Upgrade to optical shearing system

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This application is for an upgrade to a Linkam CSS450 Optical Shearing System which was purchased with funds received in the 2000-01 Research Tools and Equipment Competition. The principal of operation is the imposition of shearing fields onto a liquid sample while viewing with a microscope. The system consists of a specialized microscope, video camera and image capture hardware and software, interfaced with a computer. It has been used extensively to study a range of colloidal suspensions under shear, including flocculent yeast suspensions, food polymers and other colloidal materials. However, the present system (which was state-of-the-art when purchased) is no longer suitable for the research programs of the applicants due to its limited capabilities with respect to temperature control, especially cooling to sub-zero temperatures, and inadequate image capture and data analysis capabilities. The requested upgrade includes: (a) a liquid-nitrogen cooling accessory for controlled cooling to sub-zero temperatures, (b) a high-speed digital camera for operation under low-light conditions, (c) a new data handling system (computer and software) capable of handling the large amounts of data produced, and (d) a non-cryo cooling bath for when liquid nitrogen cooling is not required. We are requesting an upgrade to the existing system because it costs about half as much as purchasing a new system, and the heart of the system, the shear cell, is fully functioning.