| Issue |
EPJ Web Conf.
Volume 349, 2026
18th European Workshop on Modern Developments and Applications in Microbeam Analysis (EMAS 2025)
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Article Number | 01009 | |
| Number of page(s) | 14 | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202634901009 | |
| Published online | 29 January 2026 | |
https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202634901009
Nanomineralogy of planetary materials
School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Published online: 29 January 2026
The scientific significance and scarcity of extraterrestrial rock and mineral samples means that techniques for nanoscale analysis are essential tools for planetary scientists. This review describes some applications of key methods for identifying minerals in meteorites and samples that have been collected and returned by space missions, and for characterising their crystal structure, microstructure, and chemical and isotopic compositions. The techniques covered are electron backscatter diffraction, transmission Kikuchi diffraction, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and atom probe tomography. In the near future, these tools may provide answers to very important questions including whether there is sufficient water on the Moon to support lunar habitats, and did life evolve on Mars.
© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2026
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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