Acquisition of Co2 Laser for Stable Isotope Micro-Analysis

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The accurate measurement of the isotopes of oxygen in rock and mineral samples is a well established and powerful tool for interpreting the extent of chemical interaction between rock masses and aqueous solutions during the formation of ore mineral deposits and for deciphering the temperature of formation of mineral assemblages during rock metamorphism. The capability to measure smaller and smaller volumes of samples for oxygen isotope analysis allows for more accurate and sophisticated interpretation. Oxygen is quantitatively extracted from natural oxide and silicate minerals by either fluorination of the minerals (liberating oxygen directly) or by carbon reduction of the mineral (which creates CO and CO2). This project will adapt a laser heating method to these two oxygen extraction techniques so that a laser beam focused on a mineral grain can be used to extract oxygen from a very small volume, thereby allowing isotope microanalysis with excellent spatial resolution.