Brodie Moore
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Particle Irradiation Sample Holder
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The Queen's Reactor Material Testing Laboratory (RMTL) is a research facility for the Queens Nuclear Group. It uses a proton accelerator to introduce damage into materials at a microscopic scale. By studying the effects of this damage on the way that materials behave we can gain insight into the way that materials are damaged within a nuclear reactor.
The PISH is a complex apparatus used to perform a series of tasks in an Ultra High Vacuum environment. Using Tantalum plates with electrical outputs to a computer, the PISH aligns the sample under examination and verifies the beam from the accelerator is centered on the sample for the duration of an experiment. Since the experiment is conducted in a sealed room behind a large amount of radiation shielding, the plates must be aligned prior to putting the PISH into the chamber. I wrote a program to calculate the position of these adjustable plates relative to the determined beam condition and desired outcome of the experiment. I also set up and assembled the PISH and Tantalum plates prior to each experiment. I became very adept at working with and assembling miniature size parts and components in a sterile environment, as well as consistently reproducing the fine alignment needed for each plate.
Additionally the PISH maintains a constant temperature (up to 350 degrees celsius) for the duration of the experiment. This is achieved through the use of two insertion cartridge heaters connected to an OMEGA controller and an air cooling line. By running multiple experiments with varying temperatures and beam conditions, I was able to collect a large amount of data and form a data base. Through analyzing trends in data based on controlled inputs I was able to determine idea cooling conditions for various beam conditions and outcomes.
The PISH is a complex apparatus used to perform a series of tasks in an Ultra High Vacuum environment. Using Tantalum plates with electrical outputs to a computer, the PISH aligns the sample under examination and verifies the beam from the accelerator is centered on the sample for the duration of an experiment. Since the experiment is conducted in a sealed room behind a large amount of radiation shielding, the plates must be aligned prior to putting the PISH into the chamber. I wrote a program to calculate the position of these adjustable plates relative to the determined beam condition and desired outcome of the experiment. I also set up and assembled the PISH and Tantalum plates prior to each experiment. I became very adept at working with and assembling miniature size parts and components in a sterile environment, as well as consistently reproducing the fine alignment needed for each plate.
Additionally the PISH maintains a constant temperature (up to 350 degrees celsius) for the duration of the experiment. This is achieved through the use of two insertion cartridge heaters connected to an OMEGA controller and an air cooling line. By running multiple experiments with varying temperatures and beam conditions, I was able to collect a large amount of data and form a data base. Through analyzing trends in data based on controlled inputs I was able to determine idea cooling conditions for various beam conditions and outcomes.