Journal Article

Development of a new sample holder and sample holder container for coordinated surface analyses (micro-IR, XPS, FE-SEM, and micro-Raman) and ion irradiation experiments of extraterrestrial materials

Sciré, Carlotta, Catelani, Tiziano, Palomba, Ernesto, Caporali, Stefano, Rubino, Stefano, Shehaj, Xhonatan, Baratta, Giuseppe, Cortigiani, Brunetto, Dirri, Fabrizio, Scarpellini, Alice, Occhipinti, Gianfranco, Angrisani, Marianna, Longobardo, Andrea, Pratesi, Giovanni, Franza, Annarita

2025

Overview

The Hayabusa2 and OSIRIS-REx missions have successfully returned pristine materials from the carbonaceous asteroids Ryugu and Bennu, respectively. These missions offer a unique opportunity to study space weathering processes, primarily driven by solar wind irradiation and micrometeorite bombardment, which continuously affect the surface of airless bodies. Coordinated surface and sub-surface techniques, including micro-infrared spectroscopy (micro-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and micro-Raman spectroscopy, have proven particularly valuable for unveiling the nature of these intricate processes. However, a sample holder specifically designed for extraterrestrial samples to facilitate coordinated surface analyses has yet to be reported. This study presents the development and application of a new sample holder (SH) and sample holder container (SHC), specifically designed to optimize the efficiency of coordinated surface analyses of extraterrestrial materials while preserving their integrity. The SH securely holds irregular millimeter-sized, high-friable grains (e.g., Ivuna-type carbonaceous chondrites) for sequential analyses such as micro-IR, XPS, FE-SEM, micro-Raman, and ion irradiation. The latter is critical for simulating space weathering processes. The SH was designed with high-purity materials, including molybdenum and alumina (Al 2 O 3 ), ensuring low chemical contamination risk and high-mechanical stability. The SHC complements this setup by providing a secure solution for transporting samples among different facilities. It allow to maintain an inert gas environment or high vacuum condition to prevent contamination from exposure to the terrestrial atmosphere. This combined system was successfully applied in the coordinated surface analysis of two Ryugu grains, preserving their chemical and physical integrity while facilitating detailed investigations into space weathering effects. These technical advancements provide a robust framework for multidisciplinary research on sensitive extraterrestrial materials, ensuring accurate and precise results and securing sample integrity throughout the coordinated analyses. Graphical Abstract

• Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg,Springer,Springer Nature B.V,SpringerOpen
• Subject: 7. Planetary science / Aluminum oxide / Asteroids / Carbonaceous chondrites / Chemical contamination / Chemical pollution / Chondrites / Composition / Containers / Contamination / Earth and Environmental Science / Earth Sciences / Electron microscopes / Electron microscopy / Extraterrestrial environments / Extraterrestrial materials / Extraterrestrial matter / Field emission microscopy / Field emission spectroscopy / Friability / Geology / Geophysics/Geodesy / High vacuum / Infrared spectroscopy / Integrity / Ion irradiation / Irradiation / Laboratories / Methods / Micrometeorites / Molybdenum / Mounting procedures / Multidisciplinary research / Photoelectrons / Raman spectroscopy / Rare gases / Ryugu returned grains / Sample holder / Sample holders / Scanning electron microscopy / Solar wind / Space environment / Space environment simulation / Space weathering / Spectrum analysis / Surface analyses / Surface analysis (chemical) / Testing / Weathering / X ray photoelectron spectroscopy