Photostimulated luminescence applicable to pre-screening of potassium-rich phases in chondritic breccias

Yokoyama, Tatsunori   ; Misawa, Keiji*; Okano, Osamu*; Minowa, Haruka*; Fukuoka, Takaaki*

The identification of alkali-rich components in extraterrestrial materials along with their separation from other constituents is indispensable for subsequent cosmochemical and isotopic studies. This paper presents a simple pre-screening method for such materials by autoradiography using imaging plates (IPs), which is applicable to identification of mm-sized samples containing ca. 30 g of potassium in the Yamayo-74442 chondrite. The detection limit of IPs was 1 mBq of K under 49 days exposure. The method provides an opportunity to screen meteorite materials non-destructively and to inexpensively check potassium-rich areas and suitable for the K-Ca and K-Ar (Ar-Ar) age determinations.