Laser ablation of minerals and chemical differentiation of the ejecta

Abstract

Ablation of two simple mineral phases, pyrite and olivine, has been performed using a variety of laser conditions. The particulate products of these ablations have been examined morphologically using a scanning electron microscope and chemically using energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Products of both minerals are shown to have undergone a complex heating regime. This resulted in multiple populations of particles with different chemical compositions. The origins of these groups of particles is partially explained by the processes of thermomechanical shock, melting and vaporization.