 The Materials MicroCharacterization Collaboratory (MMC) is a DOE2000 pilot project for
scientific collaboration which joins a set of unique national research facilities into a
single on-line interactive virtual laboratory. This collaboratory will allow
creative scientists, educators, and even students access to an environment in which
real-time collaborations can occur unencumbered by the limits of time, space and location.
The MMC creates a virtual on-line laboratory around these centers of excellence in
microcharacterization which is accessible from anywhere on the Internet.
 The Shared Research Equipment (SHaRE) User Facility and Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) provides microanalytical facilities for studies within the materials sciences. Researchers from U.S. universities, industries, and government laboratories collaborate with ORNL scientists to perform research not possible at their home institutions.
The MMC Project makes extensive use of Axis cameras and Axis camera
servers to provide collaborators real-time microscope views over the
Internet as well as a live video stream of the technicians and
scientists performing the research. The video streams from these
cameras are available to collaborators.
Over its four year lifetime, the MMC project has
performed a number of demonstrations for government, private industry,
and academia.
 The
Materials Analysis User Center (MAUC) characterizes materials at the
atomic level. It specializes in atomic structure, nano-scale
composition, surface chemistry, and surface morphology. |
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 The High Temperature Materials Laboratory (HTML) is made up of six user
centers. Instruments available at the user centers have extensive capabilities for characterizing the microstructure, microchemistry, and physical and
mechanical properties of materials over a wide range of temperatures.
The residual stress mapping beamline HB-2 at ORNL's High Flux
Isotope Reactor (HFIR) is part of the MMC. HFIR provides the world's highest flux of
thermal neutrons for isotope production, activation analysis, and
scattering.
 The National Synchrotron Light Source at BNL is a national user
research facility funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. The
NSLS provides intense focused light spanning the electromagnetic
spectrum from the infrared through x-rays.
The MMC
utilizes a variety of techniques for internet teleconferencing and
collaboration. These techniques include audio and video
communication and remote control of instrumentation. The major
techniques are succinctly described on this page.
The MMC Project has produced a number of reports
documenting the research and collaborations performed during this
project. Electronic copies of these reports are available.
As well as reports, the MMC Project has produced and
presented a number of Microsoft PowerPoint presentations on the work
that has been accomplished during the project. Electronic copies
of these presentations are available. |
