Critical Replacement of Departmental X-ray Diffractometer Instrumentation

地球和岩石行星的历史是用岩石写成的。但是，关于地球和行星是如何以及为什么在几千年来形成和变化的许多方面仍然是一个谜，因为写这些秘密的语言没有被很好地理解。矿物学使我们能够更好地了解岩石是如何形成和转化的，从而解开这些谜团。因此，我们需要最先进的设备来研究地球的矿物学，需要行星材料来了解地球的秘密。NSERC RTI迫切需要资金，以购买一台现代化的台式粉末X射线衍射仪(PXRD)，以取代地球科学部两台已有30年历史的仪器。这些仪器远远超过了它们的正常预期寿命，几乎不能操作，而且缺乏现代pXRD的分辨率、速度、样品处理和数据收集能力。所需的Bruker D2相位仪是一款新颖的一体式台式PXRD，配备了易于使用的软件，研究人员和学生都可以使用该软件进行测量和分析。LYNXEYE XE-T探测器检测X射线的速度快约450倍，强度更高，分辨率更高，具有高灵敏度和高数据质量。与检测器一起，它的最低功耗(650 W)、超紧凑的测角仪以及不需要冷却水或PC外围设备，使其成为一种用户友好的便携式台式仪器，具有高分析性能和功能。我们会将新的个人研究发展计划整合为一个中央核心设施，以鼓励个别研究人员和研究小组，包括受过适当训练的本科生和研究生，尽量分享资料，从而在系内营造一个协作的环境。通过这种方式，购买变得具有成本效益，不仅对主要申请者有利，而且对25名全职教师、20名活跃的兼职研究教授、来自西方、加拿大和国际的合作者以及200多名不同和包容的HQP来说也是有益的。获得以前仅限于“专家”的分析仪器将为总部提供实践经验，并有机会与合作者和行业合作伙伴并肩工作，这对成功发展为地球科学家至关重要。新仪器将支持一系列不同的地球科学研究项目，它们都需要矿物学来理解和解释自然界。高质量的PXRD数据不仅可以进行物相鉴定，还可以进行Rietveld晶体结构修正和定量矿物模式分析。使用新的PXRD仪器获得的结果将影响对从太阳系和其他行星体的遥远地区到地球的各种地球和行星材料的培训和研究，从其表面过程、环境和资源，到其地幔和核心。如果没有新的PXRD，我们的持续创新研究是不可能的！

The history of the Earth and the rocky planets is written in rocks. But many aspects of how and why the Earth and planets formed and have been transformed over the millennia remain a mystery because the language in which these secrets are written is not well understood. Mineralogy allows us to unlock these mysteries by better understanding how rocks form and are transformed. So we require state- of- the art equipment to study the mineralogy of Earth and planetary materials to learn Earth's secrets. Funds are urgently requested from NSERC RTI to purchase a modern benchtop powder X--ray diffractometer (pXRD) to replace two 30 -year -old instruments in the Department of Earth Sciences. These instruments are well beyond their normal life expectancy, barely operational, and lack the resolution, speed, sample handling and data collection capabilities of modern pXRDs. The Bruker D2 PHASER instrument requested is a novel all-in-one benchtop pXRD that comes loaded with easy-to-use software that allows measurement and analysis by researchers and students alike. The LYNXEYE XE-T Detector detects X-rays ~450 times faster, with increased intensity, and high resolution providing high sensitivity and data quality. Along with the detector, its minimal electrical power consumption (650 W), ultra-compact goniometer, and no need for cooling water or PC peripherals make it a user-friendly, portable, benchtop instrument with high analytical performance and function. We will integrate the new pXRD into a centralized core facility to encourage optimal sharing among individual investigators and research groups, including properly trained undergraduate and graduate students, to foster a collaborative environment in the department. In this way, the purchase becomes cost-efficient, and beneficial to not only the primary applicants, but also the 25 full-time faculty, >20 active adjunct research professors, collaborators from across Western, Canada, and internationally, and a group of over >200 diverse and inclusive HQP. Access to analytical instrumentation previously limited to “experts” will provide HQP with hands-on experience and the opportunity to work side-by-side with collaborators and industry partners which is crucial for successful development as geoscientists. The new instrument will support a diverse set of Earth Sciences research programs with a common thread they all need mineralogy to understand and interpret the natural world. High- quality pXRD data will enable not only phase identification, but also Rietveld crystal structure refinement and quantitative mineral modal analysis. The results obtained with a new pXRD instrument will impact the training and research of a diverse array of Earth and planetary materials from the far reaches of the solar system and other planetary bodies to Earth from its surface processes, environment, and resources, to its mantle and core. Our continued innovative research will not be possible without a new pXRD!