Silicone based oil is heated in the boiler of the diffusion pump and the vaporized oil rises in the central tower and streams out of directional flutes directed downward in the pump throat. This allows air molecules to dissolve in the gaseous oil (gas dissolved in gas). As the oil-air mixture cools (due to water cooling coils wrapped around the pump throat) the oil condenses and returns to liqu...

The same sherd was analyzed using a scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and a micro X-ray fluorescence tube attached to a scanning electron microscope (Micro-XRF-SEM) to compare the effectiveness of elemental detection of iron-based pigment. To enhance SEM-EDS mapping, the sherd was carbon coated. The carbon coating was not required to produce Micro-XRF-SE...

EDS (Energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry) is a technique used for elemental analysis of a sample, through detection of characteristic X-rays generated from a sample impacted by an electron beam. STEM (Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy) is a method to obtain high spatial resolution images with Z-contrast [1]. STEM-in-SEM has recently become a technique of choice for high spatial resolut...

Scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS) was used to characterize a macroscopic artifact from Peru (a Moche cast figure) [1]. A 3D hyperspectral datacube was acquired over 51.2 hours, measuring 11,520 x 9,984 pixels with 2,048 energy channels per pixel; each pixel corresponds to 900 nm in the x and y dimensions. With current technology, interacting with t...

Recently introduced FIB/SEM analysis in microscopy seems to provide a high-resolution characterization of the samples by 3D (FIB) cross-sectioning and (SEM) high resolution imaging. The aim of this study was to apply the FIB/SEM and SEM/EDS analysis to the interfaces of a metal-ceramic vs. two zirconia-ceramic systems. Plate samples of three different prosthetic systems were prepared in the den...

Today the method commonly used for detecting gunshot residue is through the combined use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). In recent years, this same methodology began to find use in detecting and characterizing pyrotechnic reaction residue (PRR) particles whether produced by explosion or burning. This is accomplished by collecting particulate sampl...