Department of Earth Sciences installs new scanning electron microscope
Funded by a grant of $457,584 from the Major Research Instrumentation program of the National Science Foundation and additional support from the Office of the Vice President for Research at UMaine, the Department of Earth Sciences has recently installed a new scanning electron microscope (SEM) with several specialized accessories to support research and education in Earth sciences, climate change, and related fields.
The Tescan Vega II XMU microscope offers resolution down to 5 nm, 3D imaging, extended low vacuum chamber pressures, and remote operation capabilities. Integrated with the electron microscope are EDAX energy dispersive spectrometry, EDAX electron backscatter diffraction, and Gatan ChromaCL color cathodoluminescence detectors. In addition to imaging, the SEM system can determine the composition of minerals and other materials, identify crystalline materials based on their atomic structure, and automatically classify and quantify particles such as atmospheric dust retrieved from ice cores. With the instrumentation, researchers within the Department of Earth Sciences, the Climate Change Institute, and others across campus will be better able to address scientific problems including the relationship between deformation, chemical reactions, and fluid flow in Earth’s crust, the strength of Earth’s crust, weathering, sea-level change, and paleoatmospheric dynamics.
This new SEM will complement existing microanalytical facilities in the Department of Earth Sciences by providing a versatile imaging tool and providing new chemical and crystallographic analytical capabilities. In addition, the instrument will serve as a teaching tool in UMaine classes and K-12 outreach programs.
For more information, contact Christopher Gerbi, Department of Earth Sciences, 581-2153, gerbi@umit.maine.edu.