Cosmochemistry research in the UCLA ion microprobe laboratory utilizes isotopic and elemental tracers in all sorts of extraterrestrial materials to study processes associated with the origin and evolution of the Sun and planets. We seek to understand the nucleosynthetic compositions and interactions of presolar materials in the solar nebula, processes and timescales associated with the formation of components of primitive meteorites, as well as the accretion, and early chemical evolution of planetary bodies. Samples studied include primitive meteorites and interplanetary dust particles, as well as materials collected by missions – including lunar samples, comet samples, and solar wind.
Some information about the people in the cosmochemistry group and their personal research interests can be found here. An partial list of publications generatedby the cosmochemistry group can be found here.