Insights from fallen space rocks.
Our researchers are world-leaders in analysis of meteorites. These space rocks help us unravel the history of the solar system and planetary bodies within it. Characterisation of meteorites recovered by the Desert Fireball Network allow findings to be linked to our solar system by calculating their orbits. Some of these meteorites come from Mars, the Moon, Vesta, and fragments of asteroids and other parent bodies in the solar system
SSTC researchers use the state-of-the-art instrumentation and facilities of the John de Laeter Centre. This allows for investigation of particles smaller than 100 micrometres. Researchers apply wide-ranging techniques to our characterisation of space rocks, including:
- SEM (high magnification imaging)
- EDS (semi-quantitative chemical analysis)
- EBSD (mineral phase and crystallographic analysis)
- TOF-SIMS (enhanced semi-quantitative chemical analysis)
- TEM (nano-scale imaging)
- Atom Probe tomography (nano-scale compositional analysis)
- 40Ar/39Ar (age dating)
Researchers in this theme include Dr Lucy Forman, Prof Gretchen Benedix, Prof Fred Jourdan and A/Prof Nick Timms.