A study of xenon isotopes in a martian meteorite using the RELAX ultrasensitive mass spectrometer

Journal Article · Wed Jan 15 00:00:00 EST 1997 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.52200· OSTI ID:21165685

Whitby, J A; Gilmour, J D; Turner, G ^[1]

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1. Department of Earth Sciences, Manchester University, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom)

The Refrigerator Enhanced Analyser for Xenon (RELAX), an ultrasensitive resonance ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer, has been used with a laser microprobe to investigate the isotopic composition of xenon trapped in the martian meteorite ALH84001. The laser microprobe has a spatial resolution of the order of 100{mu}m thus allowing the in situ analysis of individual mineral grains in a polished section when combined with ultrasensitive, low blank sample analysis. We present results showing that the mineral orthopyroxene in ALH84001 contains a trapped xenon component consistent with a martian origin. Additionally, a cosmic ray exposure age of 15Ma for ALH84001 is obtained from spallation derived xenon trapped within an apatite grain.

• OSTI ID: 21165685
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 388, Issue 1; Conference: 8. international symposium on resonance ionization spectroscopy, State College, PA (United States), 30 Jun - 5 Jul 1996; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.52200; (c) 1997 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
AGE ESTIMATION
APATITES
COSMIC RADIATION
ISOTOPE RATIO
LASERS
MASS SPECTRA
METEORITES
PHOTOIONIZATION
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RESONANCE IONIZATION MASS SPECTROSCOPY
SPALLATION
SPATIAL RESOLUTION
TIME-OF-FLIGHT METHOD
TRAPPING
XENON
XENON ISOTOPES