Noblesse Noble gas mass spectrometer :
It is a magnetic sector mass spectrometer with
multi collection facility. The mass spectroemter is tuned to measure all isotopes of noble
gases (stable), He (3,4), Ne (20,21,22), Ar (36,38,40), Kr (78, 80, 82, 83, 84, 86),
Xenon (124, 126, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 134, 136)
Tuned to measure Nitrogen isotopes
All measurements (He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, and N2) are performed in single aliquot extraction
Laser Microprobe
-Technique for single grain analysis,
e.g. separated Chondrules from chondrites. It consists of a Nd:YAG
laser, wavelength 1.06 micron. The Laser is operated in CW mode. The output power is
18W @1.06 micron,for CW operation.
Vacuum crusher-
Crushing of sample in UHV. Special interest like gases trapped in voids/holes when the rock formed.
Resistance Furnace : Bulk meteorite
analysis. Sample is heated in UHV using resistant heating method
Combustion system :
Sample is combusted in the oxygen environment at high pressure.
Current
Research activities
E
xtraterrestrial
Early Solar System
processes :Pre-compaction of chondrules : (Dhajala) Isotopic composition of trapped noble gases and nitrogen in meteorites :
Interior of Mars through Martian Meteorites :
Shergotty, Tissint (Mahajan and Sarbadhikari, 2021)
Nakhla, Chassigny, Y000593, Mil03346
Cosmic Ray exposure ages of meteorites:
Study of recently fallen
Indian meteorites : Komargaon (now Kamargaon), Karimati, Lohawat,
Katol, Itawa Bhopji, Kendrapara, Devri-Khera, Didwana-Rajod,
Jodiya, Jalangi, Kaprada, Mahadevpur [See Mahajan 2022
Advances in Space Research]
Noble gas isotopic study in ordinary chondrites:
Neon isotopes (Kumar et al. 2021)
Nitrogen isotopic study : Zag, ALH 77216.
Chondrules : Parsa, Chainpur.
Selected
" Petrogenesis of the new Rantila meteorite fall and implications for the origin of aubrites",
Y. Srivastava, A. Basu Sarbadhikari, V. M. Nair, A. Kumar, Y. Kadlag, R. R. Mahajan, N. Srivastava,
N. Panwar, A. Das, R. Tanaka, J. M.D. Day, A. D. Shukla, D. Ray, A. J. Verma, A. Rani,
G. Arora, D. K. Panda, S. Vijayan, and A. Bhardwaj,
Meteoritics & Planetary Science
In press
"Classifying meteorites with MetNet: A deep learning approach using reflectance
spectroscopy", R. Nath, S. Mali, Denesh K., N. Panwar, A. J. Verma,
A. Kumar, R. R. Mahajan, A. Basu Sarbadhikari, M. E. Varela,
S. A. Ehgamberdiev, T. Kapadia, and N. Srivastava.
Meteoritics & Planetary Science
In press
"Chondrules from the ordinary chondrite Itawa Bhopji (L3-5): Noble gases and nitrogen",
R. R. Mahajan Planetary and Space Science
2024.
"Nitrogen isotopic ratio and abundance in selected ordinary chondrites: clues for their formation in proto-planetary disk",
R. R. Mahajan Astrophysics and Space Science
Vol. 368, 101, 2023.
"Investigating noble gases and nitrogen in Zag (H3-6) and ALH 77216 (L3.7-3.9):
The ordinary chondrites with solar type neon and argon", R. R. Mahajan Polar Science
100966, 2023.
"Noble gases, cosmic ray exposure and radiogenic ages in
selected ordinary chondrites", R. R. Mahajan
Advances in Space Research 2022, 70, 2112-2132.
"Cosmogenic records and noble gases in Mukundpura CM2.0 carbonaceous chondrite",
R. R. Mahajan, D. Raychaudhuri, A. Dutta, A. D. Shukla
Planetary and Space Science Vol. 215,
105465, 2022.
"Noble gases and nitrogen in CV3 chondrite Bukhara", R. R. Mahajan, S. A. Ehgamberdiev and S. Naik
Planetary and Space Science2021
"Laser microprobe noble gas and nitrogen analysis of chondrules from
the Dhajala chondrite", R. R. Mahajan Meteoritics and Planetary
Science2020
"Noble gases and nitrogen in metal from the ordinary chondrites Katol
(L6), Itawa Bhopji (L3-5), and Portales Valley (H6)",R. R. Mahajan
Astrophysics and
Space Science 2020
"Exposure ages, noble gases and nitrogen in the ordinary chondrite
Karimati (L5)"R. R. Mahajan Earth, Moon, and Planets 2020
"Noble gas, nitrogen composition and cosmic ray exposure history of
two eucrites Vissannapeta, Piplia Kalan and one howardite Lohawat",
R. R. Mahajan et al.,
Planetay and Space Science V. 165, p. 23-30, 2019
"Noble gases, nitrogen cosmic ray exposure history and mineralogy of
Beni M'hira (L6) chondrite", Ramakant R. Mahajan et al.,
Planetary and Space Science V. 152, pp. 136-141, 2018
------------
Page designed and maintained by "Ramakant R. Mahajan" Planetary Science Division
Physical Research Laboratory,
Ahmedabad-380009
India.
Phone: 91-79-26314411 and 26314410
Email: ramakant [AT] prl.res.in
