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Current Research

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My current research is focused on biomineralised materials such as otoliths ('fish earbones'), sponges, foraminifers, conodonts, human and mammalian teeth, with the aim of developing and applying improved methods for reconstructing past environments and for dating of environmental and archaeological events.

Facilities

I have been involved alongside key technical support personnel in the development and construction of the aperture-imaging ArF (193nm) Excimer laser-ablation microsampling systems at the RSES. These systems are the most advanced laser sampling technology of their kind, offering a unique combination of enhanced sensitivity through He-under-Ar vortex cell design, spatial resolution (<10 to 400x1000microns), precise vertical and horizontal compositional profiling under computer driven stepper-motor control, applicability to a broad range of matrixes (including wide wide-band gap materials e.g. quartz, calcite), and flexible sampling handling capabilities (10x 1" mounts or 3x 1"mounts and 4x 50x25mm thins sections or 2x 100x25mm sections or blocks).

HELEX ArF laser-ablation sampling system.