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Dr. Klaus Keil Office: POST 509B Hawaii Institute of
Geophysics and Planetology, |
I am interested in the origin of solid materials in the solar nebula early in the history of the solar system, and the subsequent accretion into, and evolution of, planetesimals and asteroids. I also study the origin and evolution of Earth's Moon and the planet Mars. This research is carried out on meteorites from asteroids, Moon and Mars, and on returned lunar samples. The aim of my research is to understand the processes that took place in the solar nebula, and the nature of the alterations that these materials underwent in the nebula. I am also interested in the evolution of asteroids, including the complex processes of aqueous alteration, thermal metamorphism, and partial and complete melting. One large area of my research is aimed at understanding the evolution of crusts, mantles and cores of differentiated asteroids and the vast array of igneous processes that may have taken place on these bodies, including volcanism and pyroclastic eruptions and their consequences. I employ optical microscopy, electron microprobe analysis and scanning electron microscopy to the study of these rocks, and I collaborate with scientists from other institutions employing additional analytical tools such as ion microprobe techniques. |
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