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Geology

Scanning Microscopy

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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

High Precision, High Spatial Resolution Analysis Of Sulfur Isotopes By Laser Combustion Of Natural Sulfide Minerals, S. P. Kelley, A. E. Fallick, P. Mcconville, A. J. Boyce Mar 1992

High Precision, High Spatial Resolution Analysis Of Sulfur Isotopes By Laser Combustion Of Natural Sulfide Minerals, S. P. Kelley, A. E. Fallick, P. Mcconville, A. J. Boyce

Scanning Microscopy

Laser induced combustion provides a powerful new technique for sulfur isotope measurements in natural sulfides. A high power continuous laser, focused through a modified microscope system onto a sulfide mineral target, produces highly localized heating. The laser beam is focused to a spot 25 μm in diameter at the sample surface. In the presence of low pressure oxygen, temperatures at the centre of the spot are sufficiently high to produce localized oxidation. Resultant SO2 is transferred to a gas source isotope ratio mass spectrometer, where the 𝛿34S can be measured to a precision better than 0.25‰. Sulfur …


Micro-Pixe (Particle-Induced X-Ray Emission Analysis) Applications In Minerals Research, S. H. Sie, C. G. Ryan, G. F. Suter Oct 1991

Micro-Pixe (Particle-Induced X-Ray Emission Analysis) Applications In Minerals Research, S. H. Sie, C. G. Ryan, G. F. Suter

Scanning Microscopy

The versatility of the PIXE method with microbeams of protons as a non-destructive, in-situ probe for trace element analysis in the geosciences has been demonstrated in an ever increasing number of cases. While in most applications the method can be considered as derivative or as an extension of electron microprobe methodology, features unique to the proton microprobe enable new approaches to hitherto intractable problems of analysis. An appropriate niche has been established in igneous mineralogy and petrology, with important implications both in the basic geosciences as well as mineral industry applications, particularly in the diamond exploration industry. This paper reviews …