Meteorite research
Aims
- To trace the history of the solar system from the origin of its matter in an interstellar cloud to the formation of the Sun and planets.
- To determine the thermal history of small planets, for its relevance to the origin of the Earth, its atmosphere and life.
- To study the diversity of meteorites and micrometeorites, for information on the sources of material now falling to Earth.
- To study secondary minerals in presumed martian meteorites for information on the near-surface environment on the planet.
Meteorites and micrometeorites (dust-sized grains) are natural objects that survive their fall to Earth from space. Many meteorites have not melted since they formed by the aggregation of diverse materials on asteroids 4,560 million years ago, when various short-lived radionuclides were 'live'. Some of the most primitive of meteorites contain rare grains from the atmospheres of stars. Others are volcanic rocks from asteroids, the Moon and, probably, Mars. Some micrometeorites are fragile and may be our only samples of comets that can be studied in the laboratory.
The Museum houses one of the world's finest collections of meteorites, including some micrometeorites from Antarctic ice. Samples are studied mainly by optical, electron beam and X-ray methods. The data obtained, plus those from collaborators, are used to elucidate the origin and evolution of the Sun and planets.
The team:
Prof Sara Russell
Dr Gretchen Benedix
Dr Caroline Smith
Dr Dominik Hezel
Dr Kieren Howard
Contact: Sara Russell