Here's the Spring 2024 newsletter that went out about a week ago in case anyone missed it:
We're having a nice spring here in Oregon this year. Hope you are as well.
Here is the latest Probe Software User Forum Spring newsletter. The Probe Software user forum continues to be busy this spring with 20 new topics, 222 new posts and 27 new members since March 1. The forum totals currently stand at 11849 posts in 1389 topics by 830 members. Here are a few highlights from the last few months.
JonF posted new virdis, plasma, magma and cividis color palettes to the forum for both CalcImage and the JEOL NMap Viewer:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=1529.msg12582#msg12582https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=1003.msg12583#msg12583John Donovan posts about some alternative output methods for the TDI data and parameters when the sample cannot be quantified, e.g., no standard samples:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=116.msg12584#msg12584Probeman posts some schematic drawings to explain the difference for changes in precision for the Duane-Hunt continuum "photon cliff" artifact, comparing experimental photon acquisition (counting photons) and modeling continuum emission using Monte Carlo where the x-ray intensities are normalized to the electron dose:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=1063.msg12585#msg12585John Donovan and Anette von der Handt shared their pdf and video presentations given at the Athens 2024 workshop:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=99.msg12589#msg12589SCGene asked and Probeman responded about how to make standard mounts using many holes drilled in an acrylic round mount:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=172.msg12592#msg12592Steve Seddio asks if anyone is willing to share their PathFinder match database of minerals (especially those with "heavy" minerals) with him:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=1628.msg12596#msg12596Maybe he got what he needed?
Probeman posts about 2/3 "coincidences" in physics:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=1221.msg12599#msg12599John Donovan provides some additional explanation regarding the "Run Multiple Samples One at a Time" method in Probe for EPMA:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=531.msg12600#msg12600EPMA_Gremlin asks if any one knows of a source for synthetic Fe3P:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=1630.0John Donovan posts about the latest version of PictureSnapApp and note that it can be updated for free using the Help menu:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=1020.msg12613#msg12613Probeman posts about making high accuracy over voltage measurements just above the absorption edge energy of an element for determining one's electron beam energy accuracy:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=1063.msg12614#msg12614John Donovan posts that the recent Probe Software May Webinar videos by himself and Anette on trace elements and PictureSnap/PictureSnapApp are available for viewing on the Probe Software YouTube channel:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=99.msg12617#msg12617Probeman note problems in trace element analyses when one "zeros" negative intensities/concentrations:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=392.msg12619#msg12619Sem-geologist asks for some information on the weight of various components of his SX100 and SXFive instrument for the purposes of moving them to a new location:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=1631.0Mjpavel asks about determining thicknesses of SiO2 on SiC using the multi-voltage method using STRATAGem or BadgerFilm and Probeman and Ben Buse respond:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=1632.msg12629#msg12629John Donovan mentions that one can now export analytical point stage positions from Probe for EPMA in various formats for importing into PictureSnapApp:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=1559.msg12636#msg12636John Donovan also posts that one can now import .EMSA (and .MSA) spectrum files from Oxford, JEOL, Bruker and Thermo EDS systems (and Probe for EPMA) into the Standard composition database for documentation purposes as requested by Dave Adams:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=534.msg12639#msg12639Anette von der Handt asks how to specify different backgrounds for standard and unknown samples and Probeman responds:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=1634.0Anette also asks how to "average" multi=-point background (MPB) intensities and Probeman responds again (my, isn't he a busy guy!):
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=71.msg12643#msg12643John Donovan shows a new button in PictureSnapApp that allows one to import a sample position calibration from another PictureSnapApp[ project for getting a "rough" sample position/rotation calibration:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=1635.msg12644#msg12644Which can then be refined further using the Move To buttons. Technically the button was already there, but it didn't work for three point calibrations to compensate for sample rotation... that is now fixed!
Philipp Poeml asks (and JonF chimes in as well) for a new feature in CalcImage so one can utilize multi-point background *maps* for background correction. Yeah it sounds crazy, but using the MPB method in the "shared" mode where one utilizes two position off-peak backgrounds when more than one element is acquired on a single spectrometer/crystal, this feature would allow one to acquire just a few background maps for many elements.
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=249.msg12645#msg12645All we can say is that feature has been implemented and it is amazingly cool, but is still in beta testing. If you are interesting in testing this new background correction method for your quantitative maps, please contact John Donovan directly at Probe Software.
Ben Buse asks if anyone knows what the actual EDS pulse processing time is for the T1 to T4 options:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=1636.0No one has answered yet, so if you know, please post on the forum...
Facundo Bilbao asks about performing sub micron stage point analyses:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=1637.msg12649#msg12649Probeman and sem-geologist respond...
Facundo Bilbao also asks about the .PAR files used for calculating secondary boundary fluorescence effects across phases boundaries and Probeman and John Donovan respond:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=58.msg12650#msg12650John Donovan asks Grok some questions about EPMA and it responds mentioning among other things that one should use "advanced software tools" such as those from Probe Software:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=233.msg12654#msg12654Hey, that's just what it said... 🙂
Nathan C. asks about "low probe current" warnings that he is getting:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=1638.msg12655#msg12655UofO EPMA Lab responds with some suggestions.
John Donovan posts a poll on whether one uses the manual image image menus in CalcImage:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=1639.0Have you voted? Login to vote and see the results...
Facundo Bilbao asks about the minimum stage movement on a Cameca EPMA:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=1637.0Nicholas Ritchie posts about an article with some pretty SEM images in a special edition of Nature:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=133.msg12672#msg12672Jens Andersen asks if anyone has monitored their mains voltage and JonF responds with another question:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=1640.0Probeman posts a pdf of a very early paper on quantitative mapping (from 1982!). It's worth a read:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=1368.msg12677#msg12677Ben Buse asks how the errors in BadgerFilm are calculated and no one has responded yet (Aurelien?):
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=1641.0Anette asks for more information when the PFE software finds that the stored standard compositions don't exactly match the standard composition in the standard database and pops up a warning:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=71.msg12679#msg12679This has been implemented and we hope to upload this new version soon. By the way this new version has several other very exciting new feature (one mentioned above ) shared MPB backgrounhds in CalcImage and a new feature requested by Julien ALlaz which implements a method to calculated elements by difference, formula difference, stoichiometry to stoichiometric oxygen, stoichiometry to another element and also calculate excess oxygen from ferric iron, based on dynamic k-ratio criteria of the analyzed elements.
Cool, right? Sounds complicated, right? But actually very easy to use. Again, if you would like to test this new feature please contact John Donovan directly at Probe Software.
Probeman asks if anyone has literature references for mitigating TDI/volatile effects using a moving beam or cryo stage:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=1642.msg12681#msg12681No one has responded yet but I know he would be very grateful if someone did!
Regards,
The Probe Software Users Forum Team.
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php
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