Auger spectroscopy as a complement to NanoSIMS studies of presolar materials

Stadermann F. J., Floss C., Zinner E., Nguyen A., and Lea A. S. (2005) Meteorit. Planet. Sci. 40, A146.


ABSTRACT

The NanoSIMS ion microprobe has proven to be an ideal tool for locating isotopically distinct circumstellar materials on a sub-micrometer scale in a variety of extraterrestrial materials. However, to completely characterize presolar phases it is essential to obtain chemical and mineralogical data beyond what the NanoSIMS can provide. Although this can be done in some cases with the transmission electron microscope (TEM), not all samples lend themselves to this analytical approach. Detailed investigations of the suitability of various analytical techniques have convinced us that scanning Auger spectrometry best complements the NanoSIMS by providing mineralogical information on a comparable spatial scale without the need for extensive sample preparation.


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