Postdoctoral researcher

Institut de Planétologie et d’Astrophysique de Grenoble
Université Grenoble Alpes

About me
I am currently a CNES fellow postdoctoral researcher at the Institut de Planétologie et d’Astrophysique de Grenoble (IPAG, Grenoble, France).  I am interested in scientific questions related to volatile elements (CHNOS) in the protoplanetary disk and meteorites. I have worked on aqueous alteration recorded by carbonaceous chondrites and asteroids. I employ a multidisciplinary approach that combines experimental equipment, mineralogical observation tools (SEM, Raman, and IR/NanoIR spectroscopy), and geochemical quantification instruments (SIMS, NanoSIMS and IRMS).

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Lionel-Vacher
Google Scholar: https://0-scholar-google-com.brum.beds.ac.uk/citations?user=YxjHY7wAAAAJ&hl=en


GEOCHEMISTRY

MINERALOGY

EXPERIMENTS

How to recognize a meteorite #2 (video in french)? (Jan. 11th 2024)

In this video, I explain how to recognize a "possible meteorite". (Ⓒ OSUG).

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How to recognize a meteorite #1 (video in french)? (Dec. 19th 2023)

In this video, I explain how to recognize a "possible meteorite". (Ⓒ OSUG).

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NASA’s Lucy Spacecraft reveals that the S-type asteroid Dinkinesh is actually a binary pair. (Nov. 7th 2023)

New images from the Lucy Mission’s first asteroid flyby show that a satellite, already unexpected, is made of two objects – a contact binary. This is the first time we’ve seen a contact binary orbiting another asteroid. (Ⓒ NASA/Keegan Barber).

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Smithsonian debuts first display of OSIRIS-REx asteroid fragment (Nov. 3rd 2023)

Smithsonian debuts first display of roughly 143mg fragment asteroid Bennu brought back to Earth by NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission. (ⒸSmithsonian/James Di Loreto and Phillip R. Lee).

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The curation team processing NASA’s asteroid Bennu sample has removed and collected 70.3 grams of rocks and dust so far from the sampler hardware. (Oct. 20th 2023)

The NASA's OSIRIS-REx curation team has already collected ~70.3g of Bennu's material so far, and there is still plenty to come! (Ⓒ NASA).

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First "quick look" at the Bennu asteroid sample-return capsule. (Oct. 11th 2023)

The first glimpses of material from asteroid Bennu has scientists excited about what’s to come as the curation team continues the delicate process of disassembling the TAGSAM to reveal more of the OSIRIS-REx sample. (Ⓒ NASA/Erika Blumenfeld & Joseph Aebersold)

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Io Is a Volcanic Hellscape of Fire and Ice: let’s go explore it. (Sept. 27th 2023)

The "Prometheus" spatial mission aim to go into orbit around Jupiter and fly by its moon Io to target a volcanic plume (Prometheus) and fly through it (several miles above Io’s surface) to trap dust and gas from the plume in a pizza-sized collector. (ⒸNASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Brian Swift/CC BY)

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OSIRIS-REx delivers B-type asteroid Bennu sample to Earth (Sept. 24th 2023)

After years of anticipation and hard work by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx team, a capsule of rocks and dust collected from B-type asteroid Bennu finally landed on Earth on September 24th in Utha desert (USA). (ⒸNASA/Keegan Barber).

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New meteorite recovered after fireball lights up skies above central France (Sept. 9th 2023)

A new meteorite has been recovered in France after a fireball was widely observed on the night of 9 September 2023 by FRIPON fireball cameras and eyewitnesses. A local resident of Sauldre et Sologne reported finding a potential meteorite on her property, which was later confirmed by experts. (Ⓒ FRIPON/Vigie-Ciel/Asma Steinhausser).

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OSIRIS-REx Adjusts Course to Target Sample Capsule’s Landing Zone

On Sept. 10th 2023 the OSIRISREx spacecraft briefly fired its thrusters to point itself toward Earth, putting it on course to release its sample return capsule from 102 000 kilometers above Earth’s surface on Sept. 24th 2023 (Ⓒ NASA).

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Fireball seen over south of Paris, France (Sept. 9th 2023)!

A fireball was spotted over France on September 9th 2023 around 22:14 UT (Ⓒ Cédric H).

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