This award provides funding for acquisition of a micro-FTIR and micro-Raman spectrometers for petrological, mineralogical and biogeochemical research. The instrumentation will allow hyperspectral imaging at spatial resolution necessary for various research projects. The instrumentation will enhance existing funded research but will also be used to complete exploratory pilot research aimed at enhancing future proposals. Current and pending research involves mineralogical petrology, cement and coatings effects on remotely sensed infrared spectra, deep-sea vent Fe-S mineral and organic chemistry, sulfide particle-living cell interactions, volatile effects on mineral/melt equilibria, marine sediment early diagenesis and its alteration by bottom-dwelling animals, high-pressure carbonate geophysics and chemistry, pressure-induced polymerization, organic matter distribution in sedimentary carbonate rocks, and investigating Marian aqueous processes. Leveraged NASA funds will be used to purchase vibration-resistant optical benches for the new instruments. The PI will conduct user training for all new users and has committed 10% time to setup, calibration and training. The instrumentation will be used by members of the Geosciences, Marine Sciences and Chemistry Departments. In addition, users will come from the Mineral Physics Institute. Stony Brook will also incorporate these instruments into existing IGERT and CIDER activities. Instruments will be incorporated into undergraduate and graduate courses covering mineralogy, spectroscopy and remote sensing.
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This NSF Major research instrumentation grant allowed us to purchase two major pieces of research equipment: 1) a Nicolet iN10MX Micro-FTIR spectrometer, and 2) a WITec alpha300 Confocal Raman Microscope system. Both of these instruments are used to investigate the compositions of samples at scales of 100's of nanometers to 10's of microns. Samples can be synthetic materials, minerals or rocks, or biological. Though the grant funded only the purchase and installation of these instruments and not science operations, we have initiated several projects utilizing these instruments. The micro-Raman system allows us to investigate how materials change when exposed to high pressures. Using data from this instrument, we are gaining insight into changes in crystal structures of certain minerals when subjected to these high pressures. These results will lead to a greater understanding of the interior of the Earth and other planets. Using both the micro-Raman and micro-FTIR systems, we are investigating the detailed mineralogy and petrography of a suite of samples from Lonar Crater, India. This crater is particularly interesting to planetary scientists as it is the only crater on Earth that impacted into basalt, a volcanic rock. This study is helping us unravel the effects of extremely high impact pressures and temperatures on basaltic rocks. The results of this study will aid in the remote mineralogical analysis of the Moon, Mars, and other planets. Over the course of this grant, we have actively involved students, including minorities and women, in these and other research projects. In doing so, we are contributing to the research experience and graduate education of under-represented groups in the U.S. The instruments funded by this program have been a boon to the Geological Sciences and other departments at Stony Brook University. They will aid greatly in the preparation and execution of future NSF and NASA grant proposals.
