Not so good vibrations
Science departments concerned with effect of Kearsley Street extension on experiments
Bryant Harland
Issue date: 11/24/08 Section: Campus
Imagine that you're a biology student. You're looking through a microscope for an assignment that requires you to write a description of what you see. You focus the microscope at 1,000x magnification, as per your professor's instructions. As you look through the lens, there's just one problem - the field of vision keeps shaking!
This has been one major concern for various departments in MSB during the construction of the Kearsley Street extension, scheduled to open after Thanksgiving.
"The types of instruments that can and usually are affected by vibrations are nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers (NMR), uv/vis spectrophotometers, electron microscopes, balances, and other electronic equipment, which is equipment that we currently have and some we are trying to obtain grants to purchase even more sensitive pieces of equipment, such as a 400 MHz NMR," said Robert Stach, professor of chemistry.
According to Jerry Sanders, a biology professor, the level of disturbance in a microscope increases as the level of magnification increases. While the difference is noticeable at even just 1,000x magnification, the University's electron microscopes can reach as much as 10 times that.
"This equipment isn't just for the faculty, it's for the students to utilize," Sanders said.
Larry Atherton, laboratory supervisor, added that the vibrations could be felt especially during the construction.
"When they were out there with a steamroller, the coffee cups were moving back and forth. … I don't remember the name of the company, and while he was sitting there, looking at the machine, he said 'oh, they are picking up vibrations' so they were picking up vibrations from that construction, but that was while the dorms were going up, so they concluded the road vibrations wouldn't affect the equipment."
The 400 MHz NMR spectrometer would be another concern if the science department gets the grant for it. NMR studies magnetic nuclei by applying both a constant magnetic field and an alternating magnetic field. The response of a magnetic nucleus to these fields is what a NMR spectrometer measures. According to both UM-Flint professors and experiments done at other universities, vibrations can alter readings from what they would be without any vibration.
This has been one major concern for various departments in MSB during the construction of the Kearsley Street extension, scheduled to open after Thanksgiving.
"The types of instruments that can and usually are affected by vibrations are nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers (NMR), uv/vis spectrophotometers, electron microscopes, balances, and other electronic equipment, which is equipment that we currently have and some we are trying to obtain grants to purchase even more sensitive pieces of equipment, such as a 400 MHz NMR," said Robert Stach, professor of chemistry.
According to Jerry Sanders, a biology professor, the level of disturbance in a microscope increases as the level of magnification increases. While the difference is noticeable at even just 1,000x magnification, the University's electron microscopes can reach as much as 10 times that.
"This equipment isn't just for the faculty, it's for the students to utilize," Sanders said.
Larry Atherton, laboratory supervisor, added that the vibrations could be felt especially during the construction.
"When they were out there with a steamroller, the coffee cups were moving back and forth. … I don't remember the name of the company, and while he was sitting there, looking at the machine, he said 'oh, they are picking up vibrations' so they were picking up vibrations from that construction, but that was while the dorms were going up, so they concluded the road vibrations wouldn't affect the equipment."
The 400 MHz NMR spectrometer would be another concern if the science department gets the grant for it. NMR studies magnetic nuclei by applying both a constant magnetic field and an alternating magnetic field. The response of a magnetic nucleus to these fields is what a NMR spectrometer measures. According to both UM-Flint professors and experiments done at other universities, vibrations can alter readings from what they would be without any vibration.
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