Acquisition of a State-of-the-Art Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometer

该奖项将提供资金，以最先进的热电离质谱仪（TIMS）取代两台旧质谱仪，以补充马里兰州大学同位素地球化学实验室现有的Triton。新仪器将安装在目前由它将取代的两台旧质谱仪占用的空间中。 新的TIMS仪器将处理的具体分析任务包括：1）高精度的182 W、142 Nd-143 Nd和186 Os-187 Os同位素分析，作为研究早期地球储层演化和地幔混合速率的一种手段，2）高精度测量早期地球岩石中的Ru和Mo同位素，3）Os同位素组成和丰度的测量，作为研究陆下岩石圈地幔形成时间、形成机制和次级过程的一种手段; 4）俯冲带物质中Os同位素组成和丰度的测量，作为追踪地幔楔对混杂带贡献的一种工具; 5）测量南极花岗岩中的Nd和Sr同位素作为岩石成因工具; 6）分析碳酸盐中的Sr同位素以测量随时间推移的热液和陆地输入海水的相对速率。

This award will provide funding to replace two old mass spectrometers with a state-of-the-art Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometer (TIMS) to complement the existing Triton in the Isotope Geochemistry Laboratory at the University of Maryland. The new instrument will be installed in the space currently occupied by the two old mass spectrometers that it will replace. Specific analytical tasks to be tackled with the new TIMS instrument include: 1) high precision 182W, 142Nd-143Nd, and 186Os-187Os isotopic analysis of ancient through young mantle-derived materials, as a means of studying the evolution of early Earth reservoirs and rates of mantle mixing through time, 2) high precision measurement of Ru and Mo isotopes in early Earth rocks to search for diverse, late accreted components to Earth, 3) measurement of Os isotopic composition and abundance as a means of studying the timing, formation mechanisms and secondary processes involved in the generation of subcontinental lithospheric mantle, 4) measurement of Os isotopic composition and abundance in subduction zone materials as a tool for tracing mantle wedge contributions to mélange zones, 5) measurement of Nd and Sr isotopes in Antarctic granites as petrogenetic tools, and 6) analysis of Sr isotopes in carbonates to gauge relative rates of hydrothermal and terrestrial inputs to seawater through time.