Development of Instrumentation for Measuring the Atmosphere Ar/N2 Ratio and Acquisition of Instrumentation for Automated Analysis of the Isotopes of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide

PI将购买并改装一台商用的同位素比质谱仪，以测量空气样本的Ar/N2值的变化。PI预计，由于温度引起的溶解度变化推动Ar和N2的海-气交换，这一比率将发生变化。一旦探测到，这种变化可能有助于确定大气和海洋之间与气候相关的热量交换。这项技术涉及一种动态在线同位素稀释法，即在同位素比质谱仪的入口处将稀有的稳定的Ar同位素与样品混合。在线稀释方法的关键方面已经使用罗德岛大学临时提供的质谱仪进行了测试和验证。PI将在斯克里普斯获得一台专用仪器，以开发由与质谱仪连接的开关级和气体稀释级组成的综合测量系统。他将用这个系统测试气体处理和校准程序。最后，PI将装备质谱仪分析二氧化碳的同位素，并获得从用于同位素分析的样本中自动提取的设备。该设施将能够从同一烧瓶计划的空气样本中分析二氧化碳同位素，从而能够进一步描述世界海洋中的热和气体交换过程。这项研究很重要，因为它将提供与全球气候过程相关的海洋和大气电荷的估计。

The PI will purchase and adapt a commercially available isotope ratio mass spectrometer to measure variations in the Ar/N2 radio of air samples. The PIs expect this ratio to vary due to air-sea exchange of Ar and N2 driven by temperature-induced solubility changes. Once detected, such variations could help to determine climatically relevant heat exchanges between the atmosphere and oceans. The technique involves a dynamic on-line isotope dilution method in which a rare stable isotope of argon is blended with a sample at the inlet of an isotope ratio mass spectrometer. Critical aspects of the on-line dilution method have been tested and proven using a mass spectrometer temporarily available at the University of Rhode Island. The PI will obtain a dedicated instrument at Scripps to develop an integrated measurement system consisting of a switching stage and gas dilution stage connected to the mass spectrometer. He will test gas handling and calibration procedures with this system. Finally, the PI will equip the mass spectrometer to analyze isotopes of carbon dioxide and acquire equipment for its automatic extraction from the samples for isotopic analysis. This facility will allow analysis of carbon dioxide isotopes from air samples from the same flask program, thus allowing further characterization of the processes of heat and gas exchange in the world oceans. The research is important because it will provide estimates of ocean and atmospheric charges relevant to global climate processes.