Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry: top-end analytical tool for the geosciences

Dr. Michael Wiedenbeck – Helmholtz Zentrum Potsdam-GFZ

Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Building H, Room VR1

Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry is one of the most powerful analytical tools available for characterizing the compositions of solid materials.  For Earth scientists it can rapidly determine key parameters at sampling scales reaching below the 200 picogram sampling size.  Important fields for which SIMS technology has been applied to geological or environmental materials include: oxygen isotopic determinations on climate archives, U-Pb age determinations and the search for raw materials.

The GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam has recently installed the newest generation of large geometry SIMS instrument.  This one-day course will provide participants with a basic foundation of SIMS technology, including a discussion of its strengths and limitations.  A visit to the Potsdam facility will provide a clear impression of how large instrumentation is used to investigate processes at the micron-scale.  This module is an ideal opportunity for anyone interested in high-tech instrumentation supporting a very broad spectrum of geoscience research.

Day 1 - Morning Session

Fundamentals of mass spectrometry and basic SIMS theory

Day 1 - Afternoon Session
Applications of SIMS and on-site visit of the Potsdam user facility