Hi all,

On Tuesday and Wednesday, March 19 and 20th of this year, the Fiske Center
for Archaeological Research at UMass Boston will host two
simultaneous workshops taught by Dr. Bruce Kaiser of Bruker AXS and an
assistant. One workshop will be an introduction to the physics of XRF
analysis using a handheld analyzer. The second workshop will be for
experienced users of the technology only and will address advanced topics.
Both will be free workshops for anyone using any manufacturer's analyzer.
The goal in offering these sessions is to bring like users together and
improve the rigor of our research.

The introductory workshop will include the topics of Bruce's well-known
past workshops. Attendees will review the basics of radiation physics as
applied to the XRF analysis of cultural materials. Analyzers will be
provided for table groups of attendees to use at the workshop. Each
attendee of the introductory workshop will then be able to sign up to
borrow a Bruker analyzer for a two week period after the workshop at no
cost or fee to continue his/her learning and research.

The advanced workshop is a new idea whose detailed curriculum is not yet
set. While the focus will be broadly on quantification issues we ask for
your thoughts on particular problem areas that you would like addressed.
While I hope others will speak up, to get this going I'll just say that I
would be interested in discussions of the use of new calibrations, the
customization of analyzer power settings, peripheral software use such as
S1Calprocess, XRayOps, statistical analysis of readings and data
presentation methods.

Both will be hands-on workshops and a great opportunity to learn how to
carry out and improve on your ongoing research methods using this
technology. We recommend that all attendees bring analyzable samples to the
workshops from which you and the other attendees can learn. Attendees
should also plan to bring jump drives (4Gb or larger) for the XRF related
data and research files that will be distributed at both workshops.

The workshops are offered free of charge and will take place in two
adjoining laboratories at the UMass Boston campus in Boston,
Massachusetts. Please contact me at [log in to unmask] to sign up for
one of these great opportunities. Attendance is limited to 35 participant
at each workshop.

I recommend that those interested in the workshops also sign up to the
discussion group pXRF for Cultural
Heritage<http://groups.google.com/group/pxrf>.
News updates, including  directions, hotel recommendations and parking
information, will be posted there as well as individually to those who sign
up for one of the workshops.

Dennis

Dennis Piechota
Archaeological Conservator
Fiske Center for Archaeological Research
UMass Boston
Office: 617-287-6829

XRF Group Admin
pXRF for Cultural Heritage <http://groups.google.com/group/pxrf>
RTI Group Admin
RTI_help <http://groups.google.com/group/rti_help/>