Acquisition of an SEM-CL Detector for Research and Education in Geology and Geological Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines

科罗拉多矿业学院最新的最先进的阴极发光成像系统这项国家科学基金会资助购买最先进的阴极发光探测器，该探测器将连接到科罗拉多矿业学院地质和地质工程系现有的扫描电子显微镜上。当电子聚焦在非常小尺度的材料上时，这种新型探测器就能产生彩色图像。它将用于经济地质学、构造学、油气储层研究和环境地球化学。一些例子包括贵金属矿床中的矿物，以了解矿床的形成和成像矿物，以确定地质年龄。新的探测器也将用于科罗拉多矿业学院的本科生和研究生教学。它也将使科罗拉多其他四所大学和学院的研究人员和学生受益。该仪器将提供给工作人员和公民科学家，以加强科罗拉多矿业地质博物馆和丹佛自然与科学博物馆的博物馆展品。美国国家科学基金会地球科学仪器和设施分部的拨款支持购买最先进的阴极发光探测器，该探测器将连接到科罗拉多矿业学院地质和地质工程系最近委托使用的场发射扫描电子显微镜上。新的探测器将允许从纳米到厘米尺度的自然和合成材料的高分辨率和高灵敏度的发光成像。新的分析能力将主要用于经济地质学、构造学、储层表征和环境地球化学的纯粹和应用研究。重点将放在开发新的相关显微镜工作流程，以便研究矿物中的生长和蚀变结构。应用将包括在微到纳米尺度上可视化石英内部和外部缺陷的分布，以更好地了解热液中形成碱和贵金属矿床的温度、压力和盐度变化是如何导致石英沉淀和溶解的。在进行U-Pb年代学分析之前，将利用新探测器的成像技术区分沉积岩、火成岩和变质岩中锆石的成分和潜在年龄域，从而选择最合适的年代学方法，并在锆石晶体带分带复杂的情况下确定原位定年的位置。新的探测器也将被用作教学资源，以进一步科罗拉多矿业学院本科生和研究生的学习经验。新的分析能力将补充落基山脉地区其他地方可用的电子束仪器，使科罗拉多其他四所大学和学院的研究人员和教育工作者受益。该仪器将提供给工作人员和公民科学家对发光矿物进行成像，以增强科罗拉多矿业地质博物馆和丹佛自然与科学博物馆的博物馆展品。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

A New State-Of-The-Art Cathodoluminescence Imaging System for Colorado School of MinesThis National Science Foundation grant supports the purchase of a state-of-the-art cathodoluminescence detector to be attached to an existing scanning electron microscope at the Department of Geology and Geological Engineering of the Colorado School of Mines. The new detector creates color images when electrons are focused on materials at very small scale. It will be used in economic geology, tectonics, oil and gas reservoir studies, and environmental geochemistry. Some examples include minerals in precious metal deposits to understand ore formation and imaging minerals to determine geological ages. The new detector will also be used in teaching undergraduate and graduate students at Colorado School of Mines. It will also benefit researchers and students at four other Colorado universities and colleges. The instrument will be available to staff and citizen scientists to enhance museum exhibits at Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.This NSF Division of Earth Sciences Instrumentation and Facilities Program grant supports the acquisition of a state-of-the-art cathodoluminescence detector to be attached to a recently commissioned field-emission scanning electron microscope at the Department of Geology and Geological Engineering of the Colorado School of Mines. The new detector will allow high-resolution and high-sensitivity imaging of the luminescence of natural and synthetic materials from the nanometer to centimeter scale. The new analytical capabilities will be primarily used in pure and applied research in economic geology, tectonics, reservoir characterization, and environmental geochemistry. Emphasis will be placed on the development of new workflows for correlative microscopy allowing the study of growth and alteration textures in minerals. Applications will include the visualization of the distribution of intrinsic and extrinsic defects in quartz at the micro- to nanoscales to better understand how temperature, pressure, and salinity changes in hydrothermal fluids forming base and precious metal deposits result in quartz precipitation and dissolution. Imaging with the new detector will be employed to distinguish compositional and potential age domains in zircons from sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks prior to U-Pb geochronological analysis, allowing selection of the most suitable geochronology method and to identify locations for in-situ dating in the case of complexly zoned zircon crystals. The new detector will also be used as a teaching resource to further the learning experience of undergraduate and graduate students at Colorado School of Mines. The new analytical capabilities will complement electron beam instrumentation available elsewhere in the Rocky Mountain Region, benefiting researchers and educators at four other Colorado universities and colleges. The instrumentation will be made available to staff and citizen scientists to image luminescent minerals to enhance museum exhibits at Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.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.