In a recent BBC news feature, the UK’s Open University made headlines for being the only institution in the country granted access to lunar dust returned by China’s Chang’e 5 mission—the first lunar sample return in nearly 50 years. The tiny, 60mg sample of Moon rock is now housed in a secure facility in Milton Keynes, where Professor Mahesh Anand and his team are preparing to conduct groundbreaking research. Their work aims to answer fundamental questions about the Moon’s formation and the early history of Earth. Among the cutting-edge tools enabling this research is a bespoke analytical system called Finesse, much of which was hand-built by technician Sasha Verchovsky. This precision instrument is central to the team’s ability to measure isotopic compositions of carbon, nitrogen, and noble gases from such rare extraterrestrial materials.
A Dual-Spectrometer Powerhouse
Finesse is a complex system consisting of two magnetic sector mass spectrometers and a Hiden Analytical quadrupole mass spectrometer. This combination allows researchers to perform a full suite of isotopic and evolved gas analyses (EGA) on a single sample in a fully automated, computer-controlled workflow. The system runs on a custom-built LabVIEW software platform, ensuring seamless integration and high-throughput analysis.
One of Finesse’s standout features is its ability to simultaneously analyse all elements from a sample in static vacuum mode. This capability is critical when working with rare and precious extraterrestrial materials, where sample preservation is essential and opportunities for repeat measurements are limited.
Hiden’s Role in Isotopic and EGA Analysis
At the heart of the evolved gas analysis is the Hiden Analytical quadrupole mass spectrometer, which plays a dual role in the Finesse system:
Isotopic Composition: It is used to precisely measure the isotopic ratios of neon (Ne) and xenon (Xe) under static vacuum conditions.
Evolved Gas Quantification: The same instrument determines the concentrations and release patterns of key volatiles, including H₂, H₂O, CO, N₂, CO₂, O₂, and SO₂.
This dual-functionality not only streamlines the analytical process but also ensures a high level of reproducibility and precision, especially important in comparative studies across different types of extraterrestrial samples.
Analysing the Universe, One Sample at a Time
Finesse has been instrumental in analysing a wide range of extraterrestrial materials, including:
- UK meteorite falls, such as the widely publicised Winchcombe meteorite.
- Lunar samples returned by the Apollo and Luna missions.
- Samples from asteroids Ryugu and Bennu, delivered to Earth by the Hayabusa2 and OSIRIS-REx missions.
Publications:
Mortimer, J., Verchovsky, A. B., Anand, M. (2016). Predominantly non-solar origin of nitrogen in lunar soils. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 193, 36–53.
King, A. J., et al. (2022). The Winchcombe meteorite, a unique and pristine witness from the outer solar system. Science Advances, 8. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq3925
Verchovsky, A. B., et al. (2024). Quantitative evolved gas analysis: Winchcombe in comparison with other CM2 meteorites. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 59, 1145–1169.
Verchovsky, A. B., et al. (2024). A primordial noble gas component discovered in the Ryugu asteroid and its implications. Nature Communications.
