Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Mass spectrometry: principles and instrumentation

  • Chapter
A Handbook of Silicate Rock Analysis

  • 873 Accesses

Abstract

During the early 1970s, neutron activation analysis in the determination of rare-earth elements perhaps had the most significant influence on the advancement of geochemical thinking, but there can be little doubt that a decade later this accolade was firmly transferred to mass spectrometry. The reason for this is that mass spectrometry is the only technique capable of inferring the geochemical history of samples right back to the age of accretion of the Earth. This arises not only from the possibility of interpreting mass spectrometry isochron data in terms of the age of a sample, but also from the very precise isotope measurements of, for example, inert gases contained in some meteoritic samples which can give data on the nucleo-synthetic processes pertaining to the origin of the universe.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Chapter 16

  • Alexander, E.C., R.S. Lewis, J.H. Reynolds and M.C. Michel (1971) Plutonium-244: confirmation as an extinct radioactivity. Science 172 837–840.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arden, W. and N.H. Gale (1974) New electrochemical technique for the separation of lead at trace levels from natural silicates. Anal. Chem 46 2–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benninghoven, A., C. Plog and N. Treitz (1974) Measurements of relative secondary ion yields from oxidized tungsten (100) under bombardment by ions with different masses and energies. Int. J. Mass Spectrom. Ion Phys 13 415–424.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beynon, J.H. and A.G. Brenton (1982) An Introduction to Mass Spectrometry University of Wales Press, Cardiff.

    Google Scholar 

  • Birck, J.L. and C.J. Allegre (1973) 87Rb-87Sr systematics of Muntsche Tundra mafic pluton. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett 20 266–274.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, J.A. (1969) Chemical Systems—Energetics, Dynamics, Structure W.H. Freeman, San Francisco.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cross, W.G. (1951) Two-directional focussing of charged particles with a sector-shaped uniform magnetic field. Rev. Sci. Instrum 22717–722.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dalrymple, G.B. and M.A. Lanphere (1969) Potassium-Argon Dating: Principles, Techniques and Applications to Geochronology W.H. Freeman, San Francisco.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dalrymple, G.B. and M.A. Lanphere (1971) 40Ar/39Ar technique of K/Ar dating: a comparison with the conventional technique. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett 12 300–308.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daly, N.R. (1960) Scintillation type mass spectrometer ion detector. Rev. Sci. Instrum 31 264–267.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, P.H. (ed.) (1976) Quadruple Mass Spectrometry and Its Applications Elsevier, Amsterdam.

    Google Scholar 

  • DePaolo, D.J. and G.J. Wasserburg (1976) Nd isotopic variations and petrogenetic models. Geophys. Res. Lett 3 249–252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ewing, G.W. (1975) Instrumental Methods of Chemical Analysis (4th edn.). McGraw-Hill, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Faure, G. (1977) Principles of Isotope Geology John Wiley and Sons, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gale, N.H., J.W. Arden and R. Hutchinson (1975) The chronology of the Nakhla achondritic meteorite. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett 26 195–206.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Godwin, H. (1962) Half life of radiocarbon. Nature (London) 195 984.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hawkesworth, C.J. and P.W.C. van Calsteren (1983) Radiogenic isotopes—some geological applications. In: P. Henderson (ed.), Rare Earth Element Geochemistry (Developments in geochemistry, 2) Elsevier, Amsterdam, 375–421.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaiser, T., D. Piepgras and G.J. Wasserburg (1981) A search for evidence of a fissionable nuclide in iron meteorites and implications on heat sources in planetary cores. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett 52239–250.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kelly, W.R., F. Tera and G.J. Wasserburg (1978) Isotopic determination of silver in picomole quantities by surface ionisation mass spectrometry. Anal. Chem 50 1279–1286.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Korkisch, J. and G. Arrhenius (1964) Separation of uranium, thorium and the rare earth elements by anion exchange. Anal. Chem 36 850–854.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krogh, T.E. (1973) A low contamination method for hydrothermal decomposition of zircon and extraction of U and Pb for isotopic age determinations. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 37 485–494.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuroda, P.K. (1960) Nuclear fission in the early history of the earth. Nature (London) 187 36–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lichtman, D. (1964) Res. Dev 15 52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Litzow, M.R. and T.R. Spalding (1973) Mass Spectrometry of Inorganic and Organometallic Compounds Elsevier, Amsterdam

    Google Scholar 

  • Luck, J.M. and C.J. Allegre (1982) The study of molybdenites through the 187Re-1870s chronometer. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett 61 291–296.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luck, J.M. and C.J. Allegre (1983))187Re187Os systematics in meteorites and cosmochemical consequences. Nature (London) 302 130–132.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luck, J.M., J.L. Birck and C.J. Allegre (1980) 187Re-1870s systematics in meteorites: early chronology of the solar system and the age of the galaxy. Nature (London) 283 256–259.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lugmair, G.W. and K. Marti (1978) Lunar initial 143Nd144Nd: differential evolution of lunar crust and mantle. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett 39 349–357.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lugmair, G.W., N.B. Scheinin and K. Marti (1975) Search for extinct 146Sm. 1: the isotopic abundance of 142Nd in the Juvinas meteorite. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett 27 79–84.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manhes, G., J.F. Minster and C.J. Allegre (1978) Comparative uranium-thorium-lead and rubidium-strontium study of the Saint Severin amphoterite: consequences for early solar system chronology. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett 39 14–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCulloch, M.J., J.R. de Laeter and K.J.R. Rosman (1976) The isotopic composition and elemental abundance of lutetium in meteorites and terrestrial samples and the 16Lu cosmochronometer. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett 28 308–322.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McDougall, I. (1974) The 40Ar/39Ar method of K-Ar age determination of rocks using HIFAIR reactor. Atom. Energy Australia 17 3–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • McGlasham, M.L. (1971) Physico-Chemical Quantities and Units (2nd edn.). Royal Institute of Chemistry, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore, W.J. (1966) Physical Chemistry (4th edn.). Longman, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore, L.J., J.R. Moody, I.L. Barnes, J.W. Gramlich, T.J. Murphy, P.J. Paulsen and W.R. Shields (1973) Trace determination of rubidium and strontium in silicate glass standard reference materials. Anal. Chem 45 2384–2387.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Nions, R.K., S.R. Carter, N.M. Evensen and P.J. Hamilton (1979) Geochemical and cosmochemical applications of Nd isotope analysis. Ann. Rev. Earth Planet Sci 7 11–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Nions, R.K., P.J. Hamilton and N.M. Evensen (1977) Variations in 143Nd/’44Nd and 87Sr/86Sr ratios in oceanic basalts. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett 34 13–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pankhurst, R.J. and R.K. O’Nions (1973) Determination of Rb, Sr and 87Sr/86Sr ratios of some standard rocks and evaluation of x-ray fluorescence spectrometry in Rb-Sr geochemistry. Chem. Geol 12 127–136.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patchett, P.J. and M. Tatsumoto (1980a) Lu-Hf total-rock isochron for the eucrite meteorites. Nature (London) 288 571–574.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patchett, P.J. and M. Tatsumoto (1980b) A routine high precision method for Lu-Hf isotope geochemistry and chronology. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol 75 263–267.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paul, W., H.P. Reinhard and U. von Zahn (1958) The electric mass-filter as mass spectrometer and isotope separator. Z. Phys 152 143–182.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pecsok, R.L., L.D. Shields, T. Cairns and I.G. McWilliam (1976) Modern Methods of Chemical Analysis (2nd edn.). John Wiley and Sons, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ralph, E.K. (1971) Carbon-14 dating. In: H.N. Michael and E.K. Ralph (eds.), Dating Techniques for the Archaeologist MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass., 1–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds, J.H. (1960) Determination of the age of the elements. Phys. Rev. Lett 4 8–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richard, P., N. Shimizu and C.J. Allegre (1976) 143Nd/’44Nd, a natural tracer: an application to oceanic basalts. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett 31 269–278.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sanz, H.G. and G.J. Wasserburg (1969) Determination of an internal B7Rb-87Sr isochron for the Olivenza chondrite. Earth Planet. Sei. Lett 6 335–345.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skoog, D.A. and D.M. West (1980) Principles of Instrumental Analysis (2nd edn.). Saunders College, Philadelphia/Holt-Saunders, Japan, Tokyo.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stacey, J.S. and J.D. Kramers (1975) Approximation of terrestrial lead isotope evolution by a two-stage model. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett 26 207–221.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steiger, R.H. and E. Jager (1977) Subcommission on geochronology: conventions on the use of decay constants in geo-and cosmochronology. Earth Planet. Sei. Lett 36 359–362.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun, S.-S. (1980) Lead isotopic study of young volcanic rocks from mid-oceanic ridges, ocean islands and island arcs. Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. Lond A297 409–445.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tanaka, T. and A. Masuda (1982) The La-Ce geochronometer: a new dating method. Nature (London) 300 515–518.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tatsumoto, M., R.J. Knight and C.J. Allegre (1973) Time differences in the formation of meteorites as determined from the ratio of lead-207 to lead-206. Science 180 1279–1283.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, S.R. (1965) Geochemical analysis by spark source mass spectrography. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 29 1243–1261.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, S.R. and M.P. Gorton (1977) Geochemical application of spark source mass spectrography III. Element sensitivity, precision and accuracy. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 41 1375–1380.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tera, F. and G.J. Wasserburg (1972a) U-Th-Pb systematics in Lunar highland samples from the Luna 20 and Apollo 16 missions. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett 17 36–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tera, F. and G.J. Wasserburg (1972b) U-Th-Pb analyses of soil from the Sea of Fertility. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett 13 457–466.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wasserburg, G.J., S.B. Jacobson, D.J. DePaolo, M.T. McCulloch and T. Wen (1981) Precise determination of Sm/Nd ratios, Sm and Nd isotopic abundances in standard solutions. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 45 2311–2323.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weast, R.C. (editor-in-chief) (1973) Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (54th edn.). Chemical Rubber Publishing Co., Cleveland, Ohio.

    Google Scholar 

  • White, F.A. (1968) Mass Spectrometry in Science and Technology John Wiley and Sons, New York.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK

    P. J. Potts (Senior Research Fellow in Earth Sciences)

Authors
  1. P. J. Potts
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1987 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Potts, P.J. (1987). Mass spectrometry: principles and instrumentation. In: A Handbook of Silicate Rock Analysis. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3270-5_16

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3270-5_16

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-216-93209-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-3270-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation