About the gap contamination

This sticky compound is clearly a sticking point in our efforts to move forward and it must be looked at more closely! Two actions are currently underway:

• Taking samples directly at the source, i.e. in the gap between the reference and the shell. We are prepping for this today, finding the right tools for minimizing the risks involved. Hopefully, we will have samples in hand by the end of the day tomorrow. Contact has been made with the Chemistry Department to have them analyzed.
• Creating in the lab the conditions which arose on AdSec: applying current between a silver-coated plate and an aluminized plate separated by a thin layer of water. The goal of the experiment is to understand how the white contaminant observed in the gap is formed and how strong is the bond it can produce.

 Some of the contamination material can be seen in the picture below.