| NSF Org: |
EAR Division Of Earth Sciences |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | November 8, 2006 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | November 5, 2007 |
| Award Number: | 0549600 |
| Award Instrument: | Continuing Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Russell Kelz
EAR Division Of Earth Sciences GEO Directorate for Geosciences |
| Start Date: | December 1, 2006 |
| End Date: | November 30, 2008 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $115,507.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $115,507.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 2008 = $64,529.00 |
| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
77 MASSACHUSETTS AVE CAMBRIDGE MA US 02139-4301 (617)253-1000 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
77 MASSACHUSETTS AVE CAMBRIDGE MA US 02139-4301 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | Instrumentation & Facilities |
| Primary Program Source: |
01000809DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT |
| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.050 |
ABSTRACT
0549600
Weiss
This collaborative grant (together with EAR-0549521; PI Baudenbacher) supports development of a Vector Scanning Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) Microscope (VSSM). The VSSM will measure all three components of the magnetic field with higher spatial resolution and far greater ease of use than now achieved using a previously developed single component Ultra High Resolution Scanning SQUID Microscope (UHRSSM) that is housed in Joe Kirschvink's paleomagnetism laboratory Caltech. The UHRSSM was developed primarily by Franz Baudenbacher under previous EAR/IF support (EAR-0004101). The UHRSSM has been shown to measure the vertical component of the magnetic field above the surface of a room-temperature sample with a moment sensitivity of better than 10-15 Am2 (three orders of magnitude more sensitive than commercially available superconducting rock magnetometers) with sub millimeter spatial resolution. The VSSM would support research on samples where the magnetic remanence is too weak to be measured via standard rock magnetometer techniques or for studies in which high (sub-mm to micron) spatial resolution of the magnetic remanence components may yield new insights into the paleoenvironmental conditions at the time the field was acquired or for which sample size is extremely limited. Examples include paleomagnetic investigations of planetary materials and studies of terrestrial Hadean zircons that may shed light on the timing of magnetic field evolution, ultra-high resolution magnetostratigraphy, and elucidation of individual magnetic mineral carriers from fine grained materials. The development involves collaboration between a geoscientist/planetary scientist (Weiss) and a physicist (Baudenbacher) and private sector partners who will fabricate the tiny (120 mu m square) SQUID sensors that will be employed on the new VSSM. The new VSSM technology will be ported to existing UHRSSM instruments in geoscience departments on the west (Caltech) and east (MIT) coasts and the PIs intend to make the instruments available to outside users.
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