Acquisition of a laser-ablation system for trace element mapping and large-N geochronology by inductively-coupled-plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)

这笔拨款为激光连接到约翰霍普金斯大学现有的测量样品化学成分的设备提供了资金。激光系统将支持对包含地球形成信息的微小样本进行创造性的地球科学研究。激光将有助于在巴尔的摩地区大学的早期职业地球科学家之间建立新的研究伙伴关系。这项研究将支持许多研究生和本科生。该激光系统将被纳入巴尔的摩地区许多大学的本科课程。它将为年轻人带来先进的技术和思想，并扩大他们对现代地球科学研究和仪器的接触。要求激光烧蚀（LA）系统与约翰霍普金斯大学现有的三重四极电感耦合等离子体质谱计（ICP-MS）相连接。LA系统将实现高空间分辨率的地质材料原位分析。霍普金斯大学LA-ICP-MS设施将专注于精细尺度的微量元素测绘和大n U/Pb地质年代学。它还将提供非常敏感的痕量和稀土元素分析固体样品的能力。更新后的霍普金斯LA-ICP-MS设备对于巴尔的摩地区多个早期职业地球科学家的研究项目非常重要，并将服务于更广泛的中大西洋地区。利用霍普金斯大学LA-ICP-MS设施的现有项目涵盖多个学科，从生物地球科学到陨石学、岩石学、板块构造学和考古学。霍普金斯大学LA-ICP-MS设施将为研究生和本科生提供现代地球科学研究方面的宝贵培训，并将被纳入巴尔的摩地区多所大学的本科课程。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This grant provides funding for a laser to connect to an existing device at Johns Hopkins University that measures chemical compositions of samples. The laser system will support creative Geosciences research on tiny samples that contain information about the formation of the Earth. The laser will help to start new research partnerships among early-career Geoscientists from universities in the Baltimore area. This research will support numerous graduate and undergraduate students. The laser system will be included in undergraduate courses at many Baltimore-area universities. It will bring advanced technology and ideas to young minds and broaden their exposure to modern research and instrumentation in the geosciences.A laser ablation (LA) system is requested to link to an existing triple-quadrupole inductively-coupled-plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) at Johns Hopkins University. The LA system will enable high-spatial-resolution, in situ analysis of geomaterials. The Hopkins LA-ICP-MS Facility will focus on fine-scale trace element mapping, and large-N U/Pb geochronology. It will also offer capacity for very sensitive trace and rare earth element analysis of solid samples. An updated Hopkins LA-ICP-MS Facility is important for the research programs of multiple early-career geoscientists based in the Baltimore area, and will serve the broader Mid-Atlantic region. Existing projects proposed to utilize the Hopkins LA-ICP-MS Facility span multiple disciplines, from the biogeosciences to meteoritics, petrology, plate tectonics and archaeology. The Hopkins LA-ICP-MS Facility will offer graduate and undergraduate research students valuable training in modern geosciences research and will be incorporated into undergraduate courses at multiple universities in the Baltimore area.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.