writing up the methods section of my 2008 Mg/Ca Benguela paper.
I'm realizing that it would be a good idea to include some SEM micrographs of both sinistral and dextral N. pachyderma for illustration in the paper. Need to make sure to remember to do that.
I am also thinking that things like calculating pooled standard deviation and such might be best to include in a figure caption, rather than as a whole section in the paper. I will have to write it in for now as part of Methods.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Matthew/Thomas Wedding in PA
Went to a wedding for Baby Uncle and Lela Aunty's daughter yesterday. The groom isn't syro-malabar catholic, but the mass and ceremony were extremely similar. THe only difference I noticed anyway was that, at the reception, the boys gathered around the couple when they were introduced and shouted something a few times while all pointing one finger in the air and then swinging their hands down. Not sure what its supposed to mean though.
It was a nice service at a large church, Dad estimated around 500 people at the reception. They had hired a drummer for the reception (along with a dj of course). Overall it was a nice wedding. We had planned the next day to go into Philly, because the whole thing was just outside of it, however we just weren't feeling up to it and wanted to get some shopping done while we were in a relatively lower tax area. Ended up buying, after a good amount of searching, a Nintendo Wii. So that's fun. Now we have something to use the Wii Guitar Hero game we bought with!
It was a nice service at a large church, Dad estimated around 500 people at the reception. They had hired a drummer for the reception (along with a dj of course). Overall it was a nice wedding. We had planned the next day to go into Philly, because the whole thing was just outside of it, however we just weren't feeling up to it and wanted to get some shopping done while we were in a relatively lower tax area. Ended up buying, after a good amount of searching, a Nintendo Wii. So that's fun. Now we have something to use the Wii Guitar Hero game we bought with!
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Attempt at coring in the South Shore
Went out with Profs Christensen and Farmer and others as they attempted to get a 10 foot long vibracore sample of the sediments at a south shore estuary. I was worried there would be good weather, but fortunately there was a downpour the entire time that we were there.
A vibracore is run by a small engine, in this case a cement mixer engine, it looks like a typical lawnmower gas engine, it even starts by pulling a cord. Or at least, thats how it is supposed to start. This one, which had apparently been purchased a few years ago, but was never started up before, wouldn't start up now. One of the other people, who had brought it for the coring, tried their best to get the thing working, even running out to get starter fluid to spray onto the machine. All to no avail. The sky poured out cold rain on us all day while we stood around the engine in parking lot for a few hours without it started. Low tide was starting at 1230, we had needed to have trugged out to the coring site, assemble to support for the corer, and get it running into the ground and then pull out the core before high tide came in. So by that time, even if the engine were to start, we probably wouldn't be able to core anyway.
We went back to the Christenen's office and decided to keep most of the coring materials there, everyone else is going to try to figure out what's wrong with the engine and they plan on re-attempting the 28th. I think that I will meet them out there for that also, I have nothing to do with the project, but I can help with the actual coring, and that will allow me to see how its done. I'll make sure to get some waterproof boots and pants before then too, being soaked in the rain in jeans isn't too pleasant.
After putting everything back, Dr.s Christen, Farmer, a grad student, and I went to get lunch at a local indian restaurant that we've been to a few times before. Lunch at least was hot and good and the Kingfisher hit the spot. After that, Dr. Farmer had planned on coming back to the lab so that we could go over our 1085B project. Unfortunately she had to run back to Hofstra first to enter in grades for the semester, and got caught up there and couldn't make it over. Christensen and I got some work done and made some progress on the work.
A vibracore is run by a small engine, in this case a cement mixer engine, it looks like a typical lawnmower gas engine, it even starts by pulling a cord. Or at least, thats how it is supposed to start. This one, which had apparently been purchased a few years ago, but was never started up before, wouldn't start up now. One of the other people, who had brought it for the coring, tried their best to get the thing working, even running out to get starter fluid to spray onto the machine. All to no avail. The sky poured out cold rain on us all day while we stood around the engine in parking lot for a few hours without it started. Low tide was starting at 1230, we had needed to have trugged out to the coring site, assemble to support for the corer, and get it running into the ground and then pull out the core before high tide came in. So by that time, even if the engine were to start, we probably wouldn't be able to core anyway.
We went back to the Christenen's office and decided to keep most of the coring materials there, everyone else is going to try to figure out what's wrong with the engine and they plan on re-attempting the 28th. I think that I will meet them out there for that also, I have nothing to do with the project, but I can help with the actual coring, and that will allow me to see how its done. I'll make sure to get some waterproof boots and pants before then too, being soaked in the rain in jeans isn't too pleasant.
After putting everything back, Dr.s Christen, Farmer, a grad student, and I went to get lunch at a local indian restaurant that we've been to a few times before. Lunch at least was hot and good and the Kingfisher hit the spot. After that, Dr. Farmer had planned on coming back to the lab so that we could go over our 1085B project. Unfortunately she had to run back to Hofstra first to enter in grades for the semester, and got caught up there and couldn't make it over. Christensen and I got some work done and made some progress on the work.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
AMS Ocean Studies Diversity Project, Hotel and Flights
Just got off the phone with Fortune Travel, s/w Nanette to book flight to Seattle for the AMS workshop.
Leaving on a Delta flight DL 0627 leaving from JFK @820 on 2/15 and landing in Seattle at noon.
Returning on a Delta flight DL 0162 at 1240 and arriving at JFK around 915.
I also spoke w/ Mz. Mills at AMS about the hotel. She confirmed that there is a room set aside, the actual room will be assigned on arrival. They just have a block for attendees.Confirmed that the hotel is:
Universtiy Inn
4140 Roosevelt Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105
(800)733-3855
Still going to need to book a hotel for the night of the 21st and 22nd, somewhere in downtown Seattle.
Leaving on a Delta flight DL 0627 leaving from JFK @820 on 2/15 and landing in Seattle at noon.
Returning on a Delta flight DL 0162 at 1240 and arriving at JFK around 915.
I also spoke w/ Mz. Mills at AMS about the hotel. She confirmed that there is a room set aside, the actual room will be assigned on arrival. They just have a block for attendees.Confirmed that the hotel is:
Universtiy Inn
4140 Roosevelt Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105
(800)733-3855
Still going to need to book a hotel for the night of the 21st and 22nd, somewhere in downtown Seattle.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
CollegeNow Grades
I've been instructing for a collegenow course in Meteorology. I have 30 students from LGHS registered. Around 12-15 tend to show up relatively regularly. We've had two tests. No one got above a 65 on either of them. I've made the tests so that they do what they are supposed to do, test the student's knowledge of the subject matter. I've tried it with a longer test (100 questions) with quick, multiple choice, true/false questions. The students were able to finish on time, even the ones that came in a half hour late to the test. The second test had 24 questions, but they were a combination of question types, and they got at the most basic and fundamental issues that we had been discussing in class and that were also covered in the textbook. And still the students did poorly. They're telling me that having a test on more than one chapter is too much for them. I think that I will infact make the next test on a single chapter. I spoke with Rob Perro from CollegeNow, and he suggested speaking with the HS principle about arranging for tutors for the students, which is a good idea. I had previously spoken with the principle, and he had a lot of students coming to him asking to drop the course, but he said that he insisted that they stay in the course and put more effort into it.
HEO/CLT Professional Development Fund
On monday I had spoken with some of the people responsible for the HEO/CLT Professional Development Fund. I spoke with PSC-CUNY regarding the “PDF” (up to $3K every academic year). I wanted to get a stereomicroscope, sieve pans, picking brushes, and other equipment to continue my grad school research, along with membership in a few societies and some reference books. Ms. Slifkin stated that you can’t get equipment, but then at the same time said that you can use it for anything that involves professional development. I had started describing it as something that we can incorporate into our classes, which apparently is no good because it’s supposed to be something that the college wouldn’t get us. I was able to get the names of the people on the committee for this fund.
Joy Johnson
from Medgar Evans College in Brooklyn 718-270-6210 joy@mec.cuny.edu
Bob Suhoke
from City College in Manhattan 212-650-8154 suhoke@sci.ccny.cuny.edu
Linda Slifkin
PSC-CUNY fund Rep 212-354-1252 No email
Ms. Johnson re-stated that the materials can’t be something that the college would be normally ordering. She stated that she has seen it go through for chemical reagents, and then answered that it is at least conceivable that it could go through for the larger equipment. She also stated that there was nothing like a ‘line item veto’, where some items in a proposal could be approved and others rejected. The whole application is either accepted or rejected.
I spoke with Mr. Suhoke on Tuesday. He was even more adamant that the funds not be used to obtain equipment or materials for the department, and that, in the case of the above example of a stereomicroscope, its obvious that any department would already have one. However, he did admit that it was possible, though it would be extremely difficult, to make a convincing case that the equipment would only be used for personal, professional, use, unrelated to the functioning of the department. He stated that reference books and society memberships would be much easier to obtain. He stated that it was possible to submit two applications at once, one for the equipment, and another for the reference books and memberships and the like.
I wrote this information up and printed out some copies to give to some of the other CLTs who I've spoken to who've said that they are interested in the grant.
Joy Johnson
from Medgar Evans College in Brooklyn 718-270-6210 joy@mec.cuny.edu
Bob Suhoke
from City College in Manhattan 212-650-8154 suhoke@sci.ccny.cuny.edu
Linda Slifkin
PSC-CUNY fund Rep 212-354-1252 No email
Ms. Johnson re-stated that the materials can’t be something that the college would be normally ordering. She stated that she has seen it go through for chemical reagents, and then answered that it is at least conceivable that it could go through for the larger equipment. She also stated that there was nothing like a ‘line item veto’, where some items in a proposal could be approved and others rejected. The whole application is either accepted or rejected.
I spoke with Mr. Suhoke on Tuesday. He was even more adamant that the funds not be used to obtain equipment or materials for the department, and that, in the case of the above example of a stereomicroscope, its obvious that any department would already have one. However, he did admit that it was possible, though it would be extremely difficult, to make a convincing case that the equipment would only be used for personal, professional, use, unrelated to the functioning of the department. He stated that reference books and society memberships would be much easier to obtain. He stated that it was possible to submit two applications at once, one for the equipment, and another for the reference books and memberships and the like.
I wrote this information up and printed out some copies to give to some of the other CLTs who I've spoken to who've said that they are interested in the grant.
Friday, May 02, 2008
NAGT part deux
"Caffeine and Carbs" breakfast at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, in their new science building, the Gary Comer building. Apparently Mr. Comer is a businessman who sailed through the northwest passage on a bet, that he wouldn't be able to do it. After completing it, he was apparently so impressed by the lack of ice blocking the passage, that he became very interested in climate. One of the results of that is then this new research facility. Most of the researchers haven't moved in yet, at least it looked like that to me, but there were several that were doing work while the conference was going on. I beleive that Dr. deMenocal's lab is going to be in this building also. Out of the blue, Dr. Green from the department showed up and we talked for a while. Then, possibly out of the same blue, Dr. Coke from Adelphi showed up. We talked for a while too. That was especially fortunate for me, because I didn't have the car for that trip and he offered me a ride on the Iron Mine trail trip, which I had been planning on going on. Dr. Green was attending a different trip. NAGT had prepared box lunches for the trip, but you had to pay for them, which is unusual, but probably a result of having to plan the whole thing on two month's notice.
After breakfast, Dr. Wally Broecker from LDEO gave a talk. Infact, it was the same talk he had given at the OSM 2008 meeting in Orlando, "Warning from the world's tiny Oceans (closed lake basins)." He started by considering Held's (Issac Held, Princeton) prediction that in a warming world, the tropics get wetter and the drylands get drier. Dr. Broecker reasoned that if thats what happens in a warming world, then should, in a cooling world, the tropics get drier and the drylands get wetter? He tested this by looking at the sizes of various pluvial (closed basin) lakes through the ages. He decided that the following equation applies:
A(basin)* hRfr = A(lake)hE (hR rainfall rate, fr runoff fraction, hE lake evaporation)
and that from this,
A(lake)/A(basin) = fr (hR/hE)
He refered to a 'mystery interval' between just before 18kya and 14kya where climate acts strangely. In this interval, the Southern ocean is warming, while ice coverage in the Northern hemisphere grows. He also stated that there was an increase in CO2, probably caused by the retreat of seaice in the Southern Hemisphere.
The ITCZ shifts southwards, because it follows heat across the globe (this is what it normally does in austral summers). This incidentally results in a weakening of monsoons. The biggest southwards push of the ITCZ is during the Mystery Interval.
Dry lakes are largest during the mystery interval, and large at the LGM. Dr. Broecker concluded that the ice volumes that existed during the ice ages do NOT obviate Held's prediction, and that drylands will infact get much dryer as the world warms.
He also, interestingly, stated that he wasn't too concerned anymore with shutdown of global thermohaline circulation, especially not by influx of fresh water into the North Atlantic. The Younger Dryas cooling that may have resulted from just such an effect would've required a great amount of water. Since there aren't giant reserves of ice today, Dr. Broecker observed, we're probably not going to have a massive influx of freshwater, even with melting at the poles, and shutting down THC. He also felt that the recent papers that claimed to have observed a shutdown of the Gulf Stream were just too short in duration to be able to call 'abnormal'. He figured you'd need a 30 year record or something like that on that level of detail to be able to rule of 'normal' cycles.
There was a break after the talk, and then we met for the saturday field trips. I went on a trip to the Iron Mine trail at the Sterling Forest Visitors center in NY. Dr. Gates of Rutgers lead the trip and passed out a trip guide booklet. The trail included a pre-revolution Iron Furnance which had been shut down in the 1760s, but then, at the command of none less than Washington himself was rebuilt and reopened to aid in the war. Afterwards, it was shutdown again. It reopened again much later, and ceased operations in the 1920s. Originally ore rock, charcoal, and limestone was carted to the Furnace, dumped into it, and then it was tapped at the bottom to release molten iron. In the closer to modern period, magnetite ore was actualy mined on location. Apparently the people that built the Furnace didn't know that there was in fact a large reserve of ore so close by. The remains of the more modern that shutdown in the 1920s are still there. Cables for the cable cars are strewn all around the cable house. We walked off the path and behind those remains and a little ways and came upon a small strip mine, with an entrance to another underground mine nearby in a depression of rocks, the organization had sealed a gate over the entrance to prevent anyone from entering, the interior of the mine if of course flooded anyway.
The magnetite in this location, Dr. Gates explained and pointed out, did not, as is usual, form by deposition within fractures of the surrounding rock. Rather, the source water leached into the surrounding carbonate rocks, and slowly replaced them such that now the magnetite has the relict structures of the carbonate.
The visitors center had very nice dioramas of the furnance and mine and the park in general. We also watched a short video wherein Dr. Gates, and a cartoon cave man (Dr. Gates was equally bewildered as the rest of us), described the geological history of the park. We started in the visitors center and ended there. One of the park rangers had relatively recently been able to acquire and trace back to the more modern mine an ore cart (apparently the person who had previously found it had been using it as a bbq), and also a part of the pre-revolutionary Furnace, some sort of iron flange that they thought was slotted into a beam as part of the Furnance, which was powered by a waterwheel.
After breakfast, Dr. Wally Broecker from LDEO gave a talk. Infact, it was the same talk he had given at the OSM 2008 meeting in Orlando, "Warning from the world's tiny Oceans (closed lake basins)." He started by considering Held's (Issac Held, Princeton) prediction that in a warming world, the tropics get wetter and the drylands get drier. Dr. Broecker reasoned that if thats what happens in a warming world, then should, in a cooling world, the tropics get drier and the drylands get wetter? He tested this by looking at the sizes of various pluvial (closed basin) lakes through the ages. He decided that the following equation applies:
A(basin)* hRfr = A(lake)hE (hR rainfall rate, fr runoff fraction, hE lake evaporation)
and that from this,
A(lake)/A(basin) = fr (hR/hE)
He refered to a 'mystery interval' between just before 18kya and 14kya where climate acts strangely. In this interval, the Southern ocean is warming, while ice coverage in the Northern hemisphere grows. He also stated that there was an increase in CO2, probably caused by the retreat of seaice in the Southern Hemisphere.
The ITCZ shifts southwards, because it follows heat across the globe (this is what it normally does in austral summers). This incidentally results in a weakening of monsoons. The biggest southwards push of the ITCZ is during the Mystery Interval.
Dry lakes are largest during the mystery interval, and large at the LGM. Dr. Broecker concluded that the ice volumes that existed during the ice ages do NOT obviate Held's prediction, and that drylands will infact get much dryer as the world warms.
He also, interestingly, stated that he wasn't too concerned anymore with shutdown of global thermohaline circulation, especially not by influx of fresh water into the North Atlantic. The Younger Dryas cooling that may have resulted from just such an effect would've required a great amount of water. Since there aren't giant reserves of ice today, Dr. Broecker observed, we're probably not going to have a massive influx of freshwater, even with melting at the poles, and shutting down THC. He also felt that the recent papers that claimed to have observed a shutdown of the Gulf Stream were just too short in duration to be able to call 'abnormal'. He figured you'd need a 30 year record or something like that on that level of detail to be able to rule of 'normal' cycles.
There was a break after the talk, and then we met for the saturday field trips. I went on a trip to the Iron Mine trail at the Sterling Forest Visitors center in NY. Dr. Gates of Rutgers lead the trip and passed out a trip guide booklet. The trail included a pre-revolution Iron Furnance which had been shut down in the 1760s, but then, at the command of none less than Washington himself was rebuilt and reopened to aid in the war. Afterwards, it was shutdown again. It reopened again much later, and ceased operations in the 1920s. Originally ore rock, charcoal, and limestone was carted to the Furnace, dumped into it, and then it was tapped at the bottom to release molten iron. In the closer to modern period, magnetite ore was actualy mined on location. Apparently the people that built the Furnace didn't know that there was in fact a large reserve of ore so close by. The remains of the more modern that shutdown in the 1920s are still there. Cables for the cable cars are strewn all around the cable house. We walked off the path and behind those remains and a little ways and came upon a small strip mine, with an entrance to another underground mine nearby in a depression of rocks, the organization had sealed a gate over the entrance to prevent anyone from entering, the interior of the mine if of course flooded anyway.
The magnetite in this location, Dr. Gates explained and pointed out, did not, as is usual, form by deposition within fractures of the surrounding rock. Rather, the source water leached into the surrounding carbonate rocks, and slowly replaced them such that now the magnetite has the relict structures of the carbonate.
The visitors center had very nice dioramas of the furnance and mine and the park in general. We also watched a short video wherein Dr. Gates, and a cartoon cave man (Dr. Gates was equally bewildered as the rest of us), described the geological history of the park. We started in the visitors center and ended there. One of the park rangers had relatively recently been able to acquire and trace back to the more modern mine an ore cart (apparently the person who had previously found it had been using it as a bbq), and also a part of the pre-revolutionary Furnace, some sort of iron flange that they thought was slotted into a beam as part of the Furnance, which was powered by a waterwheel.
NAGT Trip
Friday
Apparently the meeting was supposed to be in the Hamptons, but 2 months ago that all fell through. Within that time, the group managed to set up a meeting at LDEO and some field trips. Unfortunately, the hotel is terrible. I called up to make reservations and could hear that there was construction going on. Some hallways in the hotel are metal rafters for the ceiling and carpeted floors. Its been raining so the whole place stinks of mold, and the floors in some hallways are sopping wet. The lady at the front desk when I showed up was sitting at a fold out table with a hardhat on. After checking in she lifted up a plastic tarp that was covering one of the doors and let me go through a torn apart hallway with equipment lying everywhere to get the side of the hotel my room was on. We're also going to have to pay admission for some of the trips.
Field Trip to Sterling Hill Mining Museum in Ogdensburg, NJ to a former Zinc mine w/fluorescent minerals. Collected ~9lbs worth of material from their tailings pile. Calcite fluoresces red, willemite green, and I managed to get a small sample with a little bit of hydrozincite, which glows a pale blue. All of this apparently a result of just one element in the form of impurities in the mineral, Manganese. In different crystals, forming different bonds, the bonding electrons which are participating in the fluorescence fluoresce different colors. The museum also gives a tour of the mine where the walls of the mine, of course, are made up of these brilliantly fluorescing minerals. The museum also has a great mineral collection on display, apparently obtained by the Oreck vacuum family.
I spoke with Earl Verbeek, the field geologist at the Sterling Hill Mining Museum regarding their teacher education program, which seems like an interesting program. They have on site training and also videoconferencing, which is good because we have that ability too.
I gave a presentation before the group on our MSS-OST program. Most people seemed interested. At least we were able to get the word out about the program. Other presentations included evaluating teaching techniques with reference to certification level, using GIS in the class room (specificallty ArcGis and ArcExplorer) and the Einstein Program.
I spoke with a Ms. Kathy Prichinello from New Utrecht HS (1601-80 St Brooklyn NY 11214) during the group dinner. She was curious to see our Introduction to Earth Science Lab Manual, I told her I would find out if it is permited to sent it out. She said she is allways looking for new ways of running her labs.
Apparently the meeting was supposed to be in the Hamptons, but 2 months ago that all fell through. Within that time, the group managed to set up a meeting at LDEO and some field trips. Unfortunately, the hotel is terrible. I called up to make reservations and could hear that there was construction going on. Some hallways in the hotel are metal rafters for the ceiling and carpeted floors. Its been raining so the whole place stinks of mold, and the floors in some hallways are sopping wet. The lady at the front desk when I showed up was sitting at a fold out table with a hardhat on. After checking in she lifted up a plastic tarp that was covering one of the doors and let me go through a torn apart hallway with equipment lying everywhere to get the side of the hotel my room was on. We're also going to have to pay admission for some of the trips.
Field Trip to Sterling Hill Mining Museum in Ogdensburg, NJ to a former Zinc mine w/fluorescent minerals. Collected ~9lbs worth of material from their tailings pile. Calcite fluoresces red, willemite green, and I managed to get a small sample with a little bit of hydrozincite, which glows a pale blue. All of this apparently a result of just one element in the form of impurities in the mineral, Manganese. In different crystals, forming different bonds, the bonding electrons which are participating in the fluorescence fluoresce different colors. The museum also gives a tour of the mine where the walls of the mine, of course, are made up of these brilliantly fluorescing minerals. The museum also has a great mineral collection on display, apparently obtained by the Oreck vacuum family.
I spoke with Earl Verbeek, the field geologist at the Sterling Hill Mining Museum regarding their teacher education program, which seems like an interesting program. They have on site training and also videoconferencing, which is good because we have that ability too.
I gave a presentation before the group on our MSS-OST program. Most people seemed interested. At least we were able to get the word out about the program. Other presentations included evaluating teaching techniques with reference to certification level, using GIS in the class room (specificallty ArcGis and ArcExplorer) and the Einstein Program.
I spoke with a Ms. Kathy Prichinello from New Utrecht HS (1601-80 St Brooklyn NY 11214) during the group dinner. She was curious to see our Introduction to Earth Science Lab Manual, I told her I would find out if it is permited to sent it out. She said she is allways looking for new ways of running her labs.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
A couple of things
- I submitted 3 separate Internal Service Requests to our Buildings and Grounds Department, for missing ceiling tiles, exposed wires, water damaged ceilings, requests to install leak pans, replace lights, fix light fixtures, replace some blinds and fix/replace some windows.
- I spoke with N.Roth about the filaments. She said that she gave them to Dr. Weisberg when they showed up and that we should figure out a time to find out why the invoice wasn't paid next week.
_ I called and left a message with the computer desk (5353) regarding a computer for the SEM room, which we had requested previously. I also forwarded the orginal email for the request to the head of that department.
- I spoke with N.Roth about the filaments. She said that she gave them to Dr. Weisberg when they showed up and that we should figure out a time to find out why the invoice wasn't paid next week.
_ I called and left a message with the computer desk (5353) regarding a computer for the SEM room, which we had requested previously. I also forwarded the orginal email for the request to the head of that department.
Carbon Coater for the SEM
I called up Ted Pella Co, regarding their carbon coater again. I spoke with Jack again also. Regarding maintenance, he stated that after 10K hours of operation the rotary pump should be greased with silicon grease, and that the oil should be changed. The rotary pump is a sort of pre-pump, and then a turbo-pump gets you to high vacuum.
As far as the Film Thickness Monitor, it monitors thickness by examining the changes in the frequency of a vibrating crystal in the chamber, as carbon accumulates on the surface of the crystal, the frequency changes. You don't clean the crystals, you just throw them away when you can visually observe flaking of carbon on the surface of the crystal. The device works by entering a density of carbon value along with a correction factor for the position of the crystal inside the chamber, which can all be stored in memory. Hitting the 'zero' button clears the device to get it ready for coating another sample. Things like the microprobe can then have the FTM information entered into them and then they make the necessary corrections to their readings. Jack said that many people use the FTM for a while, to get a handle on what their Carbon Coating procedure is putting down, but then don't use it every time thereafter. A rotary-tilting stage is, he said, still going to be very useful for larger specimens. I emailed Dr. Weisberg about all of this.
As far as the Film Thickness Monitor, it monitors thickness by examining the changes in the frequency of a vibrating crystal in the chamber, as carbon accumulates on the surface of the crystal, the frequency changes. You don't clean the crystals, you just throw them away when you can visually observe flaking of carbon on the surface of the crystal. The device works by entering a density of carbon value along with a correction factor for the position of the crystal inside the chamber, which can all be stored in memory. Hitting the 'zero' button clears the device to get it ready for coating another sample. Things like the microprobe can then have the FTM information entered into them and then they make the necessary corrections to their readings. Jack said that many people use the FTM for a while, to get a handle on what their Carbon Coating procedure is putting down, but then don't use it every time thereafter. A rotary-tilting stage is, he said, still going to be very useful for larger specimens. I emailed Dr. Weisberg about all of this.
Poster for NAGT
Completed and printed out a 24 inch wide poster for NAGT on the MSS-OST program. Created file in Adobe InDesgin, which does not export as a tiff. KCATT, where the poster was printed by Brian (Dr. Rosen was out)works in tiff format. They also allways seem to work in MS Publisher. I will have to remember to try to prepare the next poster in Publisher. I thought I entered the size into Adobe InDesign as 24 inches, but apparently it was smaller. Brian was able to easily resize to 24 wide.