1 Week > 4 Months

The last week has been more productive than the last 4 months, as far as I'm concerned. I was able to accomplish a lot more with the understanding and getting the probe drive to work. I suppose learning is never linear.
In any case, now we can control the probe drive remotely (I could even log on to it from home) using a program called VNC to control the computers in the lab. This success came after realizing that the reason I could not connect to the probe from the internet is that it was only connected to the lab's local area network. Using an archaic Windows 98SE machine, I was able to connect to the probe, test, and configure, etc. The motivation for getting remote connection to work was the barrier between looking at the probe drive, and issuing commands to the probe driver. Remote control was completely necessary, short of walking 10 meters there and back every time I issued a command to make sure it was working. Actually, at first, Jake Edmand and I used walkie-talkies, but it was hardly pragmatic.
Earlier this week we had to detect leaks in the chamber in a way that seems way too simple. If we were lucky, a sharp hiss would give away the leaks position. Of course, we weren't that lucky, so all we had to do was hook up a ultra-sensitive helium detector to the chamber, create a vacuum, and release helium on the outside of where we thought might be holes. When the detector sings, we know we've located the leak. Simpler than I would have suspected.
The next step is to start taking measurements. By today, an Argon plasma will be running inside. My langmuir probe will be taking plasma diagnostics inside the chamber, with pressure a hundred-millionth that which we humans feel. Nifty.

Helium

Despite having 3 weeks off, I had no trouble getting back into research yesterday. My new schedule is MWF 9-12, but I'll invariably spend more than 9 hours a week there. Jake Edmand is also going to be working this quarter, and we share a physics lab and lecture, so it should be interesting.
After quickly updating each other on what we were doing, Cheryl Johnson had to go to class, so I was left to finish what she started. Dr. McWilliams guided me through bringing the chamber back to atmospheric pressure, and installing plates on the chamber walls. The entire process was very hands on. The reason for having to replace some of the plates on the wall was because there was a leak. A Helium detector is attached to the chamber, and helium is released around the outside of potential leaks in the chamber. By process of elimination, one can find the leaks, and replace the faulty plates.The rest of the day was spent fixing up my Langmuir probe, which to my surprise, had a short.
The next week will probably be setting up for the probe controller "GT6K" and final installation of the probe itself into the chamber.