Center for Isotope Geochemistry

Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometers

Putting samples in the Triton mass spectrometer

This facility’s two Thermo-Finnigan Triton Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometers (aka TIMS) have capabilities for high precision isotopic and elemental abundance measurements of Sr, Nd, Sm, Ca, K, Fe, U, Th, Pb, Ba, La, Ce, Cr and limited Rb, using conventional thermal ionization mass spectrometry. The instruments provide capabilities for Sr and Nd isotope ratios (±5 ppm), Ca isotope ratios (±100ppm), and negative ion mass spectrometry. One of the Tritons is equipped with a RPQ filter on the axial ion counting system for high abundance (better than 20 ppb) measurements (e.g. for 230Th/232Th measurements). In addition, an experimental oversized faraday bucket has been added to one of the Tritons, which is helping to minimize artifacts that limit reproducibility of 40Ca measurements.

This CIG lab has a 2,000 square foot Class 10,000 clean room for sample preparation, and a separate clean mineral separation and sample preparation lab. It is equipped with sufficient hood and workspace to allow up to 12 workers. A sub-laboratory is designed for low-blank Pb work.

An in-house clean mineral separation and rock preparation laboratory is used for preparing predominantly low-concentration and low-mass samples.

This lab is located within CIG’s UC Berkeley campus facilities in McCone Hall.

For further information contact:
Thomas Owens
Tel: 510-643-5061
tlowens@lbl.gov
Center for Isotope Geochemistry
LBNL and UC Berkeley
477 McCone Hall MC4767
University of California
Berkeley, CA. 94720
Fax: 510-642-9520