Development of a sample holder for synchrotron radiation-based computed tomography and diffraction analysis of extraterrestrial materials

Abstract

A sample holder for a suite of synchrotron radiation measurements on extraterrestrial materials, which are fragile and irregularly shaped, was developed using carbon nanotubes and polyimide. The holder enables investigation of such samples with multiple analytical instruments, which means that we can reduce the number of sample transfers between holders. The holder developed in our study also enables investigation of such samples without exposure to the terrestrial atmosphere, which contains abundant contaminants, such as water vapor and organic substances. The stability of the samples in the holder during the measurements and disturbance of the analysis result by the holder were evaluated, which showed that sample drift motion and image disturbance due to x-ray attenuation and scattering of the holder materials are insignificant.

The universal sample holders of microanalytical instruments of FIB, TEM, NanoSIMS, and STXM-NEXAFS for the coordinated analysis of extraterrestrial materials

“…The coordinate analysis proposed in this study has been further developed by related studies (Kodama et al 2020;Shirai et al 2020;Uesugi et al 2020). Kodama et al (2020) described the development of a surface treatment technique using FIB to obtain high-quality electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD) patterns from minerals in AMMs.…”

“…Kodama et al (2020) described the development of a surface treatment technique using FIB to obtain high-quality electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD) patterns from minerals in AMMs. Uesugi et al (2020) developed a vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) holder for synchrotron-based CT and XRD analyses. Shirai et al (2020) stated that the elemental abundances of VACNT, polyimide film, and synthetic quartz glass will be used for the analysis of the Ryugu samples to evaluate possible contaminations during the sample handling process.…”

A preparation sequence for multi‐analysis of µm‐sized extraterrestrial and geological samples

“…Those sequences either consisted of successive analyses on the same thin section such as XANES (X-ray absorption near edge structure), TEM, and finally NanoSIMS which, in the end, consumed integrally the section (e.g., Stadermann et al 2005;Zolensky et al 2008;De Gregorio et al 2011), or consisted of 3-D-XCT (X-ray computed tomography), -XRD (X-ray diffraction), or -XRF (X-ray fluorescence) analyses of a grain subsequently sliced in several sections, which were analyzed independently by different techniques (e.g., TEM or NanoSIMS, Nakamura et al 2011;Matsumoto et al 2019). Recent approaches to address this issue were to develop specific sample holders allowing multianalyses (Ito et al 2020) with limited contamination (Shirai et al 2020;Uesugi et al 2020) or to increase the number of prepared samples from a single grain (e.g., Berger and Keller 2015). However, none of these sequences allowed multi-analyses on the same section in variable order or reanalysis after the sequence was completed.…”

“…2020; Uesugi et al. 2020) or to increase the number of prepared samples from a single grain (e.g., Berger and Keller 2015). However, none of these sequences allowed multi‐analyses on the same section in variable order or reanalysis after the sequence was completed.…”

The effects of possible contamination by sample holders on samples to be returned by Hayabusa2

“…The organic adhesive hindered the analysis of indigenous organic materials (Uesugi et al 2014). To avoid this problem during analyses of Hayabusa2-return samples, Uesugi et al (2020) described a universal sample holder that can be used for the analysis of molecular structures of indigenous organic materials in extraterrestrial samples. A photograph of the new sample holder is shown in Fig.…”