{"id":325,"date":"2024-06-04T15:51:18","date_gmt":"2024-06-04T15:51:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/?page_id=325"},"modified":"2026-03-10T19:05:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T19:05:05","slug":"homepage","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/","title":{"rendered":"ABOUT"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pl-gb325-69db7d3f6ed01\"  class=\"panel-layout\" ><div id=\"pg-gb325-69db7d3f6ed01-0\"  class=\"panel-grid panel-no-style\" ><div id=\"pgc-gb325-69db7d3f6ed01-0-0\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-gb325-69db7d3f6ed01-0-0-0\" class=\"so-panel widget_sow-editor panel-first-child panel-last-child\" data-index=\"0\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-editor so-widget-sow-editor-base\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t>\n<div class=\"siteorigin-widget-tinymce textwidget\">\n\t<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\">Elemental and Isotopic Analysis at the University of Maryland<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"pg-gb325-69db7d3f6ed01-1\"  class=\"panel-grid panel-no-style\" ><div id=\"pgc-gb325-69db7d3f6ed01-1-0\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-gb325-69db7d3f6ed01-1-0-0\" class=\"so-panel widget_sow-image panel-first-child panel-last-child\" data-index=\"1\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-image so-widget-sow-image-default-8b5b6f678277-325\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t>\n<div class=\"sow-image-container\">\n\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" \n\tsrc=\"https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/plasmastaff-1024x439.png\" width=\"1024\" height=\"439\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/plasmastaff-1024x439.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/plasmastaff-300x129.png 300w, https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/plasmastaff-768x329.png 768w, https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/plasmastaff-1300x557.png 1300w, https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/plasmastaff.png 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" alt=\"...\" \t\tclass=\"so-widget-image\"\/>\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"pgc-gb325-69db7d3f6ed01-1-1\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-gb325-69db7d3f6ed01-1-1-0\" class=\"so-panel widget_sow-editor panel-first-child\" data-index=\"2\" ><div class=\"panel-widget-style panel-widget-style-for-gb325-69db7d3f6ed01-1-1-0\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-editor so-widget-sow-editor-base\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t>\n<div class=\"siteorigin-widget-tinymce textwidget\">\n\t<p><span style=\"text-transform:uppercase; font-size:21px; margin:0 0 20px; font-weight:bold;\">News Station<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"panel-gb325-69db7d3f6ed01-1-1-1\" class=\"so-panel widget_metaslider_widget panel-last-child\" data-index=\"3\" ><div id=\"metaslider-id-1566\" style=\"width: 100%; margin: 0 auto;\" class=\"ml-slider-3-107-0 metaslider metaslider-flex metaslider-1566 ml-slider ms-theme-simply-dark nav-hidden\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"News Station\" data-height=\"800\" data-width=\"800\">\n    <div id=\"metaslider_container_1566\">\n        <div id=\"metaslider_1566\">\n            <ul class='slides'>\n                <li style=\"display: block; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-1580 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2024-06-14 19:36:19\" data-filename=\"2019013193059_AlanKaufman.jpg\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/2019013193059_AlanKaufman.jpg\" height=\"800\" width=\"800\" alt=\"Photo of Alan J. Kaufman\" class=\"slider-1566 slide-1580 msDefaultImage\" title=\"Headshots College of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences  Dec. 4 2018\" \/><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\"><div>Congratulations to Alan Jay Kaufman on his promotion to &#8220;Distinguished University Professor&#8221;!<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-1568 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2024-06-14 19:17:27\" data-filename=\"hannah24.png\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/hannah24.png\" height=\"800\" width=\"800\" alt=\"Photo of Hannah Nechin\" class=\"slider-1566 slide-1568 msDefaultImage\" title=\"hannah24\" \/><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\"><div>Congratulations to Hannah Nechin for graduating! She now has a Bachelor of Science<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-1569 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2024-06-14 19:18:26\" data-filename=\"3mt.png\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/3mt.png\" height=\"800\" width=\"800\" alt=\"Photo of Tytrice Faison\" class=\"slider-1566 slide-1569 msDefaultImage\" title=\"3mt\" \/><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\"><div>Congratulations to Tytrice Faison for representing CMNS as a finalist in the UMD Three-Minute Thesis Competition!<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-1648 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2024-08-28 17:36:46\" data-filename=\"Screenshot-2024-08-28-131320-493x493.png\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Screenshot-2024-08-28-131320-493x493.png\" height=\"800\" width=\"800\" alt=\"Photo of Bill McDonough\" class=\"slider-1566 slide-1648 msDefaultImage\" title=\"Screenshot 2024-08-28 131320\" \/><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\"><div>Bill McDonough, founder of the UMD Plasma Lab was honored with three sessions at the 2024 Goldschmidt Conference in Chicago!<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-1650 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2024-08-28 17:39:46\" data-filename=\"Screenshot-2024-08-28-TFMetSoc-2-583x583.png\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Screenshot-2024-08-28-TFMetSoc-2-583x583.png\" height=\"800\" width=\"800\" alt=\"Tytrice Faison presenting at the Meteoritical Society meeting in 2024\" class=\"slider-1566 slide-1650 msDefaultImage\" title=\"Screenshot 2024-08-28 TFMetSoc\" \/><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\"><div>Tytrice Faison presented her first conference talk at MetSoc 2024 in Brussels, Belgium!\u00a0 It was a great success!!<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-1652 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2024-08-28 17:42:22\" data-filename=\"Screenshot-2024-08-28-Ash-616x616.png\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Screenshot-2024-08-28-Ash-616x616.png\" height=\"800\" width=\"800\" alt=\"Photo of Richard Ash\" class=\"slider-1566 slide-1652 msDefaultImage\" title=\"Screenshot 2024-08-28 Ash\" \/><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\"><div>Richard Ash was coaxed out of the lab to give a talk on enstatite chondrites in the Bill McDonough session at Goldschmidt 2024.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li>\n                <li style=\"display: none; width: 100%;\" class=\"slide-1662 ms-image \" aria-roledescription=\"slide\" data-date=\"2024-12-13 17:10:02\" data-filename=\"TytriceAGU-scaled-800x800.jpg\" data-slide-type=\"image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/TytriceAGU-scaled-800x800.jpg\" height=\"800\" width=\"800\" alt=\"Tytrice Faison with her poster at AGU 2024\" class=\"slider-1566 slide-1662 msDefaultImage\" title=\"TytriceAGU\" \/><div class=\"caption-wrap\"><div class=\"caption\"><div>Tytrice Faison&#8217;s poster at the AGU meeting in Washington DC. Geoneutrinos!<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li>\n            <\/ul>\n        <\/div>\n        \n    <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"pg-gb325-69db7d3f6ed01-2\"  class=\"panel-grid panel-no-style\" ><div id=\"pgc-gb325-69db7d3f6ed01-2-0\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-gb325-69db7d3f6ed01-2-0-0\" class=\"so-panel widget_sow-editor panel-first-child panel-last-child\" data-index=\"4\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-editor so-widget-sow-editor-base\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t>\n<div class=\"siteorigin-widget-tinymce textwidget\">\n\t<h2>Purpose<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Plasma Laboratory provides the tools necessary for characterizing the chemical and isotopic compositions of materials, including the ability to provide analyses at micron scale resolution. Our research agenda is broad and reaches beyond the fields of Earth and Planetary Sciences (i.e., including Chemistry, Life Sciences, Material Sciences, Forensic Sciences, Archeology, and beyond).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our primary focus is using the chemical and isotopic analyses of materials to elucidate the processes involved in the origin and evolution of the Earth and other terrestrial bodies in the solar system. Our students and faculty are involved in a spectrum of studies, including crustal differentiation, chemical fractionation processes involved in core-mantle separation, the nature, evolution, and timing of differentiation of planets and planetismals, the condensation behavior of elements in the solar nebula, forensic studies, and other topics. Much of our research is conducted in collaboration with faculty members from other departments at UMD, as well as scientists from other universities and research institutions in this country and abroad.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"pg-gb325-69db7d3f6ed01-3\"  class=\"panel-grid panel-no-style\" ><div id=\"pgc-gb325-69db7d3f6ed01-3-0\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-gb325-69db7d3f6ed01-3-0-0\" class=\"so-panel widget_sow-button panel-first-child panel-last-child\" data-index=\"5\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-button so-widget-sow-button-flat-1edb64e3fa88-325\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t><div class=\"ow-button-base ow-button-align-center\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"sowb-button ow-icon-placement-left ow-button-hover\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" \t>\n\t\t<span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tVisit the Department of Geological, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences Website!\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"pg-gb325-69db7d3f6ed01-4\"  class=\"panel-grid panel-no-style\" ><div id=\"pgc-gb325-69db7d3f6ed01-4-0\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-gb325-69db7d3f6ed01-4-0-0\" class=\"so-panel widget_sow-editor panel-first-child\" data-index=\"6\" ><div class=\"panel-widget-style panel-widget-style-for-gb325-69db7d3f6ed01-4-0-0\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-editor so-widget-sow-editor-base\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t>\n<div class=\"siteorigin-widget-tinymce textwidget\">\n\t<div align=\"center\"><span style=\"text-transform:uppercase; font-size:21px; margin:0 0 20px; font-weight:bold;\">Lab Manager<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"panel-gb325-69db7d3f6ed01-4-0-1\" class=\"so-panel widget_sow-image panel-last-child\" data-index=\"7\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-image so-widget-sow-image-default-72f5ca75b696-325\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t>\n<div class=\"sow-image-container\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/faculty\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" \n\tsrc=\"https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/rdashprof.png\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/rdashprof.png 300w, https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/rdashprof-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" title=\"Lab Manager\" alt=\"Dr. Richard Ash\" \t\tclass=\"so-widget-image\"\/>\n\t\t\t<\/a><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"pgc-gb325-69db7d3f6ed01-4-1\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-gb325-69db7d3f6ed01-4-1-0\" class=\"so-panel widget_sow-editor panel-first-child\" data-index=\"8\" ><div class=\"panel-widget-style panel-widget-style-for-gb325-69db7d3f6ed01-4-1-0\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-editor so-widget-sow-editor-base\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t>\n<div class=\"siteorigin-widget-tinymce textwidget\">\n\t<div align=\"center\"><span style=\"text-transform:uppercase; font-size:21px; margin:0 0 20px; font-weight:bold;\">Instrumentation<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"panel-gb325-69db7d3f6ed01-4-1-1\" class=\"so-panel widget_sow-image panel-last-child\" data-index=\"9\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-image so-widget-sow-image-default-72f5ca75b696-325\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t>\n<div class=\"sow-image-container\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/instrumentation\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" \n\tsrc=\"https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/esl213.png\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/esl213.png 300w, https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/esl213-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" title=\"Instrumentation\" alt=\"Photo of the ESL193 Laser\" \t\tclass=\"so-widget-image\"\/>\n\t\t\t<\/a><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"pgc-gb325-69db7d3f6ed01-4-2\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-gb325-69db7d3f6ed01-4-2-0\" class=\"so-panel widget_sow-editor panel-first-child\" data-index=\"10\" ><div class=\"panel-widget-style panel-widget-style-for-gb325-69db7d3f6ed01-4-2-0\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-editor so-widget-sow-editor-base\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t>\n<div class=\"siteorigin-widget-tinymce textwidget\">\n\t<div align=\"center\"><span style=\"text-transform:uppercase; font-size:21px; margin:0 0 20px; font-weight:bold;\">Research<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"panel-gb325-69db7d3f6ed01-4-2-1\" class=\"so-panel widget_sow-image panel-last-child\" data-index=\"11\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-image so-widget-sow-image-default-72f5ca75b696-325\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t>\n<div class=\"sow-image-container\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/research-2\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" \n\tsrc=\"https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/fgs.png\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/fgs.png 300w, https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/fgs-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" title=\"Research\" alt=\"Photo of a cross section of the Tassedet 004 meteorite\" \t\tclass=\"so-widget-image\"\/>\n\t\t\t<\/a><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Elemental and Isotopic Analysis at the University of Maryland News Station<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-325","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","exalt-entry"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false,"exalt-featured-image":false,"exalt-archive-image":false,"exalt-archive-image-large":false,"exalt-thumbnail":false,"sow-carousel-default":false,"sow-blog-portfolio":false,"sow-blog-grid":false,"sow-blog-alternate":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Tytrice Faison","author_link":"https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/author\/tytricefaison\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Elemental and Isotopic Analysis at the University of Maryland News Station","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/325","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=325"}],"version-history":[{"count":70,"href":"https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/325\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1747,"href":"https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/325\/revisions\/1747"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.geol.umd.edu\/facilities\/plasmalab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=325"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}