Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy of meteorites

Abstract

Meteoroids are a direct, earth-based means of studying extraterrestrial materials, which can provide information on the Earth’s atmospheric dynamics, on the origins of the solar system, and on the properties of other planetary systems. The properties of a meteoroid can be determined by analyzing the light that is produced when it burns up during atmospheric entry. To simulate these effects in a laboratory setting, we used intense laser light to break down the surface structure of a meteorite sample. We used a technique known as laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to analyze the elemental composition of the sample. We also studied relationships between environmental pressure and the dimensions of the resulting light-producing plasma halo. Our results confirmed the existence of many expected elements in the meteorite and also demonstrated an increase in the size of the plasma halo as the environmental pressure was decreased