Laser ablation in liquid (LAL) is widely used for the micro fabrications or production of nano-particles of various materials. In this study, we have evaluated the analytical capability of the LAL as a new sampling technique for elemental and isotopic analysis of solid samples. The solid sample was set into the deionized water, and the laser ablation was carried out within the water using a Ti:S femtosecond laser operating at fundamental wavelength (780 nm). The laser-induced sample particles were directly trapped and collected in the ambient water with high efficiency. We have investigated the possible elemental and isotopic fractionation during the LAL sampling. Five isotopic ratios (²⁰⁸Pb/²³⁸U, ²³⁸U/²³²Th, ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁶Pb, ⁵⁶Fe/⁵⁴Fe and ⁵⁷Fe/⁵⁴Fe) were measured on the resulting sample particles obtained with various ablation conditions (fluence and repetition rate) using ICP-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Series of experiments revealed that either with the higher fluence (>200 J cm⁻²) or with higher repetition rate (>250 Hz), the resulting ²⁰⁸Pb/²³⁸U ratios varied significantly (>1%) from those obtained with source materials (hence, NIST SRM 610). For the ²³⁸U/²³²Th, ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁶Pb, ⁵⁶Fe/⁵⁴Fe and ⁵⁷Fe/⁵⁴Fe ratios, the measured values did not vary measurably (<0.5%) under the LAL conditions employed here. The data obtained here demonstrate clearly that the LAL technique can be applied for the elemental and isotopic analyses with the careful optimization of laser ablation conditions.

Nucleosynthetic isotope anomalies in meteorites are useful for investigating the origin of materials in the protoplanetary disk and dynamical processes of planetary formation. In particular, calcium and aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) found in chondrites are key minerals for decoding the initial conditions of the solar system before the accretion of small planetary bodies. In this study, we report isotopic analyses for three Allende CAIs, fluffy type A (FTA), type B, and fine-grained spinel rich (FS) inclusions, with a specific emphasis on the measurements of ⁸⁴Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios. It was found that the average μ ⁸⁴Sr values (10⁶ relative deviations from a standard material) were 175, 129, and 56 ppm for the samples of FTA, type B, and FS inclusions, respectively. Additionally, the FTA samples exhibited heterogeneous μ ⁸⁴Sr values, while those for the type B and FS inclusions were homogeneous within individual inclusions. The elevated μ ⁸⁴Sr values were most likely explained by the relative enrichment of r-process nuclides in the CAI formation region. The variation of μ ⁸⁴Sr values between the FTA and type B inclusions, as well as within the FTA inclusion, suggests the presence of multiple CAI source reservoirs with distinct isotopic compositions, which is either inherited from isotopic heterogeneity in the molecular cloud or caused by the selective destruction of r-process-enriched supernova grains via nebular thermal processing. On the other hand, the reaction between a refractory precursor of the FS inclusion and a gaseous reservoir enriched in Mg, Si, and ¹⁶O resulted in the lowest μ ⁸⁴Sr values for the FS inclusion.

Zircon is resistant to alteration over a wide range of geological environments, and isotopic ratios within the mineral provide constraints on ages and their parental magmas. Trace element compositions in zircon are also expected to reflect those of their parent magmas, and have a potential as essential indicators for their host rocks. Because most detrital zircons that accumulate at river mouths are derived primarily from granitoids, the classification of zircon within granitoids is potentially meaningful. This study employs the conventional classification scheme of granites (I‐, S‐, M‐, and A‐types). To clarify geochemical characteristics of zircons in A‐type granites, trace element compositions of zircons extracted from the A‐type Ashizuri granitoids were examined. Zircons from the Ashizuri granitoids commonly show enrichments of heavy rare earth elements and positive Ce anomalies, indicating that these zircons were igneous in origin. In addition, zircons in these A‐type granites are characterized by enrichments of Nb, Y, Ta, Th, and U and strong negative Eu anomalies, which exhibit good positive correlations with those in their whole rocks. This fact indicates that these signatures in zircons reflect well those in their parental bodies and are useful in identifying zircons derived from A‐type granite. Based on compilations of available data, zircons from A‐type granites can be clearly discriminated from other‐types of granites within Nb/Sr–Eu anomaly, U/Sr–Eu anomaly, Nb/Sr–U/Sr, and Nb/Sr–Ta/Sr cross‐plots. All indices used in these diagrams were selected based on the geochemical features of both zircon and whole rock of A‐type granites. Application of these discrimination diagrams to detrital zircons will likely provide further insights. For example, some Hadean detrital zircons plot in similar fields to A‐type granites, implying the existence of A‐type magmatism in the Earth's earliest history.