Welcome to the e-beam lab. We are a spectroscopy and imaging facility in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. The lab hosts various instruments that use beams of electrons or electromagnetic radiation for imaging or spectroscopic analyses. We work primarily on rocks, minerals, and glasses, but other materials are welcomed. Instruments include an electron microprobe, scanning electron microscope (SEM), powder X-ray diffraction, Raman spectrometer, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR). We have the sample preparation facilities to handle any task.

Philosophically we are a student-operated lab. This means the instruments are primarily run by students and postdocs collecting their own data, after they have been trained to be independent users. Users are trained each Fall in a graduate-level course called “Spectroscopy for Earth Materials” (preferred) or across a series of 1-on-1 training sessions. Researchers from across the Jackson School of Geoscience are our primary users, but we also welcome users from across UT-Austin, central Texas, and beyond.

If you are interested in imaging or analyzing your materials in the lab please reach out to Dr. Kenny Befus (contact information below).

Contact Information

Dr. Kenny Befus
Email: kenny.befus@utexas.edu
Lab location: Jackson School of Geosciences building JGB 5.106 and JGB 5.108

Beamtime Costs

The E-beam lab is a university cost center. Rates vary with instrument, and if the user is internal, external academia, or external for-profit. Our most common rates for independent users are provided below. Costs for assisted analyses are 2x the rates below. Email Kenny if you have questions about rates or billing.

Internal Rates
Electron Microprobe = $112 per 8-hour shift
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) = $111 per 4-hour shift
Powder X-ray Diffraction (XRD) = $154 per 4-hour shift
Raman Spectroscopy = $56 per 4-hour shift
Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) = $56 per 4-hour shift

External Academic Rates
Electron Microprobe = $288 per 8-hour shift
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) = $263 per 4-hour shift
Powder X-ray Diffraction (XRD) = $261 per 4-hour shift
Raman Spectroscopy = $112 per 8-hour shift
Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) = $112 per 8-hour shift

External for-profit rates are high. Email Kenny if interested.