A Miniature Electron Probe for In Situ Elemental Microanalysis

We propose to develop a miniature electron probe for in situ elemental microanalysis based on an advanced addressable electron source. This instrument is designed to provide rapid in situ determination of the elemental compositions of solar system rocks, soils, and ices (including the light elements C, N, O, and F) and to map the compositions of planetary materials at sub-millimeter-scale resolution. The effort covered by this proposal is intended to develop the addressable cathode instrument concept from TRL 2 to TRL 4, resulting in a working benchtop demonstration system.