Applied Surface Science, Vol.255, No.4, 1468-1471, 2008
Identification of silicate and carbonaceous presolar grains by SIMS in the type-3 enstatite chondrite ALHA81189
An isotope ratio imaging technique using the HokuDai isotope microscope system has been applied to in situ survey for presolar grains in the type-3 enstatite chondrite ALHA81189. Rastered and static ion beam were used for primary beam. Lateral resolution of the isotope image was achieved to be 0.4 mu m for static ion beam mode and to be 0.6 mu m for rastered ion beam mode. As a result, the abundances of presolar grains are 150-200% larger under the static ion beam mode than under the rastered ion beam mode. Development of image processing introducing isotopography of S-32, (MgO)-Mg-24-O-16 and Fe-56 succeeded to increase efficiency of presolar grain characterization. Using the static ion beam and introducing appropriate isotopography were very useful methods of in situ characterization of presolar grains in meteorites. (C) 2008 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.