A modular, customizable, and low-cost experimental control system for electron spectrometers is described. LabVIEW is used to interface with a suite of Arduino-controlled power supplies, detectors, and stepper motors enabling a variety of different types of measurements to be performed. The structure of the LabVIEW control system and the general design of the Arduino-controlled modules are described. Examples of results from electron scattering and electron impact ionization experiments performed using this control system are presented.

A new study of electron-impact single ionization of the HOMO 1t₂ state of CH₄ has been conducted at incident electron energies 20 eV and 40 eV above the ionization energy of the state. Triple differential cross sections were measured from a coplanar symmetric geometry, where scattered and ionized electrons were detected at equal angles, through to the perpendicular geometry where the outgoing electrons emerged orthogonal to the incident electron beam. At the lower energy, the electrons were detected with equal energies of 10 eV, whereas at the higher energy, data were obtained for equal energies of 20 eV and for unequal energies of 5 eV and 35 eV. The results are compared to a molecular 3-body distorted wave approximation that used a full averaging procedure to allow for the random orientation of the target, an orientation averaged molecular orbital model that averages the target wavefunction over all orientations prior to the collision, and a distorted wave Born approximation that does not include postcollisional interactions.

New ($e,2e$) differential cross-section measurements from xenon are presented as the scattering geometry changes from coplanar to the perpendicular plane. Measurements were taken at energies of 60 eV, 80 eV, and 100 eV above the ionization potential. These new data are compared to measurements collected for the first four noble gases and to that from xenon at lower energies. The ratio of relative cross sections between xenon and helium have been measured using a xenon-helium mixture. With this data absolute differential cross sections of xenon can be determined once the helium cross sections have been calculated.

This study investigates the application of hyperspectral imaging (HSI) combined with machine learning (ML) models for the dynamic mapping of total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) in sunflower microgreens. Spectral data were collected across different cultivation durations (Days 5, 6, and 7) to assess the secondary metabolite distribution in leaves and stems. Overall, the results indicate that TFC in leaves peaked on Day 5, followed by a decline on Days 6 and 7, while stems exhibited an opposite trend. However, TPC did not show a consistent pattern. Spectral reflectance analysis revealed higher near-infrared reflectance in leaves compared to stems. The variation in trait and spectral data among the collected samples was sufficient to develop models predicting the TPC and TFC content. K-nearest neighbours provided the highest predictive accuracy for TPC ($R^2$ = 0.95 and 1.6 mg GAE/100 g) and ridge regression performed best for TFC ($R^2$ = 0.97 and 6.1 mg QE/100 g). Dimensionality reduction via principal component analysis (PCA) proved effective for TPC and TFC prediction, with PC1 alone achieving performance comparable to the full spectral dataset. This integrated HSI-ML approach offers a non-destructive, real-time method for monitoring bioactive compounds, supporting sustainable agricultural practices, optimising harvest timing, and enhancing crop management. The findings can be further developed for smart microgreen farming to enable real-time secondary metabolite quantification, with future research recommended to explore other microgreen varieties for broader applicability.

New $(e,2e)$ differential cross-section measurements from argon are presented in the perpendicular plane, where the incident electron beam is orthogonal to both detected electrons that map out a detection plane as their angles are varied. New data were obtained at energies from 40 to 200 eV above the ionization potential (IP), with the scattered and ejected electrons having equal energies. These data are compared to previous measurements from 5 to 50 eV above the IP as well as to theoretical calculations from different models in this energy range. A significant discrepancy between the prediction of theory and experiment 50 eV above the IP was retested, and the new experiments confirmed the results from previous measurements. Additional data spanning this energy are presented which show a deep minimum in the cross section under these conditions. Results for the evolution of the cross section into the intermediate-energy regime are also discussed.

A laser-atom interaction simulator derived from quantum electrodynamics (LASED) is presented, which has been developed in the python programming language. LASED allows a user to calculate the time evolution of a laser-excited atomic system. The model allows for any laser polarization, a Gaussian laser beam profile, a rotation of the reference frame chosen to define the states, and an averaging over the Doppler profile of an atomic beam. Examples of simulations using LASED are presented for excitation of calcium from the $4{}^{1}S_0$ state to the $4{}^{1}P_1$ state, for excitation from the helium $3{}^{1}D_2$ state excited by electron impact to the $10{}^{1}P_1$ state, and for laser excitation of caesium via the $D_2$ line.