The department is equipped with a Thermo Neptune Plus MC-ICP-MS and an Isotopx Phoenix TIMS.
The Neptune is equipped with nine Faraday detectors for simultaneous measurement of ion beams and has two 1013 ohm Faraday resistors to facilitate the high-precision measurement of ultra-low abundance samples. The Neptune Plus is used routinely for the stable isotopic measurements of molybdenum, cadmium, chromium, zinc, rhenium and uranium; and for the measurement of radiogenic isotope systems including hafnium, thorium, strontium and neodymium.
The Phoenix is equipped with a secondary electron multiplier and an ATONA amplifer system. It is used primarily for radiogenic isotope measurements of osmium, strontium, lead and neodymium.
The digestion and purification of samples is undertaken in the adjacent metal-free geochemistry laboratories.
Contacts:
Alex Dickson - Professor in Geochemistry
Christina Manning - Senior Lecturer in Igneous Geochemistry
