Laser-induced thermal effects in meteorites

Tuesday, April 20, 2021
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Virtual or In Person - TRC 122

Speaker: Mohamed Zakariya (physics major) 

Advisor: Dr. Analía “Yanil” Dall’Asén

Meteorites can provide valuable clues about planet formation since they are considered some of the most primitive surviving materials of our solar system. This information can be obtained through their physical properties which can be characterized using microscopy and spectroscopy techniques. In particular, Raman spectroscopy has been used extensively on meteoritic samples since it is a nondestructive tool that provides information about their structure and mineralogical composition. However, the power of the laser excitation source used in this technique can alter the properties of the samples due to thermal effects.

In this presentation, I will talk about the laser-induced thermal effects we have observed in a meteoritic sample by analyzing the Raman spectra parameters of the minerals found as a function of the laser excitation power and correlating them with changes that can occur on the topography of the irradiated regions using optical microscopy.

Zoom Passcode: 247461

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