Oxygen isotope analysis of a chondrule-like Wild 2 Terminal Particle using NanoSIMS

Starkey, N. A.; Franchi, I. A.; Bridges, J. C.; Changela, H. G. and Hicks, L. J. (2011). Oxygen isotope analysis of a chondrule-like Wild 2 Terminal Particle using NanoSIMS. In: 74th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society, 8-12 Aug 2011, London, UK.

URL: http://www.metsoc2011.org/London_Met_Soc_2011/Welc...

Abstract

Oxygen isotopes provide a key tool in determining origins and links of diverse solar system materials. SIMS analyses of terminal particles returned from comet Wild 2 with sufficient analytical precision for useful comparison to meteorites are very limited. Generally, analyses of grains have used potted butts or single grains pressed into gold in order to provide sufficient sample thickness to analyse with high current probes. At most, only one potted butt can exist for any characterized terminal particle and in many cases it is required for other analytical techniques or no longer contains cometary material. Here we utilize the more readily available microtomed sections as a means of extracting useful oxygen isotopic information. NanoSIMS 50L isotope imaging mode allows the material available for analysis from these very thin sections (≈70 nm) to be maximized, although analytical uncertainty reported by others using this technique is large.

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