addition, we will explore the potential of drought tolerant plants to manipulate the rhizosphere (i.e. the soils closely adhering to roots) to improve water retention in soil and confer a resistance to the increasingly extreme weather events. By offering access to the wider NERC community, and in particular early career scientists, supported by a comprehensive training programme by experts at our facility, we seek to lead on the use of X-ray imaging in the environmental sciences.