Development of a sample holder for synchrotron radiation-based computed tomography and diffraction analysis of extraterrestrial materials

Masayuki Uesugi; Kaori Hirahara; Kentaro Uesugi; Akihisa Takeuchi; Yuzuru Karouji; Naoki Shirai; Motoo Ito; Naotaka Tomioka; Takuji Ohigashi; Akira Yamaguchi; Naoya Imae; Toru Yada; Masanao Abe

doi:10.1063/1.5122672

Development of a sample holder for synchrotron radiation-based computed tomography and diffraction analysis of extraterrestrial materials

Rev Sci Instrum. 2020 Mar 1;91(3):035107. doi: 10.1063/1.5122672.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI/SPring-8), 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5198, Japan.
² Department Mechanical Engineering and Center for Atomic and Molecular Technology, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
³ JAXA Space Exploration Center, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), 3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5210, Japan.
⁴ Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan.
⁵ Kochi Institute for Core Sample Research, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science Technology (JAMSTEC), 200 Monobe Otsu, Nankoku, Kochi 783-8502, Japan.
⁶ UVSOR Facility, Institute for Molecular Science, 38 Nishigo-Naka, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan.
⁷ Antarctic Meteorite Research Center, National Institute of Polar Research, Tokyo 173-8515, Japan.
⁸ Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), 3-1-1, Yoshinodai, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5210, Japan.

PMID: 32259948
DOI: 10.1063/1.5122672

Abstract

A sample holder for a suite of synchrotron radiation measurements on extraterrestrial materials, which are fragile and irregularly shaped, was developed using carbon nanotubes and polyimide. The holder enables investigation of such samples with multiple analytical instruments, which means that we can reduce the number of sample transfers between holders. The holder developed in our study also enables investigation of such samples without exposure to the terrestrial atmosphere, which contains abundant contaminants, such as water vapor and organic substances. The stability of the samples in the holder during the measurements and disturbance of the analysis result by the holder were evaluated, which showed that sample drift motion and image disturbance due to x-ray attenuation and scattering of the holder materials are insignificant.