Development of Hydrogeology Experimental System for Radiolabeled Fluid and Colloid Imaging

这一地球科学仪器和设施计划拨款部门支持开发一种新的实验系统，该系统能够对流体通过渗透性地质介质的流动进行正电子发射断层扫描(PET)成像。PET是一种广泛应用于癌症研究和治疗的技术。该仪器将用于对非均匀地下环境中的流体流动进行定量测量，并应用于水文地质学、地下能源资源和环境科学等重要科学问题。该项目将加强科研和教育的科学基础设施。加强的基础设施将促进跨学科研究合作，重点是发展与少数群体服务机构和区域大学的新伙伴关系。该实验系统和相关的研究项目将提供研究机会，将培养未被充分代表的人口在科学和高等教育中的充分参与。该系统将能够安全地处理、注入、成像和处置加压的短期放射性标记流体、气体和胶体，以支持多尺度、多相流实验，这将扩大现有的流体流动实验技术和成像在水文地质和地下能源研究中的应用。实验仪器将是可移动的，并将利用威斯康星大学兽医学院的正电子源。研究应用对污染含水层内的补救工作、限制地下水纳米颗粒污染的努力、探索工程解决方案和地下二氧化碳封存的分支，以及提高地热能生产的效率都有影响。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Division of Earth Sciences Instrumentation and Facilities Program grant supports development of a novel experimental system capable of performing Positron emission tomographic (PET) imaging of fluid flow through permeable geologic media. PET is a technique widely used for cancer research and therapy. The apparatus would be used to make quantitative measurements of fluid flow in heterogeneous subsurface environments with applications to important scientific questions in hydrogeology, subsurface energy resources, and environmental science. This project will enhance scientific infrastructure for research and education. The enhanced infrastructure will facilitate interdisciplinary research collaborations, with a focus on developing new partnerships with minority serving institutions and regional universities. The experimental system and associated research projects will provide research opportunities that will cultivate full participation of underrepresented demographics in science and higher education.The system will be capable of safely handling, injecting, imaging, and disposing of pressurized short-lived radiolabeled fluids, gases, and colloids to support multiscale, multiphase flow experiments that will expand existing fluid flow experimental techniques and imaging utilization in hydrogeology and subsurface energy resources research. The experimental apparatus would be mobile and would take advantage of a positron source at the University of Wisconsin’s veterinary school. Research applications have implications for remediation efforts within contaminated aquifers, efforts to limit nanoparticle contamination of groundwaters, exploration of engineering solutions and ramifications of subsurface CO2 sequestration, and improving efficiency of geothermal energy production.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.