Ion beam microanalysis in geoscience research

Abstract

Geological samples are complex materials, which often involve intricate textures of crystalline and amorphous components. Inclusions may preserve samples of melts and fluids responsible for evolution of the Earth's mantle and crust. Analysis of these samples helps improve our understanding of geological processes and provides a basis for new mineral exploration approaches and improved mineral processing techniques. The penetration of a MeV proton microbeam permits the non-destructive in situ imaging and analysis of buried structures such as mineral, melt and fluid inclusions. IBA techniques permit standardless analysis and non-destructive imaging for virtually arbitrary sample composition. Rutherford backscattering and resonant nuclear reactions can be used for the analysis of diffusion depth profiles, as can elastic recoil methods, particularly for hydrogen analysis. And many of these techniques can be combined with crystal channelling. These techniques available on easily accessible machines gives IBA a firm place amongst the spectrum of complementary analysis tools available to geology.