MICROSCOPY Vol.47▶No.2 2012
â– Review

Survey of Presolar Remnants Remained in Meteorites by Isotope Microscope

Hisayoshi Yurimoto and Naoya Sakamoto

Abstract: Laboratory analysis of space materials is an important method to study origin of solar system. Among the laboratory analysis, microscopy is very useful because space materials have complex and fine structures. Large differences of isotopic composition are common among the space materials. Isotopes can be used as tracers to study origin and evolution of space materials. Conventional mass spectrometry is limited to apply for microanalysis, but recently, isotope microscopy is developed and the situation is gradually changed. The isotope microscopy can obtain precise isotopic image of fine structures of space materials and analyze formation processes of the structure in detail. Here we report studies of oldest materials of the solar system, presolar grains formed in circum stellar, and ice fossils formed in molecular cloud.

Key words: imaging, secondary ion mass spectrometry, isotope, meteorite, solar system