Powder in Idle

Powder-related updates have been conspicuously quiet since the last blog. 

I've been quite occupied with wiring, programming, tuning, and characterizing behavior of 3 different versions of our newest calorimeter: the vacuum bottle. There's a lot of paperwork to catch up on in this regard as well, which is a necessary pain. Hopefully we'll be getting this all online soon. 

Additionally we have temporarily been lent a RGA which has also befallen my shoulders because, as a chemist, I find mass spectrometry a beautiful thing . However this used instrument has plenty of preliminary cleaning and condition check-ups necessary before we can begin installing it - not to mention all the work is performed in tandem with a sharp learning curve for its general principle and operation. Both this and the item above have actual deadlines whereas 'playing aggressively' with nanopowders does not. Que the tumbleweed. 

This all comes to play at a time bearing a peculiar mix of convenience and inconvenience. While R7 is SITLL on the vacuum without bakeout, loading in the other two powder cells has virtually ceased. In R3's case, we could charge with more hydrogen and sort of 'muscle' a loading response or maybe adjust the AC frequency to 'entice' it to load. R4 could use a zesty 50V DC field. All options are attempts to avoid having to unload the powder in a bakeout procedure and start the loading entirely over. The punchline: a potential armada of powder cells that need some TLC on the vacuum, while the vacuum will need to be turned off and run without interruption to get the RGA on its feet. 

Speaking of R7, last update mentioned the need for a protocol. A big thanks to our friend sveinol for helping me find some sources on Fe₂O₃/K powder mix as a Rydeberg matter 'generator.' We've seen the idea tossed around a bit before and have potential to bite, depending on what the lit. has in store. Rydeberg matter's role in lowering the Coulomb barrier activation energy is interesting to consider. . .

Powder will go quiet in blogs, but not in the logbook!

EDIT: The link to the powder logbook has moved to its evernote daughter: https://www.evernote.com/pub/webaish/powderexperimentslog#b=c15875cc-73a0-4ec0-972e-6fa168609a7f&st=p&n=7fc6f6ae-e0a7-4477-84a7-74f595da4935.

Thanks for keeping me honest, Ecco