This award will provide half the funds needed to acquire a laser-ablation sampler for the inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometer system installed in the Department of Geological Sciences at Cornell University. The addition of this laser device will significantly enhance capabilities for trace element analysis. Laser ablation provides the opportunity for microanalysis and in situ analysis with excellent spatial resolution. This laser device will be used in trace element partitioning studies in both natural and experimental rock systems. Analytical studies of mantle and crustal xenoliths are also planned.
