Electron Probe Microanalysis (EPMA), also known simply as "microprobe" analysis, is the best choice for all suspected meteorites that are not completely metallic. As long as the sample has some rocky material the EPMA option is appropriate.
*If your sample is completely metallic, then XRF analysis is the correct service option to determine if your sample is an iron meteorite. After XRF analysis has determined the sample is an iron meteorite, we will recommend you to another laboratory that specializes in SF ICP MS or INNA analysis for iron meteorites.
What you need to do: provide LMAC with an approximately 30 gram (or larger) representative sample from the main mass of the suspected meteorite.
*After checkout, you will be sent an email with instructions for submitting your sample and payment if you did not use PayPal. **Please note that samples will not be returned.
***IMPORTANT - you must provide a working email address, as this is the only way LMAC will be able to communicate with you regarding the status of your submission(s). Unfortunately the Laboratory for Meteorite Analysis and Classification does not have the resources to discuss sample status over the phone. It is therefor critical that you provide LMAC with a valid email and update your email with LMAC should it change during the course of the analysis process.
What we do: we will prepare the sample, perform diagnostic microprobe analysis to determine specific elemental ratios for olivine, pyroxenes, feldspars, and certain opaques to establish if the sample is a meteorite or not. If and only if the sample is a meteorite, we will then determine exactly what type of meteorite it is and create and submit a writeup to the Meteoritical Society's Nomenclature Committee for approval, official name, and publication in the Meteoritical Bulletin.
Summary of Standard Analysis & Classification Service
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Sample Prep - Making of one 25mm probe mount or thin section required for microprobe analysis. These are donated with the repository material for archival and future research.
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Type Donation Processing & Management - According to the rules set forth by the Meteoritical Society, 20 grams or 20% of the total known weight of the specimens (TKW), whichever is less, must be donated to an approved repository in order to receive an official name, and have it published in the Meteoritical Bulletin. LMAC will verify, approve, and transfer the Type Donation to the TCU repository, or another Meteoritical Society approved repository.
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Microprobe Analysis - Specimen specific geochemical and petrographic analysis prescribed by the classifying researcher and the microprobe lab manager.
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Classification - Initial determination establishing if the sample is a meteorite or not. If the sample is determined to be a meteorite, then exactly what classification.
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Write-up & Submission - If sample is a meteorite, LMAC will synthesize the analysis data into an accurate, well formed, and defensible classification writeup for submission to the Nomenclature Committee for approval, official name or DCA number, and publication in the Meteoritical Bulletin.
- Report - A customized comprehensive analysis report in PDF format will emailed to the email on file.
There are times when it may be necessary to perform oxygen isotopic analysis, optical microscopy, or additional microprobe analysis, in addition to the standard minimum electron microprobe analysis. All submissions slated for classification and submission to Nomenclature Committee for official name and publication in the Meteoritical Bulletin, require a minimum of EPMA analysis. However, in most cases EPMA analysis is sufficient.