Going to Antarctica

[SidewaysTA]

Hi folks. Here some images of radiolaria that were taken with our scanning electron microscope. Enjoy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiolaria

 

[easy rider]

mmmmm sushi

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Cool stuff....

 

[Vaquero]

Prettiest silt I've ever seen.

 

[benenglish]

Here some images...taken with our scanning electron microscope.

Thanks for the fascinating photos.

I thought scanning electron microscopes had to be kept on a very, very steady surface. I didn't realize that was possible aboard a ship.

Note that I'm familiar with the air tables used to keep equipment steady (and I'm sure there are other methods) because I've seen bases designed for scanning electron microscopes adapted for use in audio systems underneath turntables. However, I didn't realize anything would work on a ship that is both visibly moving and constantly vibrating, i.e. dealing with lots of movement of both low and high amplitude.

If you know anything about the tech involved, I'd love to hear about it.

 

[Brains]

SEMs are so friggin cool, I love the images created with 'em. I could waste hours and hours just looking at stuff imaged in a SEM.

 

[easy rider]

Sure, ruin the thread with tech talk.

 

[Vaquero]

Ok, the crew thinks I'm insane.
Laughing to myself over here.

 

[SidewaysTA]

Thanks for the fascinating photos.

I thought scanning electron microscopes had to be kept on a very, very steady surface. I didn't realize that was possible aboard a ship.

Note that I'm familiar with the air tables used to keep equipment steady (and I'm sure there are other methods) because I've seen bases designed for scanning electron microscopes adapted for use in audio systems underneath turntables. However, I didn't realize anything would work on a ship that is both visibly moving and constantly vibrating, i.e. dealing with lots of movement of both low and high amplitude.

If you know anything about the tech involved, I'd love to hear about it.

You're right and everyone said that as well when they bought it and brought it out here. They were also concerned about the vibrations the ship makes and the dirty power the ship generates. I know they mounted it on some vibration absorbing material but as far as the pitch, heave and roll, I just don't think it affects it that much or perhaps they can't go to extreme magnification? I can talk to one of the techs and probably dig up some details.

Here's a pic of it and its base. Not much to it.

 

[benenglish]

I can talk to one of the techs and probably dig up some details.

Cool and thanks in advance.

I just read the product brochure and it talks briefly about how you can install that unit anywhere. For installation requirements, it basically just specifies the need for power and a sturdy table; vibration isolation isn't mentioned.

I notice the installation on your ship seems to be something like Sorbothane-and-cork pads atop an isolation base (probably spiked) and not much else. That sort of installation is remarkably similar to classic methods used by audiophiles to isolate unsuspended turntables. I'm tempted to point out that there are fancier isolation feet for the job but I won't. What they're using obviously works and it's pretty clear that all you folks know what you're doing.

I'm just surprised. Again, I don't keep up for a few years and they solve another technical problem. It's like the universe is continually conspiring to remind me how old I am.

Keep up the good work.

 

[SidewaysTA]

Cool and thanks in advance.

I just read the product brochure and it talks briefly about how you can install that unit anywhere. For installation requirements, it basically just specifies the need for power and a sturdy table; vibration isolation isn't mentioned.

I notice the installation on your ship seems to be something like Sorbothane-and-cork pads atop an isolation base (probably spiked) and not much else. That sort of installation is remarkably similar to classic methods used by audiophiles to isolate unsuspended turntables. I'm tempted to point out that there are fancier isolation feet for the job but I won't. What they're using obviously works and it's pretty clear that all you folks know what you're doing.

I'm just surprised. Again, I don't keep up for a few years and they solve another technical problem. It's like the universe is continually conspiring to remind me how old I am.

Keep up the good work.

Looking closer at the base it is sitting on top of a hign density foam pad. Then the SEM is sitting on top of the individual pads. Here is a close up.

 

[benenglish]

Looking closer at the base it is sitting on top of a hign density foam pad.

That bottom, large-area, solid black rectangle is high density foam? Interesting.

Well, it works. It's also, in its way, quite intriguing, just like everything you're posting.

 

[SidewaysTA]

That bottom, large-area, solid black rectangle is high density foam? Interesting.

Well, it works. It's also, in its way, quite intriguing, just like everything you're posting.

No, the black rectangle is sitting on a foam pad.

 

[SidewaysTA]

So I thought I might post a few entries over the next few days showing some of the laboratory facilities on board the JR. Much of the tools and instrumentation in our labs are constructed by us using a combination of off-the-shelf parts and custom fabrication. So for today we will start where the core starts its journey, in the core lab at the laser engraver.

After the core is brought up to the surface it is laid out on the "catwalk" which is a platform just outside the core lab and right beside the drill floor. There a curatorial specialist measures the entire length and marks the core liner (the plastic tube the core is contained in) to be cut into individual sections about 4 feet maximum length. Then the sections are brought inside and placed in the laser engraver. After the curator enters the pertinent information in the database about where this core came from (site, hole, drilled interval, section number etc), the laser engraver burns this information into the plastic core liner on two opposing sides (later the core will be split in half, one called a working half that is used for sampling, the other is the archive half, kept in storage untouched) so each side will also be marked archive or working.

So we (the organization) built this engraver to speed up this process and make entries more readable. Before the LE came along, they scribed this information on the liners by hand with a dremel. The user interface that runs it was also created in house with Lab View.

This is the laser engraver, the yellow box.

The actual laser.

The controller and the computer that interfaces with it.

This is where the core goes in. The black piece hanging in the middle is an extractor hood to vent the toxic fumes outside the lab. The silver tube in the middle of it detects airflow so that if the exhaust fan stops running, the laser will not operate. One of many safety interlocks on this device. It looks like one of the techs is practicing burning a picture on the piece of plywood in preparation for engraving some object. When the laser isn't being used for core markup the techs like to use it to burn images onto various objects. For instance coffee mugs are popular items to engrave here.

This is the software that controls the laser for marking core. Written in Lab View.

 

[SidewaysTA]

Hey folks. We have had some communication problems here. Between those, tying up loose ends, writing reports, and preparing for the oncoming crew, I haven't had time to post. Tomorrow, crossover will happen and I doubt I'll be able to post anything until I get back. So in a couple days I'll be returning home. It will be good to be back in Texas where hopefully I can get more work done on the Trans Am, the Jeep and the shop, oh and maybe shoot some guns and hunt some hogs.

 

[benenglish]

It will be good to be back in Texas where hopefully I can...

...come to the reunion.

 

[Byrd666]

What Ben said.