High precision isotope ratio analysis for Cosmochemistry applications using the Thermo Scientific Neoma MC-ICP-MS.

               Within the first five years of the initial introduction of multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) with the VG Elemental Plasma 54 the potential for the technique to be applied to Isotope Cosmochemistry applications had already been recognized¹. Early work focused on the ¹⁸²Hf-¹⁸²W chronometer, which had up until the introduction of MC-ICP-MS, been extremely difficult to measure with existing thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) techniques due to the extremely high first ionization potential of W.

In the following 25 years the use of MC-ICP-MS for Isotope Cosmochemistry applications has expanded to numerous other isotopic systems, including, but not limited to ²⁶Al-²⁶Mg, ¹⁴⁶Sm-¹⁴²Nd and ⁶⁰Fe-⁶⁰Ni, not just ¹⁸²Hf-¹⁸²W.  A general feature of these measurements is typically a reliance on excellent precision, on the order of a few ppm, 2RSD [2]. The high count rates required to achieve such excellent precision take time in order to achieve. Excellent precision over such time scales require a high performance mass spectrometer, capable of high sensitivity, stable throughout the course of the measurement and equipped with a low-noise detection array.

For over 20 years Thermo Fisher Scientific has pioneered developments in multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS). The latest generation Thermo Scientific™ Neoma™ MC-ICP-MS, blends cutting-edge and field proven technology from the Ultra™ HR-IRMS and iCAP Qnova™ Series ICP-MS [3] and has the capability to complement and enhance Isotope Cosmochemistry applications [4]. Here we report our investigations into using the Neoma MC-ICP-MS and Neoma MS/MS MC-ICP-MS for a selection of Isotope Cosmochemistry application, including high precision Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn and W measurements.

[1] A. Halliday, D. Lee, J. Christensen, M. Rehkämper, W. Yi, X. Luo, C. Hall, C. Ballentine, T. Pettke, C. Stirling, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 1998, 62, 919-940.

[2] S. Goderis, R. Chakrabarti, V. Debaille, J. Kodolányi, 2016, J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 2016, 31, 841-862.

[3] Thermo Fisher Scientific, 2020, BR30600-EN 0520C: Neoma Multicollector ICP-MS [pdf], Thermo Fisher Scientific.

[4] Z. Deng, M. Schiller, M. G. Jackson, M-A. Millet, L. Pan, K. Nikoljsen, N. S. Saji, D. Huang, M. Bizzarro, Nature, 2023, 621, 100-104