NanoPaleoMagnetism

Preparations are well under way for our upcoming trip to the BESSYII Synchrotron in Berlin, with just one week to go before our beam time starts. James and Claire have been busy in the polishing labs, preparing a whole suite of meteorite samples for examination using X-ray Photoemission Electron Microscopy. This technique works by exciting electrons from the surface of a sample using circularly polarised X-rays. The intensity of electrons emitted depends on the projection of magnetisation along the incident X-ray direction. Under ideal conditions the spatial resolution of the method can reach 30 nm or less, with a field of view of up to 70 microns – perfect for examining the magnetic signals recorded at the nanoscale in meteoritic metal. Look out for updates as the first major experimental effort of the NPM project begins next week!

BESSYII – Here we come!