A Silicon Isotope Facility

利用硅同位素研究全球水环境和陆地环境中的硅循环的兴趣日益增长。 二十多年来，硅的稀有重同位素一直被用作示踪剂来研究海洋中二氧化硅的产生和溶解速率。 最近，硅同位素的自然变化已被开发为研究海洋和陆地系统中二氧化硅循环的工具。 使用硅的同位素作为工具来更好地了解全球二氧化硅循环的进展一直很缓慢，这是因为能够使用能够分析硅同位素的质谱仪的研究人员数量很少。 因此，PI是硅同位素能力开发领域的著名领导者，计划通过购买具有定制双三收集器和双进样系统的磁扇区比质谱仪，建立一个最先进的硅同位素分析设施。 这一设施的可用性将使科学界能够对二氧化硅溶解速率进行高精度测量，并确定天然丰度水平。

ABSTRACTOCE-0073714 A growing interest in using silicon isotopes to study the global silicon cycle in both aquatic and terrestrial environments has emerged. Rare heavy isotopes of silicon have been used as tracers to study silica production and dissolution rates in the sea for over two decades. More recently, natural variations in isotopes of silicon have been developed as a tool for examining silica cycling in both marine and terrestrial systems. Progress in the use of isotopes of silicon as tools to better understand the global silica cycle has been slow due to the small number of investigators who have access to a mass spectrometer capable of analyzing isotopes of silicon. For this reason, the PI, a renowned leader in the development of silicon isotope capabilities, plans to establish a state-of-the-art facility for the analysis of silicon isotopes through the acquisition of a magnet-sector ratio mass spectrometer with a custom dual triple-collector and dual sample inlet system. Availability of this facility will allow the scientific community to make high precision measurements on silica dissolution rates and determine the natural abundance levels.