Operating system for the Cameca 7f SIMS

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Isotopes can provide information on the fluids that distribute and concentrate metals in natural systems; such information is often impossible to obtain by other techniques. The utility of using the fractionation of traditional light stable isotopes (H, C, O, N, and S) and Pb as tracers of fluid-solid interactions, geothermometers, mass transport and contaminants is well established, and radiogenic isotopes (e.g., U-Pb) are useful chronometers of fluid events. However, the use of non-traditional light isotopes such as B and Li, and transition- (e.g., V, Fe, Cu, Zn) and other heavy-metal isotopes (e.g., U), is in its infancy. Many of the fluid-rock interactions that concentrate metals are ultimately governed by processes occurring at the micro-scale. With the advent of spatially resolved analytical techniques (secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), laser ablation ICP-MS), remarkable micro-scale isotopic detail has been revealed. Fayek along with his collaborators propose to apply the in situ micro-analytical capabilities of the SIMS to: (1) study fluid-rock interactions that form ore deposits in basins, (2) develop accurate geodynamic models for the Earth’s crust, and (3) study the corrosion of engineered alloys using isotope tracer experiments. The common theme among these three research areas is the use of isotopes to trace fluid-material interactions and the use of the SIMS technique.