Upgrade to optical shearing system

这份申请是为了升级Linkam CSS450光学剪切系统，该系统是用2000-01年度研究工具和设备大赛收到的资金购买的。其工作原理是在用显微镜观察液体样品时施加剪切场。该系统由专用显微镜、摄像机和图像采集硬件及软件组成，与计算机接口。它已被广泛用于研究剪切作用下的一系列胶体悬浮液，包括絮凝剂酵母悬浮液、食品聚合物和其他胶体材料。然而，目前的系统(在购买时是最先进的)不再适合申请者的研究计划，因为它在温度控制方面的能力有限，特别是冷却到零下温度，以及图像捕获和数据分析能力不足。所要求的升级包括：(A)一个用于控制冷却到零度以下的液氮冷却配件；(B)一个在微光条件下运行的高速数码相机；(C)一个能够处理产生的大量数据的新的数据处理系统(计算机和软件)；以及(D)一个不需要液氮冷却的非低温冷却浴。我们要求对现有系统进行升级，因为它的成本大约是购买新系统的一半，而且系统的核心-剪切单元-完全运行。

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.