An inside look at the career of Ion Microprobe Research Specialist, Jianhua Wang

by Kasey Cunningham

The ion microprobe directs a beam of charged ions at a sample. The sample’s composition can then be identified as it is broken down and transformed into charged atomic particles (ions). Ultimately, these particles are analyzed and the chemistry of the sample is determined.

This technically complex machinery is managed and operated by DTM’s Ion Microprobe Specialist, Jianhua Wang.

His job is multifaceted. Wang’s duties include maintenance of the ion microprobe laboratory, support for and running of a Cameca IMS 6f ion microprobe and a Cameca NanoSIMS 50L ion microprobe, assistance in the development and refinement of ion microprobe analytical techniques, and supervision and training of researchers using DTM’s ion microprobe lab.

He also collaborates with research scientists from around the world to further understanding of geochemical and cosmochemical processes.

Wang’s use of the microprobe directly contributes to his goals as a scientist.

“My scientific goal in general is to understand the origin and evolution of the Earth and the solar system. I am also interested in studying the origin of life and the influence of humans on our environment using micro-analytical techniques such as ion microprobe,” said Wang.

Wang’s Ph.D. work at the University of Chicago focused on the isotopic and elemental (including rare-Earth-elements) fractionation during evaporation of forsterite, FeO and synthetic material of chondritic composition to understand isotopic mass fractionation effects seen in Ca-Al-rich inclusions (CAIs) in meteorites and deep-sea spherules of cosmic origin. Using a high temperature vacuum furnace system, he investigated the kinetic effects on isotopic and chemical fractionation during evaporation. He also developed a theoretical model to simulate the competing effects of evaporation rate, isotopic mass fractionation and diffusion rate during the evaporation of a solid phase.

Jianhua Wang continues to investigate evaporation-induced isotopic fractionation of potassium and iron, experimentally and in meteorites. He is actively involved in studying volatiles including water and hydrogen isotopes in Martian meteorites and melt inclusions in oceanic basalts. He assists in developing methods to measure carbon and nitrogen isotopes and nitrogen abundances in diamonds and he also studies carbon isotopes in diamonds from China to understand their origin.

Most recently, Wang analyzed carbon isotopes in super-deep diamonds from the Juina-5 kimberlite in Brazil to confirm the crustal (Earth's surface) source of the carbon suggesting the cycling of the oceanic crust and carbon deep into the Earth’s lower mantle.

Wang is also involved in measuring solar wind compositions of magnesium, iron and chromium in samples returned by NASA’s Genesis mission. His other research is based on the pre-solar origins of Cr isotopes in meteorites and experimental studies of how elements partition themselves and diffuse among minerals and melts.

With such a dynamic research background, his contributions to the department are immeasurable.

DTM staff scientist Erik Hauri enthusiastically agrees.

“Jianhua is central to the success of everything we do in the DTM ion probe lab.  He is one of those rare people who has not only excellent technical and software skills to keep the instruments operating at a very high level and develop new methods from scratch – he also has the geochemical and cosmochemical insight that is so important not only to his own research, but also to obtaining the best possible data from the lab on a very wide range of projects,” said Hauri.

For more information on Jianhua Wang and his research please visit his homepage.