1P-19 PDF
Application for noble gas cosmochemistry by using sputtered neutral mass spectrometer
LIMAS (Laser Ionization MAss nanoScope) is a novel sputtered neutral mass spectrometer, of which post-ionization process is utilized by tunneling effect with femtosecond (fs) laser. In-situ analysis for trace elements in nanometer-scale is a concept of this apparatus. I have conducted a study on mechanism of solar wind (SW) implantation into extra-terrestrial materials such as Itokawa particles. Because depth profile of SW-He have not been determined by using conventional noble gas mass spectrometer (NG-MS) in a quantitative way, a depth profiling of the SW noble gas contributes to the great progress for understanding implantation processes of the SW noble gases.
LIMAS can measure locally concentrated noble gas because the sputtered volume is quite small, which indicates that this measurement is almost non-destructive isotope analysis. This feature can play a role for analysis of tiny and precious samples such as the Itokawa particles. U,Th-He and K-Ar dating for tiny particles can be applied by the in-situ noble gas analysis. The in-situ dating may obtain a new insight of thermal history of igneous rocks by comparing conventional in-situ dating method such as U-Pb age.