Acquisition of a Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometer

该合同将提供购买热电离固体源质谱仪所需资金的一半，该质谱仪将在圣路易斯华盛顿大学地球和行星科学系安装和运行。该大学致力于提供收购所需的剩余资金。该仪器将主要用于一个研究项目，该项目利用最先进的同位素稀释、铀-铅年代学和锆石中的Hf同位素测量技术。测量的科学目的是了解地壳在整个地质时期的演化过程中大陆的形成。

This award will provide one-half the funds required for the acquisition of a thermal ionization, solid-source mass spectrometer to be installed and operated in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University, St. Louis. The University is committed to providing the remaining funds that will be needed for the acquisition. The instrument will be used primarily in a research program utilizing state-of-the-art techniques in isotope dilution, uranium- lead geochronology and hafnium isotope measurements in zircons. The scientific purpose of the measurements is to understand the formation of the continents during the evolution of Earth's crust through geologic time.