Using complementary microanalytical techniques to analyse diamond anvil cell experiments

Abstract

Diamond anvil cell (DAC) experiments are being used with increasing frequency to examine deep planetary processes. A variety of analytical techniques are available to characterise the products of high-pressure, high-temperature DAC experiments. Recent developments in both sample preparation and analytical techniques allow in-situ measurements made during experiments (typically synchrotron-source X-ray techniques) to be supplemented and supported by ex-situ measurements made of the extracted experimental sample after the experiment. The combination of complementary microanalytical techniques facilitates the verification of analytical results and allows additional information to be obtained from these technically-challenging experiments. Techniques with differing spatial resolutions can also be effectively used together. This contribution describes some techniques used to analyse the products of DAC experiments, and discusses example case studies from the Earth and planetary sciences where the combination of several complementary techniques has resulted in important additional insight into the interpretation of DAC experimental results.