High resolution neutron imaging of microfossils

Abstract

Fossil specimen with age in the scale of several billions years can be found hidden in chalk sediments where only a small amount of carbon remains from plant cells embedded in the form of thin interlayers. For their study it is desired to identify such fossils nondestructively. In this work we investigate the possibility to image the tiny carbon structures inside of the relatively high Z mineral material using thermal neutrons. Both micro metric scale spatial resolution and detectability of micrograms of carbon are required for the detection and visualization of microfossils.