2023 BFY4 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: |
W11: Open Source Microscopy in the Advanced Lab: Einstein, Boltzmann, Fluorescence, and More |
| Abstract: |
This workshop demonstrates the use of an open-source microscope to measure Boltzmann's constant as well as to image fluorescent objects (biological cells and fluorescent microspheres). The core experiment, measuring Boltzmann's constant, follows Einstein's 1905 paper on Brownian motion and the molecular theory of heat. This experiment has been described in AJP by several authors: 200 nm fluorescent spheres are imaged as they diffuse in water and Boltzmann's constant is determined from the diffusion constant via the Einstein relation.
The point of this workshop, though, is the open source microscope: the microscope itself, the electronics board controlling the illumination and focus, and the software controlling the imaging and data analysis are all open source, meaning that each is potentially modifiable (and, ultimately, buildable) by students. Thus, students learn how to image microscopic particles, track diffusion at the single particle level, determine the diffusion coefficient from the mean-square displacement, and interpret the results in light of basic fluid mechanics. But they also can modify the microscope for their own experiments – whether they are interested in high-speed imaging of self-propelled microorganisms or measuring the diffusion constant of different sized particles simultaneously (using multi-color imaging). Through this, students can learn imaging optics as well as electronics control and image analysis. |
| Abstract Type: |
Workshop
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Author/Organizer Information |
| Primary Contact: |
Douglas Martin
Lawrence University
Appleton, WI 54911
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Workshop Documents |
| Workshop Doc 1: |
Download the Workshop Doc 1
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