Geological Sciences, Geology and Geochemistry, Geophysical Sciences
University of Chicago
The Origins Laboratory was created in 2004 at the University of Chicago as part of the Department of the Geophysical Sciences and Enrico Fermi Institute.
Our interests are closely tied to the question of origins. Which processes governed the synthesis of the elements? How did matter expelled from the successive generations of stars contribute to shape the cosmic abundances of the elements? How and when did solar system bodies such as planets, asteroids, and comets form? How did the Earth get its wet atmosphere? How did the surface and environment of the Earth evolve through time? To address these questions, we study the natural distribution of elements and isotopes using various instruments designed for separating nuclides according to their mass.