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About Us |
Original
Proposal - 2001 |
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Overview of the Consortium for Materials Properties Research in Earth Science
Why a Consortium?
The Earth is a composite of rocks, minerals, fluids, vapors, volatile rich zones, dry sintered regions, molten iron, and solid iron alloys. In short, the Earth is made out of a diverse spectrum of materials. It is the properties of these materials at the relevant conditions of pressure, temperature, stress, and other state variables, that dictate the red and blue regions of a seismic tomographic image, or that control the depth and time history of earthquakes. These materials define the frequencies of the oscillations of the Earth and the rate that plates slide over the surface. The scientists of the Consortium for Materials Properties Research in the Earth Sciences (COMPRES) develop an understanding of the phenomena, processes, and state of the Earth by studying the materials of which the Earth is made.
We find ourselves at the end of a decade of unprecedented developments in technical capability, led in no small measure by the exploitation of national X-ray synchrotron facilities. At the Advanced Photon Source (APS), one can irradiate a 1 mm sample in 1 second with the same number of X-ray photons that requires 100 years from a standard laboratory source. Given the value of X-radiation in probing samples, this change demands a change in our mode of operation, and offers possibilities that were not conceived of before. We need a consortium of scientists to promote and preserve the infrastructure that is required to deliver this national resource to the Earth science community.
Capabilities at user facilities expanded rapidly over the last decade. Measurements that were no more than a dream five years ago are now routine. People’s expectations are that non-experts in synchrotron science can take advantage of these expanded capabilities. COMPRES addresses how we, as a community, can facilitate not only timely access, but also total community access. We are at a point of change in the culture of experimental research in high pressure studies. Up until now, the cottage industry model has served us well as the primary mode of operation. In this mode, a scientist works with a student and post doc, together in a laboratory, striving to uncover new secrets of nature, competing to be the first. National facilities demand a different strategy including advanced preparation of experiments, weeks in ‘the field’ (at a lab), sleepless nights, CDs full of data. The fatigued team returns home for weeks of data analysis. This latter mode requires education to enable all scientists, from student to senior faculty, to effectively participate in this new culture. We need a consortium of scientists to provide this educational pathway with a shared responsibility to develop and nurture this pathway.
With a consortium, many other benefits accrue. Research and educational connections with other Earth science subdisciplines can be facilitated; common research needs of the community can be identified and addressed in a collaborative manner; calibration and standardization issues can be approached by the collective; the field can have an identifiable voice in the greater Earth science community. Indeed fundamental science issues can be identified and community based focused research groups can be nurtured and promoted. We have an opportunity to prioritize needs and come to a consensus, as a community, on where major resources can most wisely be placed.
COMPRES promotes research and education in the area of Earth Science materials properties via a Core program grant from the NSF Division of Earth Sciences. The Core program supports the infrastructure for education and research including operational costs for national facilities, development projects for the community research program, educational efforts for the community, and a central office.
While the COMPRES Core program focusses on the operation of facilities and developing new technologies, it is essential that we retain a clear vision of the scientific goals. For this purpose, COMPRES will cultivate and nurture collaborative research projects. These proposals will be submitted and reviewed separately by the NSF. They are typically multi-institutional, connect to the community facilities, include development of new capabilities, and focus on scientific objectives. The tools that are developed by a collaborative research project will be available to the community after the project has completed its program. New collaborative research projects can be formulated as the opportunities are identified. It is important to maintain our scientific competence in these focused areas as well as the continuity of facilities for the benefit of the Earth science community.
Governance
The mission of the of the COMPRES program can be broken into three components:
· Community Facilities
· Infrastructure Development Projects
· COMPRES Central Administration
Community Facilities
This component provides user support at the Earth science beamlines at synchrotron and neutron facilities. At present, these include all of the high-pressure beamlines at NSLS and at ALS, as well as coordination with GSECARS at the APS. Other beamlines may fall under this heading as well. The current subprojects and lead scientists include:
· Multi-anvil High Pressure Facilities at National Synchrotron Light Source
Operated by Stony Brook University [D.J. Weidner and M.T. Vaughan]· West-Coast Synchrotron Facilities at Advanced Light Source
Operated by University of California Berkeley [R. Jeanloz and S. Clark]· Infrared Diamond-Anvil Facilities at National Synchrotron Light Source
Operated by Carnegie Institution of Washington [Z. Liu and R.J. Hemley ]· X-ray Diamond-Anvil, Facilities at the National Synchrotron Light Source
Operated by Princeton University [T. S. Duffy] and Stony Brook University [D. J. Weidner]· Neutron Studies at National Facilities
Operated by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University [N.L. Ross]
A Standing Committee oversees the Community Facility Program. This committee will evaluate the effectiveness of the service delivered by the community facilities. The Committee will coordinate between facilities (such as between beamlines) so as to maximize the community’s effectiveness in using these facilities. This Committee will consider the community’s needs and recommend changes in the levels of support of all possible community facilities.
Infrastructure Development Projects
This component works with the COMPRES community to identify critical technological needs of the community. Our tools, including both beamlines used by Earth scientists and equipment used in our home laboratories, need to be continually developed to improve the science that they support. The current subprojects and lead scientists in this category include:
• Development of the Laser-Heated Diamond Anvil Cell
[ T. S. Duffy, -Princeton University , G. Shen, Carnegie Institution of Washington and D. Heinz-University of Chicago ]• Absolute Pressure and Temperature Calibration
[Y-b. Wang and M. L. Rivers, University of Chicago and I. Getting, University of Colorado ]• Brillouin Spectroscopy at Advanced Photon Source
[J. D. Bass, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign]• Nuclear Resonant Scattering at High Pressure & Temperature: A New Capability for the COMPRES Community
[W. Sturhahn, Argonne National Laboratory, J. D. Bass, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
and G. Shen, Carnegie Institution of Washington]
• Pressure Calibration at High Temperature
[Y. Fei, Carnegie Institution of Washington]• Development of CEAD (COMPRES Environment for Automated Data Analysis)
[ S. Clark and P. Adams, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, J. B. Parise, Stony Brook University,
M.L. Rivers, University of Chicago, R. J. Angel and N. L. Ross, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University]• Technical Support for a Dual Beam Focused Ion Milling Facility for TEM
[H.W. Green, University of California at Riverside ]• Multi-Anvil Cell Assembly Initiative: New Developments and Production
[K. Leinenweber, J. A. Tyburczy, T. D.Sharp, Arizona State University]• Development of a Next Generation Multianvil Module for Megabar Research
[Y. Wang, University of Chicago]
• Calorimetry-on-a Chip
[A. Navrotsky, University of California at Davis and Frances Hellman, University of California at Berkeley]• Monochromatic X-ray Side Station at Beamline X17B2 of the NSLS
[J. Chen, Stony Brook University]• Development of Next Generation Multi-Anvil Module for Megabar Research
[Y. Wang, University of Chicago and Co-Is: C. Lesher, H. Green. Y. Fei, G. Shen, C. Agee, W. Durham and M. Manghnani]
COMPRES Central Administration
This is the headquarters of COMPRES consisting of a science/administrator (full-time paid by COMPRES), and one support staff. Duties of this office include: coordinate facilities, plan meetings and workshops, oversee educational programs ranging from training of graduate students and post docs to outreach and K-12 education, oversee data archives, and manage communication modes. The administration also advocates the needs of the COMPRES community to the funding agencies and the public.
Modified March 31, 2005