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Update on Development of the Potassium-Argon Laser Experiment (KArLE) Instrument for In Situ GeochronologyAbsolute dating of planetary samples is an essential tool to establish the chronology of geological events, including crystallization history, magmatic evolution, and alteration. We are addressing this challenge by developing the Potassium (K) -- Argon Laser Experiment (KArLE), building on previous work to develop a K-Ar in situ instrument. KArLE ablates a rock sample, determines the K in the plasma state using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), measures the liberated Ar using quadrupole mass spectrometry (QMS), and relates the two by the volume of the ablated pit using laser confocal microscopy (LCM). Our goal is for the KArLE instrument to be capable of determining the age of several kinds of planetary samples to address a wide range of geochronolgy problems in planetary science.
Document ID
20130013066
Acquisition Source
Marshall Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Cohen, Barbara A. (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Li, Z.-H. (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Miller, J. S. (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Brinckerhoff, W. B. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Clegg, S. M. (Los Alamos National Lab. NM, United States)
Mahaffy, P. R. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Swindle, T. D. (Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Wiens, R. C. (Los Alamos National Lab. NM, United States)
Date Acquired
August 27, 2013
Publication Date
March 18, 2013
Subject Category
Instrumentation And Photography
Report/Patent Number
M13-2401
Meeting Information
Meeting: 44th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC)/Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) and Universities Space Research Association (USRA)
Location: The Woodlands, TX
Country: United States
Start Date: March 18, 2013
End Date: March 22, 2013
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

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