In-situ analysis of 1.9 Ga chert with a miniature mass spectrometer for space: Chemical profiling of microfossils preserved in the host mineral
Abstract
We collected chemical information using IR-775 nm, UV-387 nm, and UV-258 nm femtosecond laser for ion formation, in-situ from the solid sample (1.9 Ga chert sample from Gunflint formation ). High-resolution chemical depth profiles collected from host areas and dense microfossils zones reveal differences of major to trace element abundances in the depth profiles. Altogether, chemical and optical material probing on a microscale provide us with an ability to target an area of interest and unambiguously differentiate between microfossils and inorganic host areas with the LMS suite.
- Publication:
-
EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2019
- Pub Date:
- September 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019EPSC...13.1299L