MRI: Acquisition of High Precision Laser-based CO2 Isotope Analysis System for Atmospheric and Seawater Applications

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Knowing the stable isotopic composition of a globally important atmospheric gas such as CO2 serves to provide useful 'fingerprint' information as to its source, and subsequent transformation. Recent progress in measuring CO2 isotopes has concentrated on using quantum-cascade lasers (QCLS) together with multi-pass optical absorption cells. Such approaches have reached a point where QCLS multi-pass systems are now starting to match or better the capabilities of traditional magnetic sector mass spectrometers. They exhibit comparable precisions approaching 0.01 per mil in del 13C and del 18O, and with considerable advantages over the traditional systems in terms of reliability, analytical cost, and ease of sample preparation. These capabilities may have additional, yet to be developed applications. The instrumentation to be acquired here will use a high precision QCLS system for routine analysis of isotopic composition of CO2 in discrete air and seawater samples, opening the door for broader application of the technology to key environmental applications.