The multidisciplinarity of spectromicroscopy: from geomicrobiology to archaeology

Synchrotron X-ray PhotoElectron Emission Microscopy (X-PEEM) is a useful to ol to investigate the microchemical composition of a variety of different s amples, including cells in culture, tissue sections, magnetic material, bac teria, rocks, materials science, tribology and archaeology specimens. The M EPHISTO X-PEEM, installed at the Wisconsin Synchrotron Radiation Center, re ached a peak resolution of 20 nm, has been extensively used for the last 4 years to explore all of the above systems. The experiments reported here ar e some of the most unusual ones for this technique: ZnS precipitating bacte ria, Mn and Fe oxide rocks and archaeological coins. The microchemistry of each one of these samples delivered new results. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.