Description: This poster discusses research on methods of exoplanet detection for amateurs. The authors present the pros and cons of the transit method widely used by amateurs to detect exoplanets, as well as consider what benefits there are to the more obscure methods typically employed by professionals.

Description: This poster discusses research on mineral water samples through XRF and ICP-MS. This study aims to determine the trace elemental composition of natural mineral water samples using two widely-used concentration analysis techniques: X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The XRF analysis is a non-destructive technique, while the ICP-MS is highly sensitive to the concentration levels of different elements and compounds. About 200mL samples of natural hot spring water from Hot Springs, Arkansas were collected during the winter season in 2011. A part of the water samples was prepared through dilution for ICP-MS analysis and through filtration for XRF analysis. Elemental concentration analyses of the hot spring water samples were compared to that of tap water samples prepared through the same dilution and filtration methods. The authors speculate that the mineral water sample will contain a smaller concentration (in parts per million levels) of trace element contaminants (e.g., Co, Mg, Pb) than tap water since the mineral water is in an environmentally natural state. The ICP-MS and XRF results showed the presence of trace elemental contaminants such as Co, As, Se, Kr, Mo, Cd, Sn and W in the hot spring water samples. The respective concentrations of trace ...