WOOSTER, OH – The XRF and XRD are officially installed! We learned the basics about how to operate and maintain the XRF this afternoon. We even ran our first official sample using the EZScan. It was a difficult choice, but the honor of the first sample goes to an Icelandic basalt from Todd Spillman’s I.S. Congratulations, Todd! You’ve just made history at the College of Wooster.
I absolutely love the animation that shows the inner workings of the XRF! The cartoon shows how the x-ray tube (on the left) aims x-rays at the sample (in the middle). The resulting fluorescent x-rays (red line) travel through the slits to the crystal and finally to the detector.
Tomorrow, we’ll learn to operate the XRD. I wonder who will be the lucky owner of the first XRD sample?
I wish I had equipment that showed me cartoons!
That is great! Glad to know the Geology Department now has an XRF and an XRD program!!!
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