Acquisition of LA-ICP-MS Facilities for Geochemical Research

9904323这笔赠款支持明尼苏达大学地质和地球物理系购买和开发用于地球化学研究的激光消融(LA)-电感耦合等离子体质谱(ICP-MS)设备。具体地说，资金将用于购买配备了用于固体材料微尺度取样的紫外激光系统的四极电感耦合等离子体质谱仪。由于激光技术在设计和性能方面的最新进展，以及现代电感耦合等离子体质谱仪在灵敏度和信号处理特性方面的显著改进，现在将有可能开展与明尼苏达州正在进行的和未来的地球化学活动密切相关的各种研究举措。将利用新的电感耦合等离子体质谱仪进行的研究项目包括：在常温常压下对大洋中脊玄武岩(MORB)中矿物-流体平衡和动力学的实验测定；高温和压力下用作pH和氧化还原电极的氧化钇稳定氧化锆陶瓷膜的开发；变质矿物中微量元素分带的研究；多锤压机实验运行产物的地球化学分析；以及生物成因碳酸盐中微量元素的微观分布调查。

9904323SeyfriedThis grant supports the acquisition and development of a laser ablation (LA)-ICP-MS facility for geochemical research in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Minnesota. Specifically, funds will be used to acquire a quadrupole-based ICP-MS equipped with a UV laser system for microscale sampling of solid materials. Owing to recent advances in the design and performance of laser technology, together with the striking improvements in sensitivity and signal processing characteristics of modern ICP-MS instruments, a wide range of research initiatives will now be possible that relate well to on-going and future activities in geochemistry at Minnesota. Research projects that will make use of the new ICP-MS include: experimental determinations of mineral-fluid equilibria and kinetics in mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) at ambient temperatures and pressures; development of yittria-stabilized zirconia ceramic membranes for use as pH and redox electrodes at elevated temperatures and pressures; studies of trace element zoning in metamorphic minerals; geochemical analysis of experimental run products from the multi-anvil press; and investigations of the microscale distribution of trace elements in biogenic carbonates.***