Application of the Linkam TS1400XY heating stage to melt inclusion studies

Melt inclusions (MI) trapped in igneous phenocrysts provide one of the best tools available for characterizing magmatic processes. Some MI experience post-entrapment modifications, including crystallization of material on the walls, formation of a vapor bubble containing volatiles originally dissolved in the melt, or partial to complete crystallization of the melt. In these cases, laboratory heating may be necessary to return the MI to its original homogeneous melt state, followed by rapid quenching of the melt to produce a homogeneous glass phase, before microanalyses can be undertaken.Here we describe a series of heating experiments that have been performed on crystallized MI hosted in olivine, clinopyroxene and quartz phenocrysts, using the Linkam TS1400XY microscope heating stage. During the experiments, we have recorded the melting behaviors of the MI up to a maximum temperature of 1360°C. In most of the experiments, the MI were homogenized completely (without crystals or bubbles) and remained homogeneous during quenching to room temperature. The resulting single phase MI contained a homogeneous glass phase. These tests demonstrate the applicability of the Linkam TS1400XY microscope heating stage to homogenize and quench MI to produce homogeneous glasses that can be analyzed with various techniques such as Electron Microprobe (EMP), Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS), Laser ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA ICP-MS), Raman spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, etc.During heating experiments, the optical quality varied greatly between samples and was a function of not only the temperature of observation, but also on the amount of matrix glass attached to the phenocryst, the presence of other MI in the sample which are connected to the outside of the crystal, and the existence of mineral inclusions in the host.

Microstructural Analysis of Rapid Solidification and Undercooling in the Al-Ge System

ABSTRACTSubmicron powders, amorphous films and melt spun ribbons of various Al-Ge alloys have been analyzed to determine the relative roles of undercooling and cooling rate in the production of non-equilibrium structures. All analyses were performed in transmission electron microscopes equipped with energy dispersive x-ray spectrometers. The submicron powders, produced by electro-hydrodynamic atomization, were analyzed in their as-received condition and then annealed and/or melted using the electron beam as a local heating source. Once molten, the liquid droplets were undercooled at different cooling rates by varying the rate of beam obstruction. In this manner, a number of different microstructures were produced. These included metastable crystalline phases and mixed amorphous/crystalline structures. By combining this technique with a microscope heating stage, it was possible to carry out controlled dynamic undercooling experiments and determine phase selection as a function of undercooling and composition. The amorphous films were rapidly heated with the electron beam in the microscope and metastable as well as stable phases were produced. The results of these complementary analyses will be compared and discussed with reference to current models and theories of rapid solidification.