Question: what do you actualy do in your job. it sounds interesting! *v*

Samantha Faircloth answered on 9 Mar 2020:

I have to use very big and powerful instruments (machines) that operate on an atomic scale (very, very small!). One of the instruments that I use at the Open University is called the “nano-scale secondary ion mass spectrometer”, or NanoSIMS for short, that fires charged atoms (excited atoms) at my rock samples which then releases the sulfur and chlorine from the rocks and allows me to measure how much of these elements exist in the rock. I have also worked at Diamond Light Source which is like Cern in Switzerland. The building is shaped like an enormous doughnut and charged particles (more excited atoms!) spin round it at very fast speeds. I use the particles to measure the different types of sulfur (known as isotopes) that exist in my rock samples. My job is very fun!