Acquisition of an Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer

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9601711 Klein Funds are requested to establish an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) facility at Duke University. The ICP-MS is an ideal instrument for the analysis of trace elements, particularly low-abundance trace elements, in diverse geological samples. The ICP-MS will be operated as a multi-user facility and matching funds have been committed from Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH). The Duke Department of Geology has also committed funds toward the long-term support of a technician to maintain the instrument assist users in obtaining analyses. The ICP-MS is capable of measuring a wide range of elements with high precision at high sample throughput and, as a result, is being recognized as a major advance in analytical instrumentation. Elements now routinely measured in rock samples include the rare earth elements, high field strength elements, heavy alkali elements, U, Th, and Pb. The facility will expand analytical capabilities in virtually every areas of geochemical and environmental research in the Research Triangle are, and will complement existing analytical facilities at Duke and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (UNC-CH). The facility will serve a large and diverse group of faculty and students in the Research Triangle area, including igneous and metamorphic petrologists, marine sediment and microfossil geochemists, and environmental (soil and water) geochemists. The faculty have a well- established record of funding and research productivity, and there is a clear need for an ICP-MS in our area. Indeed, the research of many of our potential users already depends upon the acquisition of ICP-MS data at distant facilities across the country, and the acquisition of an ICP-MS facility at Duke will allow others to explore new avenues of research beyond the reach of our present analytical capabilities. Furthermore, it is highly desirable that our numerous graduate students have easy access to the analytical equipment required for their research so that they can become well-versed in its use. Lastly, because we at Duke and UNC-CH are committed to educating undergraduates and encouraging them to choose careers in the geosciences, it is critical that these bright young students have the opportunity to become involved in research using state-of - art analytical equipment. ***