Robotic Preparation Of Thin Sections For Planetary Applications

Mathematics – Logic

Scientific paper

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5194 Instruments And Techniques, 5494 Instruments And Techniques, 6094 Instruments And Techniques, 6225 Mars, 6297 Instruments And Techniques

Scientific paper

A petrographic thin section is a rock, mineral or soil sample, mounted on a glass slide and then ground to ap- proximately 30 μm in thickness and subsequently polished with a fine abrasive, often diamond grit. Thin sections are prepared in order to identify mineral types in a rock, to help to reveal the rock's&p origin and evolution. Current in situ instruments on planetary missions, such as various spectrometers are quite capable, but there is of-ten ambiguity as to the exact mineral composition of geological samples. For example, the composition of lunar mare regolith, the underlying basaltic rock, an impact breccia made from the local regolith, or an impact glass made from melted regolith may be quite similar by optical remote sensing, but the materials can all be distinguished using a petrographic thin section. Thin section preparation is an art and not science. The quality of thin section is assessed by a preparer based on his/hers experience. In order to make the robotic thin section device, the first step is to quantify parameters that control the quality of thin sections. These include the thickness and surface roughness. The next step is to develop a robotic device that could take a rock, cut it and grind it to the desired surface thickness and surface roughness. In the first year of this three year effort, the parameters that determine thin section quality have been determined. The test set up for the sawing of rock and grinding/polishing of thin sections is currently being designed. A study is also underway to determine the best method of supporting the thin section during the grinding and polishing stage.

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