Project Description: Meteorites preserve direct records of solar system formation. Primitive carbonaceous chondrites (>4.5 Ga), rich in carbon, water, and volatiles, provide key insights into the origin of life and the delivery of its ingredients to early Earth.
El Mrira 002, a CM1 carbonaceous chondrite recovered in Morocco in 2025, is dominated by fine-grained matrix with rare chondrule pseudomorphs. Preliminary classification indicates the presence of clay minerals, carbonates, magnetite, iron sulfides, and organic matter, but it remains poorly characterized.
The intern will use optical and electron microscopy (fluorescence microscopy, SEM, and electron microprobe) to study carbon-bearing phases and constrain aqueous alteration on its parent body by: (1) characterizing mineralogy and textures, (2) mapping organics and carbonates using fluorescence imaging, EDS, and BSE, and (3) obtaining compositions with WDS.
NASA Relevance: The project directly addresses the Planetary Science Decadal Survey Priority Science Question #1 (Q1. Evolution of the protoplanetary disk), specifically “Q1.1c How Did the Compositions of the Gas, Dust, Ice, and Organic Components and the Physical Conditions Vary Across the Protoplanetary Disk?”
Work Description:
The intern will:
- complete all lab safety
- work with the mentor to get trained and become an independent user on the different instruments
- work with the mentor to learn how to handle meteorite samples safely
- meet weekly with the mentor to discuss progress
- provide regular progress summary as powerpoint slides
- potentially present the results of the work at the AZ Astrobiology Symposium in Spring 2027
Open or Reserved Project: Reserved/Open, 1 position reserved for student but mentor is willing to work with another student if reserved student isn't selected.