On Armel's point on using the internet.
The big microscopy centres seem to be going big time for
TelePresence/Collaboratories where collaborators and users
can routinely use the internet rather than expensively hopping
on and off planes to interactively make use of the eqiupmen:
http://tpm.amc.anl.gov
http://www-ncmir.ucsd.edu/CMDA/
http://www.uq.edu.au/nanoworld/online.html
Also, high reliability automatic sample changers are routine in
laboratory XRD systems and are great time savers for both
users and equipment staff.
An example with a Philips X'PERT system using a 42 sample PW1775
sample changer: a user was able to load 42 samples for long
Rietveld data collections and go on two weeks holiday leave while
the data collected. (Though I did check the XRD each day on
their behalf). Though what synchrotron/neutron facilities
have such an option (getting up at ~2am to change a sample
over is not that much fun)?
(From memory, there was a rotary sample changer on Bob von
Dreele's neutron powder diffractometer?)
Lachlan.
> Jaap wrote :
>
> >With regard to the "brown envelope" technique. I am not such a fan of
> >that. It is very hard for a beam line scientist the know whether the data
> >collected are as desired, have a good enough s/r ratio etc, which details
> >to look for. In addition, the last few years when we went we had more
> >samples that we good run sensibly. For that reason I use 'on the fly'
> >refinements to check whether things are going OK. With respect to the
> >additional costs, what are the daily running costs of say D2b or HRPD,
> >10,000-15,000 dollar orso? The travel costs are than a relative small part
> >of the total cost involved.
>
> Arguments rejected ;-). We are at Internet times. Your professional
> eyes need to see the powder pattern ? OK, then install a WebCam
> on the instrument (less than 100 US $), and discuss by WebPhone
> with the engineer or technician in charge of the measurement. And
> you can do it from the beach, diving into that glorious caribean sea,
> though washing your soul of all your recent sins. Of course, if you
> want to walk on the mountain at Grenoble, this idea will seem
> ridiculous. Furthermore, the travel cost and all costs may be at the
> charge of the Facility, when a proposal is accepted. If the labs had
> to pay, there will even be less external neutron users than now. Does
> NIST take in charge all expenses as ILL do ?
>
> Best,
>
> Armel Le Bail - Universite du Maine, Laboratoire des Fluorures,
> CNRS ESA 6010, Av. O. Messiaen, 72085 Le Mans Cedex 9, France
> http://www.cristal.org/
>
--
Lachlan M. D. Cranswick
Collaborative Computational Project No 14 (CCP14)
for Single Crystal and Powder Diffraction
Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington, WA4 4AD U.K
Tel: +44-1925-603703 Fax: +44-1925-603124
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Ext: 3703 Room C14
NEW CCP14 Web Domain (Under heavy construction):
http://www.ccp14.ac.uk
