Acquisition of a Magnetic-Sector, High-Resolution Inductively-Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer for the University of Texas at Austin

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9871301 Banner This Major Research Instrumentation Program grant provides funds for one-half of the cost of a high-resolution, magnetic sector inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) for the Department of Geological Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin. This instrument will be used in conjunction with existing analytical clean room and mass spectrometer facilities for high-sensitivity elemental and isotopic analysis of rock, mineral, water, and biological samples. The high temperature (up to 10,000 K) of the inductive heating and the rapid and complete introduction of the sample to the ionizing environment result in a high efficiency of dissociation and ionization for most species. The coupling of the high ionization efficiency of the ICP source with the recent improvements in background and resolution afforded by a double-focusing, magnetic sector analyzer, will provide previously unavailable analytical capabilities at UT Austin. These capabilities include detection limits in the part-per-quadrillion to part-per- trillion range for many elements, which will open many new avenues to be pursued in our ongoing research programs in reconstructing records of climate change, the development of sedimentary basins and aquifers, mineral weathering, and magmatic evolution. These new avenues include investigations of low-level trace metal concentrations such as the rare earth elements in natural waters and labeled particles; high-spatial resolution chemical and U-Th radiometric age data on groundwater mineral deposits; the biological control on mineral weathering; and trace element substitution in igneous mineral phases. It is anticipated that this analytical facility will be used for research and research training by faculty, graduate students, and post-doctoral research fellows in the geological, biological, and chemical sciences at UT Austin and other universities and research institutions in Texas. Currently funded and future research efforts will take advantage of the new analytical capabilities offered by the ICP-MS technology. ***