Synchrotron X-Ray irradiation of Stardust interstellar candidates: from ''no'' to ''low'' damage effects

Alexandre Simionovici (1) , Carlton Allen (2) , Sasa Bajt (3) , Ron Bastien (2) , H. A. Bechtel (4) , Janet Borg (5) , Frank Brenker (6) , John C. Bridges (7) , D.E. Brownlee (8) , Mark J. Burchell (9) , Manfred Burghammer (10) , Anna L. Butterworth (11) , P. Cloetens (10) , Andy M. Davis (12) , Christine Floss (13) , George Flynn (14) , David Frank (2) , Zack Gainsforth (11) , Eberhard Grün (15, 16) , Philipp R. Heck (17) , Jon K. Hillier (18) , Peter Hoppe (19) , L. Howard (20) , Gary R. Huss (20) , Joachim Huth (19) , Anton T. Kearsley (21) , A.J. King (12) , Barry Lai (22) , Jan Leitner (19) , Laurence Lemelle (23) , Hugues Leroux (24) , Robert Lettieri (11) , Will Marchant (11) , Larry R. Nittler (25) , Ryan Ogliore (26) , Frank Postberg (15, 27) , S. A. Sandford (28) , Juan-Angel Sans Tresseras (10) , Tom Schoonjans (29) , Sylvia Schmitz (6) , G. Silversmit (29) , Vicente A. Solé (10) , Ralf Srama (30) , Thomas Stephan (12) , Julien Stodolna (11) , Rhonda M. Stroud (31) , Steve Sutton (22) , Mario Trieloff (27) , Peter Tsou (32) , Akira Tsuchiyama (33) , Tolek Tyliczszak (4) , Bart Vekemans (29) , Laszlo Vincze (29) , Andrew J. Westphal (11) , Dan Zevin (11) , Michael E. Zolensky (2)

1 Minéralogie et environnements
2 JSC - NASA Johnson Space Center
3 Photon Science
4 ALS - Advanced Light Source [LBNL Berkeley]
5 IAS - Institut d'astrophysique spatiale
6 Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main
7 Space Research Centre [Leicester]
8 Department of Astronomy
9 University of Kent [Canterbury]
10 ESRF - European Synchrotron Radiation Facility
11 SSL - Space Sciences Laboratory [Berkeley]
12 University of Chicago
13 WUSTL - Washington University in Saint Louis
14 SUNY Plattsburgh - State University of New York at Plattsburgh
15 MPIK - Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik
16 University of Colorado [Boulder]
17 Field Museum of Natural History [Chicago, USA]
18 OU - The Open University [Milton Keynes]
19 MPIC - Max-Planck-Institut für Chemie
20 HIGP - Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology
21 NHM - The Natural History Museum [London]
22 APS - Advanced Photon Source [ANL]
23 LGL-TPE - Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon - Terre, Planètes, Environnement
24 LSPES - Laboratoire de structures et propriétés de l'état solide - UMR 8008
25 Carnegie Institution for Science
26 UHM - University of Hawai‘i [Mānoa]
27 Institut für Geowissenschaften
28 ARC - NASA Ames Research Center
29 UGENT - Universiteit Gent = Ghent University
30 IRS - Institut für Raumfahrtsysteme
31 Materials Science and Technology Division
32 JPL - Jet Propulsion Laboratory
33 Osaka University [Osaka]

Although synchrotron radiation X-Ray fluorescence (SR-XRF) is among the least destructive analysis methods applied to rare extraterrestrial grains, we have observed radiation damage effects following high flux synchrotron analyses. Track 30 of the IS collector of the Stardust mission , containing 2 candidates dubbed Orion and Sirius was analyzed at ESRF, France, on beamlines ID13 and ID22NI by nano-XRF/XRD scanning methods. Beam damage effects were noticed on both samples and a quantitative analysis of their irradiation history was established , allowing us to propose new experimental protocols as well as fluence limits, minimizing such effects in the future. The purpose of this study is to present these facts, analyze potential damage mechanisms and offer alternatives.

Domains: Geomorphology

Alexandre Simionovici, Carlton Allen, Sasa Bajt, Ron Bastien, H. A. Bechtel, et al.. Synchrotron X-Ray irradiation of Stardust interstellar candidates: from ''no'' to ''low'' damage effects. Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 2011, 46 (Supplement s1), p.A213. ⟨10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01221.x⟩. ⟨insu-00681756⟩