Kevin D. McKeegan W.M. Keck Foundation Center for Isotope Geochemistry Ion Microprobe Specialist kdm@ess.ucla.edu

Research Interests: 
Astrophysical and cosmochemical problems relating to nucleosynthesis and the origin and evolution of the solar system; isotopic anomalies in meteorites and interplanetary dust; development of in situ techniques for oxygen isotope measurements; oxygen self-diffusion in refractory oxide and silicate minerals; geochemical evidence for the origin of life; U/Th/Pb dating of accessory minerals; thermochronology; secondary ion mass spectrometry technique development; fundamental physics of secondary ion formation.

Current Projects:

• Oxygen isotopic anomalies in primitive solar system materials, e.g., CAIs, CI olivine, micrometeorites, interplanetary dust.
• Processes of low-T alteration on meteorite parent bodies as studied by stable isotope analysis.
• U, Th, Pb dating of accessory minerals (monazite, zircon) by ion microprobe
• Laboratory determination of diffusion rates of O and radiogenic elements in various minerals (garnet, monazite).
• C isotopic ratio measurements in graphitic inclusions from banded iron formation: evidence for life at 3.8 Ga
• Refinement of techniques for precise isotopic ratio and trace element abundance measurements by secondary ion mass spectrometry.

to contact me:

Department of Earth and Space Sciences University of California, Los Angeles  Los Angeles, CA 90095-1567  Office: (310) 825-3580 Lab: (310) 825-4328 Fax: (310) 825-2779 kdm@ess.ucla.edu

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