The group conducts research that addresses the early history of the Solar System, and the formation and evolution of the Earth, Moon, and meteorites.

Research in cosmochemistry includes:

• identification and analysis of presolar circumstellar grains in meteorites and interplanetary dust particles,
• formational mechanisms of chondrules and refractory inclusions,
• isotopic and chemical characterization of interstellar organic matter in meteroites and interplanetary dust particles,
• isotopic analysis of cometary and interstellar dust samples returned by NASA's Stardust mission,
• origin of water in Martian meteorites,
• chronology of early solar system processes.

Research in geochemistry combines laboratory and field studies of modern and ancient rocks from diverse geographic areas. Topics of investigation include:

• geochemical and isotopic evolution of the Earth's crust and mantle,
• formation and stabilization of cratons,
• role of water and other volatiles in plate tectonics and magma generation.

Facilities for Research:

TIMS: Thermo-Fisher Triton

ICP-MS: Nu Plasma HR, Nu Plasma II, Axiom

SIMS: NanoSIMS 50L, Cameca 6f with 1 meter magnetic sector

SEM: JOEL SX-6500

At the Geophysical Lab: JOEL superprobe, Zeiss Auriga FIB-SEM, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy

Supporting Labs: Chemistry, machine shop, electronics lab

The primary tools used are the concentrations and isotopic compositions of major and trace elements, including measurements of long- and short-lived radiometric decay series and of variations in ratios of stable isotopes caused by nucleosynthetic processes and by mass-dependent fractionation.

Our well-equipped laboratories permit use of a wide range of analytical techniques. Major instrumentation includes two thermal ionization and two inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometers, an ion probe with a second, large-radius magnetic sector, and the new NanoSIMS 50L ion probe. The instrumentation is supported by clean laboratories for chemical separations and equipment for micro- and macro-sample preparation. Elsewhere on campus, full electron beam and stable isotopic analytical instrumentation is available. The current staff continues a long DTM tradition of the development of novel instrumentation and new analytical techniques to address important geochemical and cosmochemical questions.

Please check CIW/DTM Facilities for more information on our laboratories and instrumentation.

Schedule for Mass Spectrometers.