[meteorite-list] UK's New Synchrotron Used To Examine Meteorites

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2007 08:20:56 -0800 (PST)
Message-ID: <200702071620.IAA27964_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.scenta.co.uk/scenta/news.cfm?cit_id=1505770&FAArea1=widgets.content_view_1

Synchrotron opens its doors
scenta

The UK's new synchrotron facility opens its doors
for business and welcomes its very first scientific
users this week.

Top academic teams from Durham, Oxford, Leicester
and London have been selected to be the first users
of the Diamond Light Source, one of the brightest
sources of light in the world.

It will enable them to find out more than ever before
about the secret structure of the world around us.

These principal projects were selected from a total
of 127 proposals received last year from the
synchrotron user community.

The first users possess an extensive knowledge of
synchrotron science and bring a range of research
projects to Diamond from cancer research to
unravelling the mysteries of the solar system.

This will provide Diamond scientists with real
projects to assist in the six-month period of fine-
tuning of the first experimental stations that will
secure a place for Diamond on the international
research stage.

Dr Paul Schofield, a researcher in mineral sciences
in the Department of Mineralogy at the Natural History
Museum, will be using Diamond's X-rays to examine
samples from a meteorite called Santa Catharina, in
order to gain an insight into the history of our Solar
System.

Examining the composition and structure of the minerals
contained in Santa Catharina will lead to clues
regarding the meteorite's early life and consequently
the conditions that shaped the development of the Solar
System.

[snip]
Received on Wed 07 Feb 2007 11:20:56 AM PST