LASER ABLATION OF MINERALS AND CHEMICAL DIFFERENTIATION OF THE EJECTA

Ablation of two simple mineral phases, pyrite and olivine, has been performed using a variety of laser conditions. The particulate products of these ablations have been examined morphologically using a scanning electron microscope and chemically using energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Products of both minerals are shown to have undergone a complex heating regime. This resulted in multiple populations of particles with different chemical compositions. The origins of these groups of particles is partially explained by the processes of thermo-mechanical shock, melting and vaporization.