Operating system for the Cameca 7f SIMS

同位素可以提供有关在自然系统中分布和浓缩金属的流体的信息；这种信息通常是通过其他技术无法获得的。传统的光稳定同位素(H、C、O、N和S)和铅的分馏作为流固相互作用、地温、质量传输和污染物的示踪剂已经得到了很好的应用，而放射性同位素(如U-Pb)是有用的流体事件计时器。然而，使用非传统的轻同位素，如B和Li，以及过渡金属--(如V、Fe、铜、锌)和其他重金属同位素(如U)，还处于起步阶段。许多浓缩金属的流体-岩石相互作用最终是由发生在微观尺度上的过程控制的。随着空间分辨分析技术(二次离子质谱仪、激光烧蚀电感耦合等离子体质谱)的出现，微尺度的同位素细节被揭示出来。法耶克和他的合作者提议将SIMS的原位微观分析能力应用于：(1)研究形成盆地矿床的流体-岩石相互作用，(2)开发准确的地壳地球动力学模型，以及(3)利用同位素示踪实验研究工程合金的腐蚀。这三个研究领域的共同主题是使用同位素来追踪流体-材料相互作用和使用SIMS技术。

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.