PRECISE
Purdue Resources Empowering Coordinated Investigations for Sample Exploration
Deciphering the history of our solar system through coordinated analyses of planetary materials and analogs.
PRECISE provides no-cost access to 13 world-class laboratories, serving research spanning three themes, including Solar System Isotopes and Chronology, Coordinated Composition, Microstructure, and Magnetism, and Bridging the Gap Between Remote Observations and Laboratory Science. Sample analysis at PRECISE is free for outside users. Read more about the laboratory instruments below.
Contact information: reach out to PI Michelle Thompson at mthompson@purdue.edu to discuss your project with our team.
We are Hiring! Check out the links for our Research Associate in noble gas and PRIME lab and our postdoctoral position in laboratory spectroscopy.
Solar System Isotopes and Chronology
Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry (TIMS)
The IsotopX PheoniX TIMS is primarily used to make high precision U and Pb isotopic measurements for geochronology. Users will have access to a full suite of reference materials and isotopic tracers for Pb-Pb cosmochronology which are essential for making the most precise and accurate measurements of early solar system materials.
Leads: Dr. Mike Eddy and Dr. Ryan Ickert
Ion Chromatography and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometers (ICP-MS)
The Thermo Fisher Scientific Neoma MC-ICP-MS and the Thermo Fisher iCap RQ single quadrupole ICP-MS instruments are used to analyze the major/minor/trace elemental and isotopic compositions of a wide range of planetary minerals at a range of spatial scales.
Lead: Dr. Roger Bryant
Noble Gas Mass Spectrometry
The Isotopx NGX multi-collector sector field mass spectrometer will be available to users for the analysis radiogenic and cosmogenic isotopes of helium and neon (with the capability to measure all noble gases) to perform of low-temperature thermochronological measurements of planetary materials.
Lead: Dr. Marissa Tremblay
Purdue Rare Isotope Measurement (PRIME) Lab
The Purdue accelerator mass spectrometer (AMS) in the PRIME will be available to PRECISE users to enable the measurement of rare radionuclides formed from cosmic ray interactions or other nucleogenic processes that are found in extraterrestrial materials.
Lead: Dr. Marc Caffee
Coordinated Composition, Microstructure, and Magnetism
X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT)
The Zeiss Versa 510 High-Resolution 3D X-ray Tomography Microscope System will provide provides 3D spatial information on the distribution of minerals or other features in planetary materials and analogs. Initial 3D imaging enables target identification for more detailed chemical analysis with other techniques.
Lead: Dr. Michelle Thompson
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)
The cold field-emission 30 keV Hitachi S-4800 SEM is equipped with secondary electron and backscattered electron detectors and an Oxford silicon-drift energy-dispersive x-ray detector (EDS) detector for performing chemical analyses will be available for the structural and chemical characterization of planetary materials.
Lead: Dr. Michelle Thompson
Focused Ion Beam (FIB-SEM)
The Thermo Fisher Helios G4 dual-beam FIB is capable of high spatial resolution imaging and ion beam cross sectioning of samples for transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The FIB is equipped with BSE and SE detectors, a Ga ion source, a Thermo EasyLift in situ micromanipulator, and an Oxford EDS detector for chemical mapping and a Symmetry S3 electron backscatter diffraction detector (EBSD) for crystallographic analysis.
Lead: Dr. Michelle Thompson
Electron Probe MicroAnalyzer (EPMA): Coming in 2025!
We will acquire a JEOL field EPMA in 2025, equipped with five wavelength dispersive X-ray spectrometers (WDS) and an EDS detector to enable non-destructive quantitative chemical analysis at the microscale.
Leads: Dr. Kelsey Prissel and Dr. Tabb Prissel
Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)
To probe planetary sample mineralogy, chemistry, and structure at the atomic scale, user will have access to the field-emission aberration-corrected Thermo Themis Z scanning TEM (STEM) equipped with an Oxford Super-X EDS system for rapid qualitative or quantitative chemical mapping of samples and a Quantum 965 electron energy-loss spectrometer (EELS) spectrometer enabling measurement of light elements, oxidation states, and coordination environments. Users will also have access to cryogenic and heating sample stages.
Lead: Dr. Michelle Thompson
Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LC MS): Coming in 2025!
To perform high resolution, high sensitivity analysis and quantification of simple and complex organics present in planetary samples, users will have access to the LC Orbitrap MS instrument to characterize species in the mass/charge (m/z) = 30 to 2000 amu range in 2025.
Lead: Dr. Ben Pearce
Purdue Magnetics Laboratory: Coming in 2025!
Users will have an opportunity to measure the magnetic field and magnetic properties of planetary materials in 2025 using the Magnetic Measurements Super Cooled Thermal Demagnetizer oven and the Mag-Instruments tumbler demagnetizer setups for paleomagnetic experiments, and two magnetometers, including a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) microscope and a Mag-Instruments ultrasensitive spinner magnetometer (USM), all housed in a magnetically shielded room. In addition, a quantum diamond microscope (QDM) will be acquired in 2025.
Lead: Dr. Cauê Borlina
Bridging the Gap Between Remote Observations and Laboratory Science
Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)
The LIBS instruments includes a Lumibird QSmart Nd:YAG laser and three Ocean Insight HR 4000 asymmetric crossed Czerny-Turner fiber-fed optical spectrometers, apectral ranges and resolutions equal or exceed those of ChemCam and SuperCam. The LIBS lab also includes a SciAps Z903 handheld LIBS instrument, and users can perform analyses of samples on the tabletop, in vacuum, or in a simulated Mars atmosphere.
Leads: Dr. Roger Wiens and Dr. Candice Bedford
Reflectance Spectroscopy Lab
Users will have access to hyperspectral VNIR/SWIR reflectance spectroscopy instruments (0.35-2.5 μm), including hyperspectral microscopic imaging, as well as hemispherical and bi-directional measurements for solid and powdered samples. Additional FTIR capabilities, diffuse reflectance, and environmental chambers are under development. Field portable instruments can be loaned to PRECISE users to conduct planetary analog fieldwork.
Lead: Dr. Briony Horgan