Wednesday, May 18th 2016

Wednesday, May 18th 2016 Putting Undergraduates at the Helm: 6 Years of EPMA at a Small, Public, Undergraduate University Stephen C. Kuehn and Joseph A. Allen Department of Physical Science, Concord University, Athens, WV 24712-1000, USA In 2010, Concord University, a 2800-student, predominantly undergraduate institution in West Virginia, installed an ARL SEMQ microprobe as the first stage of a plan to establish a microanalytical facility that emphasizes undergraduate teaching and research while also supporting other uses. This facility has now operated successfully for six years as the sole EPMA laboratory in West Virginia and as the sole undergraduate-focused EPMA in North America. Undergraduate use of the instrument began in 2011. Since 2012 undergraduate students have typically used the instrument four or five days per week during the academic year. The laboratory has supported numerous undergraduate research projects, most of which have led to student presentations at national and regional conferences. The laboratory has also been used in introductory through advanced courses in geology, chemistry, and physics as well as outreach to visiting K-12 students, teachers, and parents. By integrating EPMA into introductory general education geology labs, hundreds of students, consisting mainly of non-science majors, have been introduced to and obtained data from a major scientific instrument. The laboratory was established with initial funding from the West Virginia Research Trust Fund and a used ARL SEMQ transferred from the University of Kentucky. The instrument is installed in a dedicated 440 square foot, bottom-floor laboratory, with a floor 10 feet below exterior grade. During the first year, the instrument was assembled and tested, Probe for EPMA software was installed, a sample preparation facility was established, the reference material collection was developed, and the first analytical data was submitted for publication. In 2012, the instrument received a major upgrade. With funding from a West Virginia EPSCoR Innovation grant, a modern SDD EDS detector (Bruker 5030) with a lightelement window was installed. The EDS system also added much easier digital image acquisition, and it includes full control of the sample stage for automated large area mosaic imaging and x-ray mapping. Dedicated climate control was also installed in 2012 (70 +/- 1 F typical). Further improvements include improved beam current regulation (2013), dual digital video cameras on the visible light optics (for two simultaneous magnifications), a new gun housing for improved gun vacuum (2014), a rebuilt and improved stage (2015), and a new filament standby/warm-up timer (2016). In this time, the reference collection has continued to grow and now exceeds 350 minerals, metals, glasses, and synthetic compounds. All data produced in the laboratory is backed up to both an onsite incremental backup server (nightly) and to a redundant offsite server. One might expect an older instrument to be a liability, and the ARL does have its limitations. However, it has proven to be relatively easy to keep running and performs well, in spite of being more than 30 years old. With good climate control, peak positions change little over months. The beam is also stable. With a warmed-up gun and current regulation enabled, beam current typically drifts no more than 0.3% relative during a typical 10-12 hour analytical day. The fact that many functions remain under analog control, while limiting what can be operated remotely, turns out to have some benefits as well. Having a student do it themselves (rather than having the computer do it) is great for learning.

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UW Madison, WI

Wednesday, May 18th 2016 Much of the research conducted in the laboratory relates to interests of our geoscience faculty, including studies of volcanic eruptions and their deposits and of the dynamics of ancient earthquakes. Having an onsite EPMA has made it possible to engage undergraduate students in data collection aspects of this research in ways and to an extent that would not otherwise have been possible. The laboratory has also facilitated collaborations with other institutions, has brought in contract work from external clients, and has enabled multiple grant-funded projects. Those grants have in turn made it possible to take undergraduates to do field work in Greenland, for example. Graduate students, faculty, and undergraduates from other institutions have also visited from as far as Arizona to analyze their samples. Other collaborators have sent volcanic ash samples from as far as Greece and Chile, and consulting firms have contracted for similar tephra analysis. We look forward to seeing where the undergraduate microprobe will take our students, faculty, and collaborators during the next six years.

MAS EPMA 2016 TC

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Putting Undergraduates at the Helm: 6 Years of EPMA at a Small, Public, Undergraduate University Stephen C. Kuehn

Athens, West Virginia

EPMA 2016 Topical Conference University of Wisconsin -‐ Madison, WI May 16-‐19, 2016

Concord’s ARL SEMQ at the lab’s beginning

Fall 2010

50 kV gun

Building an EPMA Lab Focused on Undergraduate Students •  2009 -‐ An ARL SEMQ at the University of Kentucky becomes available •  Grant funding is obtained, and the instrument is relocated in spring 2010 to Concord University, an ~2,400-‐student primarily undergraduate university located in the small town of Athens, West Virginia; Instrument is installed in a dedicated 440 ft2 laboratory (with windows) located 10 ft below exterior grade. •  During summer 2010, the instrument is re-‐assembled and refurbished; Probe for EPMA is installed; The new EPMA lab manager arrives (regular faculty: 6 credit hour/semester base teaching load + 50% release time for EPMA lab responsibilities) •  In 2010-‐2011, supporting equipment is obtained, and a sample preparation and thin-‐ section facility is established; Reference material collection is developed to include > 300 minerals, metals, glasses, and synthetic compounds; In-‐lab network and automated data backup system are established. •  December 2011 – Publication of the first paper containing data from the new lab

Building an EPMA Lab Focused on Undergraduate Students •  2011 -‐ Addition of dual USB video cameras to the visible light optics •  April 2012 -‐ Major upgrade: 30 mm2 SDD EDS detector, automation software, and digital SEM imaging are installed; Now capable of simultaneous WDS-‐EDS analysis, large-‐area imaging/mapping, and partial remote-‐operation •  Fall 2012 – Upgraded beam current regulation installed (< 0.5% drift in 12 hours typical) •  Fall 2012 – Dedicated climate control installed; Lab now consistently 70 +/-‐ 1 degree F •  2013 & 2015 – Probe main computer upgrades; Quad core, 16GB RAM, dual SSD drives •  Spring 2015 – Microprobe stage completely rebuilt and refurbished •  Spring 2016 – Filament standby/warm-‐up timer and age counter installed •  Summer 2016 – Additional donated spectrometers, electronics, and other parts will arrive in June; Probe will be expanded to 8 channels of WDS by fall

Local Press Coverage

The lab today May 2016

ARL SEMQ Column and Spectrometers Concord’s SEMQ is equipped with a 50 kV electron gun, four WDS spectrometers, and a 30mm2 SDD EDS. Acquisition and automation are provided by Probe for EPMA and Bruker’s Esprit, both with full stage control. Each SEMQ WDS port can host one tunable spectrometer or two fixed monochromators for a maximum of 6 tunable or up to 12 fixed WDS channels

ARL SEMQ Column and Spectrometers

The SEMQ features a large unified chamber with no column separation windows and spectrometers with a relatively high, 52.5 degree, take-‐off angle.

ARL SEMQ Column and Spectrometers

ARL 5 and Thin Section sample holders

Solid red lines indicate limit of stage travel

Undergraduate Students on the Microprobe

Both science majors working on research projects and entire introductory labs for non-‐majors

Students on the Microprobe introductory labs for non-‐majors

Students on the Microprobe introductory labs for non-‐majors

Outreach

Athens, WV cub scouts

Initially just for fun -‐

Collaboration with art: ceramic glazes

