From Earth to Mars: Advanced X-ray Insights into Mineral Structure and Chemistry (19/08/26)
Speaker and Affliation:
Dr. Anusheela Das
Postdoctoral Fellow at Argonne National Laboratory, USA.
When?
19th August, 2026 (Wednesday), 11.30 AM (India Standard Time)
Where
KPA Auditorium, Dept. of Materials Engineering, IISc, Bangalore
Abstract:
Minerals record the structural and chemical signatures of geological and planetary processes across a wide range of length scales. In this seminar, I will present how advanced X-ray characterization techniques can reveal these signatures by combining high-resolution imaging, diffraction, and spectroscopy.
The first part of the talk will focus on the development of coherent X-ray reflectivity for quantitative imaging of mineral surface topography with nanometer-scale sensitivity, providing new insights into surface evolution and defect formation. The second part will highlight my contributions to NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance mission through the calibration and application of the Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL), which uses micro-focused X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy to investigate the elemental composition of Martian rocks and soils.
Together, these studies demonstrate how advanced X-ray methods provide a powerful framework for understanding mineral structure and chemistry, from atomic-scale surface features to planetary materials.