Hi everyone! I’m Noelle Roth, and I’m thrilled to begin my chemistry internship at the University of Houston. I’m working with Professor Baldelli and two grad students, utilizing the Raman spectrometer for material analysis. First, I have to build my portion of the spectrometer, working with systems previously built, to begin my data collection. This process includes, but is not limited to, preparing a new steel plate, aligning the laser, mirrors, camera, and later connecting a microscope.
Lab Work
To prepare, I removed two lasers from an aluminum plate, grabbed a larger plate, and plotted points for screws. I am nearly finished using the miller to drill holes for attaching lasers and stands to lift the plate. When I’m done, the laser should be at the same height as all other equipment. Each machine used in Raman spectroscopy requires precision and alignment. Although my Raman setup is not ready yet, I got to work with an amazing graduate student who taught me about each piece of the setup, how to power the machine, and align the laser within the irises, mirrors, and camera.
Bridgeport Milling Machine
However, nothing is complete without a sidequest. I was tasked with connecting a power switch to a cable for one of the many available microscopes. To begin, I cut and stripped the copper wires. Then, I added each end of the cable into the box, connecting and screwing down the wires to allow for power transfer. We hoped to keep the ground wire connected by running it through the box, but it was best to cut and solder the wire rather than risk breaking the box. After the grad student and professor checked my work and tested it with a multimeter, we plugged it into the microscope, and all worked well.
Adventures
To start the week, the Welsh group and I toured campus with our awesome RA, Darrell. Two of my favorite trips were to the Texas Center for Superconductivity (TcSUH) and the glass blowing studio. At TcSUH, we watched a presentation of supercooled magnets that levitated a small aluminum foil car, along with machinery that created large wires used for superconductors. The glass blowing studio repairs and creates elaborate lab equipment, wearing blue glasses to reduce the orange light and better see the glass.
Magnetic track used in TcSUH demonstration.
Overall, I had an excellent first week and am looking forward to the rest of my time here!
There are no comments published yet.