COSMOCHEMISTRY
I am a Postdoctoral Scholar at the Chicago Center for Cosmochemistry and the Department of the Geophysical Sciences of the University of Chicago in the group of Prof. Dr. Andrew M. Davis.
Current Projects
We study the elemental and isotopic compositions of presolar grains to understand the presolar history of meteoritic matter. The interdisciplinary field of presolar grain research informally also called Astrophysics in the Laboratory is delivering a wealth of information on stars that are not accessible through astronomical observations. [Read: University of Chicago News Release]
I am also interested in the history of the delivery of extraterrestrial matter to Earth. Therefore, I study the chemical compositions of meteorites and micrometeorites which were preserved in terrestrial sediments. I also study impact craters on Earth and try to identify and analyze impactor material. [Read: ETH Zürich News Release]
Previous Positions and Projects
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•2008–2009: Research Associate, WiscSIMS Laboratory, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Advisors: Dr. Noriko Kita, Prof. Dr. John W. Valley:
High-precision O- and Si-isotope analysis with the Cameca IMS 1280 ion microprobe of Banded Iron Formations. High-precision O-isotope analyses and elemental analyses of fossil meteorites and micrometeorites, and impact crater material. Member of the Wisconsin Astrobiology Research Consortium funded by the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI). -
•2005–2007: Post-doctoral fellow, Max-Planck-Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany, Advisor: PD Dr. Peter Hoppe:
Member of the preliminary examination science team for the first samples of NASA’s Stardust Mission to Comet P/Wild2 [JPL/NASA; Science Special Issue 15 December 2006]. Study of the elemental and isotopic composition of Comet Wild-2 dust.
Study of presolar SiC and graphite grains and rare populations of presolar SiC grains with the NanoSIMS ion-microprobe combined with single-grain noble gas analysis to constrain their origin. -
•2002–2005: Research Assistant and Ph.D. student at ETH Zürich, Switzerland. Advisor: Prof. Dr. Rainer Wieler. My research focussed on multi-isotope studies of individual presolar grains as well as noble gas analyses of fossil meteorites in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Birger Schmitz:
Noble gas analysis of relict chromite grains from fossil meteorites and micrometeorites [read more: Nature, National Geographic, Press Release ETH Zurich].
Helium and neon isotope analyses of single presolar micron-sized grains and interplanetary dust particles.
Peer-Reviewed Publications
18. Heck, P. R., Ushikubo, T., Schmitz, B., Kita, N. T., Spicuzza, M. J. & Valley, J. W., A Single Asteroidal Source For Extraterrestrial Ordovician Chromite Grains from Sweden and China: High-Precision Oxygen Three-Isotope SIMS Analysis. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (in press).
17. Heck, P. R., Amari, S., Hoppe, P., Baur, H., & Wieler, R., Ne Isotopes in Individual Presolar Graphite Grains from the Murchison meteorite together with He, C, O, Mg-Al Isotopic Analyses as Tracers of Their Origins. The Astrophysical Journal 701, 1415 (2009).
16. Ott, U., Heck, P. R., Gyngard, F., Wieler, R., Wrobel, F., Amari, S., & Zinner, E. K., He and Ne Ages of Large Presolar Silicon Carbide Grains: Solving the Recoil Problem. Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia 26, 297-302 (2009).
15. Hoppe, P., Leitner, J., Vollmer, C., Gröner, E., Heck, P. R., Gallino, R., & Amari, S., Heavy Element Abundances in Presolar Silicon Carbide Grains from Low-Metallicity AGB Stars. Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia.26, 284-288 (2009).
14. Heck, P. R., Gyngard, F., Ott, U., Meier, M. M. M., Avila, J. N., Amari, S., Zinner, E. K., Lewis, R. S., Baur, H., & Wieler, R., Interstellar Residence Times of Presolar SiC Dust Grains from the Murchison Carbonaceous Meteorite. The Astrophysical Journal 698, 1155 (2009).
13. Heck, P. R., Schmitz, B., Baur, H., and Wieler, R. Noble gases in fossil micrometeorites and meteorites from 470 myr old sediments from Southern Sweden and new evidence for the L-chondrite parent body breakup event. Meteoritics & Planetary Science 43, 517–528 (2008).
12. Stadermann, F. J., Hoppe, P., Floss, C., Heck, P. R., Hörz, F., Huth, J., Kearsley, A. T., Leitner, J., Marhas, K. K., McKeegan, K. D., Stephan, T.: Stardust in STARDUST – the C, N, and O isotopic compositions of Wild 2 cometary matter in Al foil impacts. Meteoritics & Planetary Science 43, 299–314 (2008).
11. Kearsley A. T., Borg J., Graham G. A., Burchell M. J., Cole M. J, Leroux H., Bridges J. C., Hörz F., Wozniakiewicz P. J., Bland P. A., Bradley J. P., Dai Z. R., Teslich N., See T., Hoppe P., Heck P. R., Huth J., Stadermann F. J., Floss C., Marhas K., Stephan T., Leitner J. Dust from comet Wild 2: Interpreting particle size, shape, structure and composition from impact features on the Stardust aluminum foils. Meteoritics & Planetary Science 43, 41–74 (2008).
10. Westphal A. J., Bastien R. K., Borg J., Bridges J., Brownlee D. E., Burchell M. J., Cheng A. F., Clark B. C., Djoudai Z., Floss C., Franchi I., Gainsforth Z., Graham G., Green S. F., Heck P. R., Horanyi M., Hoppe P., Hörz F. P., Huth J., Kearsley A., Leroux H., Marhas K., Nakamura-Messenger K., Sandford S., See. T. H., Stadermann F. J., Teslich N. E., Tsitrin S., Warren J. L., Wozniakiewicz P. J., and Zolensky M. E. Discovery of non-random spatial distribution of impacts in the Stardust cometary collector. Meteoritics & Planetary Science 43, 415 (2008).
9. Heck, P. R., Marhas, K. K., Hoppe, P., Gallino, R., Baur, H., & Wieler, R. Presolar He and Ne isotopes in single circumstellar SiC grains. The Astrophysical Journal 656, 1208–1222 (2007).
8. The Stardust Cratering Team: Hörz F., Bastien R., Borg J., Bradley J. P., Bridges J. C., Brownlee D. E., Burchell M. J., Chi M., Cintala M. J., Dai Z. R., Djouadi Z., Dominguez G., Economou T. E., Fairey S. A. J., Floss C., Franchi I. A., Graham G. A., Green S. F., Heck P., Hoppe P., Huth J., Ishii H., Kearsley A. T., Kissel J., Leitner J., Leroux H., Marhas K., Messenger K., Schwandt C. S., See T. S., Snead C., Stadermann F., Stephan T., Stroud R., Teslich N., Trigo-Rodriguez J. M., Tuzzolino A. J., Troadec D., Tsou P., Warren J., Westphal A., Wozniakiewicz P., Wright I., Zinner E., Impact Features on Stardust: Implications for Comet 81P/Wild 2 Dust. Science 314, 1716-1719 (2006).
7. The Stardust Isotope Team: McKeegan K. D., Aléon J., Bradley J., Brownlee D., Busemann H., Butterworth A., Chaussidon M., Fallon S., Floss C., Gilmour J., Gounelle M., Graham G., Guan Y., Heck P. R., Hoppe P., Hutcheon I. D., Huth J., Ishii H., Ito M., Jacobsen S. B., Kearsley A., Leshin L. A., Liu M.-C., Lyon I., Marhas K., Marty B., Matrajt G., Meibom A., Messenger S., Mostefaoui S., Mukhopadhyay S., Nakamura-Messenger K., Nittler L., Palma R., Pepin R. O., Papanastassiou D. A., Robert F., Schlutter D., Snead C. J., Stadermann F. J., Stroud R., Tsou P., Westphal A., Young E. D., Ziegler K., Zimmermann L., Zinner E., Isotopic composition of Cometary Matter Returned by Stardust. Science 314, 1724-1728 (2006).
6. The Stardust Composition Team: G. J. Flynn, P. Bleuet, J. Borg, J. P. Bradley, F. E. Brenker, S. Brennan, J. Bridges, D. E. Brownlee, E. S. Bullock, M. Burghammer, B. C. Clark, Z. R. Dai, C. P. Daghlian, Z. Djouadi, S. Fakra, T. Ferroir, C. Floss, I. A. Franchi, Z. Gainsforth, J.-P. Gallien, P. Gillet, P. G. Grant, G. A. Graham, S. F. Green, F. Grossemy, P. R. Heck, G. F. Herzog, P. Hoppe, F. Hörz, J. Huth, K. Ignatyev, H. A. Ishii, K. Janssens, D. Joswiak, A. T. Kearsley, H. Khodja, A. Lanzirotti, J. Leitner, L. Lemelle, H. Leroux, K. Luening, G. J. MacPherson, K. K. Marhas, M. A. Marcus, G. Matrajt, T. Nakamura, K. Nakamura-Messenger, T. Nakano, M. Newville, D. A. Papanastassiou, P. Pianetta, W. Rao, C. Riekel, F. J. M. Rietmeijer, D. Rost, C. S. Schwandt, T. H. See, J. Sheffield-Parker, A. Simionovici, I. Sitnitsky, C. J. Snead, F. J. Stadermann, T. Stephan, R. M. Stroud, J. Susini, Y. Suzuki, S. R. Sutton, S. Taylor, N. Teslich, D. Troadec, P. Tsou, A. Tsuchiyama, K. Uesugi, B. Vekemans, E. P. Vicenzi, L. Vincze, A. J. Westphal, P. Wozniakiewicz, E. Zinner, and M. E. Zolensky, Elemental Compositions of 81P/Wild 2 Samples Collected by Stardust. Science 314, 1731-1735 (2006).
5. The Stardust Preliminary Examination Science Team: D. Brownlee, P. Tsou, J. Aléon, C. M. O'D. Alexander, T. Araki, S. Bajt, G. A. Baratta, R. Bastien, P. Bland, P. Bleuet, J. Borg, J. P. Bradley, A. Brearley, F. Brenker, S. Brennan, J. C. Bridges, N. D. Browning, J. R. Brucato, E. Bullock, M. J. Burchell, H. Busemann, A. Butterworth, M. Chaussidon, A. Cheuvront, M. Chi, M. J. Cintala, B. C. Clark, S. J. Clemett, G. Cody, L. Colangeli, G. Cooper, P. Cordier, C. Daghlian, Z. Dai, L. D'Hendecourt, Z. Djouadi, G. Dominguez, T. Duxbury, J. P. Dworkin, D. S. Ebel, T. E. Economou, S. Fakra, S. A. J. Fairey, S. Fallon, G. Ferrini, T. Ferroir, H. Fleckenstein, C. Floss, G. Flynn, I. A. Franchi, M. Fries, Z. Gainsforth, J.-P. Gallien, M. Genge, M. K. Gilles, P. Gillet, J. Gilmour, D. P. Glavin, M. Gounelle, M. M. Grady, G. A. Graham, P. G. Grant, S. F. Green, F. Grossemy, L. Grossman, J. N. Grossman, Y. Guan, K. Hagiya, R. Harvey, P. Heck, G. F. Herzog, P. Hoppe, F. Hörz, J. Huth, I. D. Hutcheon, K. Ignatyev, H. Ishii, M. Ito, D. Jacob, C. Jacobsen, S. Jacobsen, S. Jones, D. Joswiak, A. Jurewicz, A. T. Kearsley, L. P. Keller, H. Khodja, A.L. D. Kilcoyne, J. Kissel, A. Krot, F. Langenhorst, A. Lanzirotti, L. Le, L. A. Leshin, J. Leitner, L. Lemelle, H. Leroux, M.-C. Liu, K. Luening, I. Lyon, G. MacPherson, M. A. Marcus, K. Marhas, B. Marty, G. Matrajt, K. McKeegan, A. Meibom, V. Mennella, K. Messenger, S. Messenger, T. Mikouchi, S. Mostefaoui, T. Nakamura, T. Nakano, M. Newville, L. R. Nittler, I. Ohnishi, K. Ohsumi, K. Okudaira, D. A. Papanastassiou, R. Palma, M. E. Palumbo, R. O. Pepin, D. Perkins, M. Perronnet, P. Pianetta, W. Rao, F. J. M. Rietmeijer, F. Robert, D. Rost, A. Rotundi, R. Ryan, S. A. Sandford, C. S. Schwandt, T. H. See, D. Schlutter, J. Sheffield-Parker, A. Simionovici, S. Simon, I. Sitnitsky, C. J. Snead, M. K. Spencer, F. J. Stadermann, A. Steele, T. Stephan, R. Stroud, J. Susini, S. R. Sutton, Y. Suzuki, M. Taheri, S. Taylor, N. Teslich, K. Tomeoka, N. Tomioka, A. Toppani, J. M. Trigo-Rodríguez, D. Troadec, A. Tsuchiyama, A. J. Tuzzolino, T. Tyliszczak, K. Uesugi, M. Velbel, J. Vellenga, E. Vicenzi, L. Vincze, J. Warren, I. Weber, M. Weisberg, A. J. Westphal, S. Wirick, D. Wooden, B. Wopenka, P. Wozniakiewicz, I. Wright, H. Yabuta, H. Yano, E. D. Young, R. N. Zare, T. Zega, K. Ziegler, L. Zimmerman, E. Zinner, and M. Zolensky, Comet 81P/Wild 2 Under a Microscope. Science 314, 1711-1716 (2006).
4. Heck, P. R., Marhas, K. K., Gallino, R., Hoppe, P., Baur, H., Wieler, R. Helium and neon in single presolar grains from the meteorites Murchison and Murray. Mem. S.A.It. 77, 903 (2006).
3. Heck, P. R., Schmitz, B., Baur, H., Halliday, A. N. & Wieler, R. Fast delivery of meteorites to Earth after a major asteroid collision. Nature 430, 323-325 (2004).
2. Heck, P. R., Frank, M., Anselmetti, F. S. & Kubik, P. W. Origin and age of submarine ferromanganese hardgrounds from the Marion Plateau, offshore NE Australia. in Proc. ODP, Sci. Results, 194 (eds. Anselmetti, F. S., Isern, A. R., Blum, P. & Betzler, C.) (2007).
1. Heck, P. R., Anselmetti, F. S. & Isern, A. R. Data report: Late Pleistocene and Holoecene sedimentation on the Marion Plateau: Data from precruise ODP Leg 194 site survey gravity cores. in Proc. ODP, Sci. Results, 194. (eds. Anselmetti, F. S., Isern, A. R., Blum, P. & Betzler, C.) (2004).
Conference Abstracts
27. Heck P. R., Stephan T., Hoppe P., Davis, A. M. Origin of Two AB Type SiC Grains from Murchison. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, Supplement, Abstract #5401 (2009).
26. Leitner J., Hoppe P., Heck P. R., Huth J. Assessing the stardust inventory of comet 81P/Wild 2 by NanoSIMS. Goldschmidt Conference, Abstract (2009).
25. Huberty J. M., Kita N. T., Heck P. R., Kozdon R., Fournelle J. H., Xu H. F., Valley J. W. Crystal Orientation Effects in δ18O of Magnetite by SIMS. Goldschmidt Conference, Abstract (2009).
24. Valley J. W., Kita N. T., Ushikubo T., Huberty J. M., Kozdon R., Page F. Z., Heck P. R., Fu B. Accurate Stable Isotope Analysis by Ion Microprobe. Goldschmidt Conference, Abstract (2009).
23. Heck P. R., Ushikubo T., Schmitz B., Kita N. T., Spicuzza M. J., Valley J. W. High-Precision Oxygen Three-Isotope SIMS Analyses of Ordovician Extraterrestrial Chromite Grains from Sweden and China: Debris of the L Chondrite Parent Asteroid Breakup. Lunar Planet. Institute, #1119, (2009).
22. Schmitz B., Heck P. R., Alwmark C., Kita N. T., Peucker-Ehrenbrink B., Ushikubo T., Valley J. W. Determining the Impactor of the Ordovician Lockne Crater: Oxygen Isotopes in Chromite Versus Sedimentary PGE Signatures. Lunar Planet. Institute, #1161, (2009).
21. Heck P. R., Gyngard F., Meier M. M. M., Avila J. N., Amari S., Zinner E., Lewis R. S., Baur H., Wieler R. Presolar Neon and Helium Exposure Ages of Jumbo Presolar SiC Grains (LS+LU) from Murchison. Lunar Planet. Institute, #1239, (2008).
20. Meier M. M. M., Schmitz B., Heck P. R., Baur H. Wieler R.
Noble Gases in Individual Sediment-dispersed Chromite Grains – Micrometeorites from an Ordovician Asteroid Collision. Lunar Planet. Institute, #1539, (2008).
19. Hoppe P., Vollmer C., Heck P. R., Groener E., Gallino R., Amari S. NanoSIMS Studies of Small Presolar SiC Grains: C- and Si-Isotopic Compositions and Trace Element Abundances. Lunar Planet. Institute, #1025, (2008).
18. Heck, P.R., Hoppe, P., Huth, J. The Sulfur Isotopic Composition of Wild 2 Dust Collected by Stardust Analyzed with the NanoSIMS. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, Supplement, abstract #5019 (2007).
17. Heck, P.R., Schmitz, B., Baur, H., Wieler, R. Cosmogenic and Solar Noble Gases in 470 Ma Fossil Meteorites and Micrometeorites from the L-Chondrite Parent-Body Break-Up. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, Supplement, abstract #5027 (2007).
16. Heck, P. R., Amari, S., Hoppe, P., Lewis, R. S., Baur, H., Wieler, R. Neon-22, Oxygen-18 and Aluminum-26 Excesses in Single Presolar Graphite Grains From Murchison: A Combined Rare Gas and NanoSIMS Study. Lunar Planet. Institute, #1645, CD-ROM (2007).
15. Borg, J., Hörz, F., Bridges, J. C., Burchell, M. J., Djouadi, Z., Floss, C., Graham, G. A., Green, S. F., Heck, P. R., Hoppe, P., Huth, J., Kearsley, A., Leroux, H., Marhas, K., Stadermann, F. J., Teslich, N. SEM-EDS Analyses of Small Craters in Stardust Aluminium Foils: Implications for the Wild-2 Dust Distribution. Lunar Planet. Institute, #1592, CD-ROM (2007).
14. Westphal, A. J., Bastien, R. K., Borg, J., Bridges, J., Brownlee, D. E., Burchell, M. J., Cheng, A. F., Clark, B. C., Djouadi, Z., Floss, C., Franchi, I., Gainsforth, Z., Graham, G., Green, S. F., Heck, P. R., Horányi, M., Hoppe P., Hörz, F. P., Huth, J., Kearsley, A. Leroux, H., Marhas, K., Nakamura-Messenger, K., Sandford, S. A., See, T. H., Stadermann, F. J., Teslich, N. E., Tsitrin, S., Warren, J. L., Wozniakiewicz, P. J., Zolensky, M. E. Non-Random Spatial Distribution of Impacts in the Stardust Cometary Collector. Lunar Planet. Institute, #1418, CD-ROM (2007).
13. Heck, P. R., Schmitz, B., Baur, H. & Wieler, R. Solar Noble Gases in 470 Myr Old Fossil Micrometeorites. Meteoritics & Planetary Science 41, Supplement, abstract #5055 (2006).
12. Heck, P. R., Hoppe, P., Gröner, E., Marhas, K. K., Baur, H. & Wieler, R. Rare Presolar Silicon Carbide Grains from Novae: An Automated Search by NanoSIMS. Meteoritics & Planetary Science 41, Supplement, abstract #5054 (2006).
11. Heck, P. R., Hoppe, P., Gröner, E., Marhas, K. K., Baur, H. & Wieler, R. Automated search for rare presolar silicon carbide from novae and of Type A/B: A combined isotopic study of single grains with NanoSIMS and noble gas mass spectrometry. Lunar Planet. Institute, #1335, CD-ROM (2006).
10. Hoppe P., Heck P., Hörz F., Huth J., Marhas K. K., Messenger K., Snead C., & Westphal A. NanoSIMS studies of dust projectile shots into Stardust-type aerogel and aluminum foils. Lunar Planet. Institute, #1546, CD-ROM (2006).
9. The Stardust Cratering Team: Hörz F., Borg J., Bradley J. P., Brownlee D. E., Burchell M. J., Cole M. J., Dai Z. R., Djouadi Z., Floss C., Franchi I., Graham G. A., Green S. F., Heck P., Hoppe P., Kearsley A. T., Leitner J., Leroux H., Teslich N., Marhas K. K., Schwandt C. C., See T. H., Stadermann F. J., Stephan T., Troadec D., Tsou P. & Zolensky M. Microcraters in aluminum foils exposed by Stardust. Lunar Planet. Institute, #1148, CD-ROM (2006).
8. Heck, P. R., Marhas, K. K., Baur, H., Hoppe, P. & Wieler, R. Presolar He and Ne in Single Circumstellar SiC Grains Extracted from the Murchison and Murray Meteorites. Lunar Planet. Institute, #1938, CD-ROM (2005).
7. Heck, P. R., Schmitz, B., Baur, H. & Wieler, R. Determination of Production Rates of Cosmogenic He and Ne in Meteoritic Chromite Grains. Lunar Planet. Institute, #1712, CD-ROM (2005).
6. Heck, P. R., Baur, H., Schmitz, B. & Wieler, R. Very Short Delivery Times of Meteorites After the L-Chondrite Parent Body Break-Up 480 Myr Ago. Lunar Planet. Institute, #1492, CD-ROM (2004).
5. Heck, P. R., Baur, H., Schmitz, B. & Wieler, R. Cosmic-ray exposure ages of 480 Ma old fossil meteorites: The L-chondrite parent-body break-up event? Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 67 (18), A143-A143 Suppl. 1 (2003).
4. Heck, P. R., Baur, H., Schmitz, B. & Wieler, R. Evidence for the L-Chondrite Parent Body Breakup Event? Cosmic-Ray Exposure Ages of 480 Myr Old Fossil Meteorites. Meteoritics & Planetary Science 38, Supplement, abstract #5074 (2003).
3. Heck, P. R., Baur, H., Schmitz, B. & Wieler, R. Cosmic-ray exposure age of a 480 Myr old fossil meteorite by noble gas analayses of relict chromite grains. Lunar Planet. Institute, #1751, CD-ROM, (2003).
2. Heck, P.R., Anselmetti, F.S., Isern, A.R., & Stone, D. Current-controlled carbonate sedimentation on a modern platform slope: variations in sediment composition diagenetic alterations and physical properties at planned ODP Leg 194 drill sites (Marion Plateau). EOS Trans. AGU, Fall Meet. Suppl., 80: F525 (1999).
1. Isern, A. R., Anselmetti, F., Heck, P. R., Pigram, C. J., Stone, D. ODP Leg 194: Oligocene to Pliocene Sea Level Variations and Carbonate Platform Development in a Mixed Carbonate-Siliciclastic System on the Marion Plateau, NE Australia, EOS Trans. AGU, Fall Meet. Suppl., 80: F. (1999)
Member of the Following Societies
The Meteoritical Society
The American Geophysical Union
SwissSed
Swiss Astronomical Society
The Planetary Society
The International Dark-Sky Association
Deep-Water Corals
A newly discovered species of non-reefbuilding, solitary coral was named Notophyllia hecki in recognition of Philipp Reza Heck, who collected and made available for study a large collection of deep-water corals from the Marion Plateau.
Notophyllia hecki is known only from Marion Plateau, North-East Australian Margin where we discovered it at a depth of 342 - 414 m during a marine geological cruise with the Australian research vessel RV Franklin in 1999. All seven species of Notophyllia are endemic to South- and East-Australian waters.
Holotype of Notophyllia hecki (micrograph from Cairns 2004). The largest specimen found is less than 5 mm in height. The coral was described by Cairns, S. D. The Azooxanthellate Scleractinia (Coelenterata: Anthozoa) of Australia, Records of the Australian Museum 56(3), 259-329 (2004).
