FACILITIES, EQUIPMENT AND OTHER RESOURCES RELEVANT TO THIS PROPOSAL
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
Mineral Separation Facilities
The Department of Geosciences at the U of A has shared mineral separation facilities that include several
rock saws, a jaw crusher, a disk mill, various sieving equipment, a Wilfley table, Gemini table, and
multiple Frantz electrodynamic separators. The low-temperature thermochronologic laboratory (AFT and
(U-Th)/He) has additional mineral separation facilities that are optimized for the separation of apatite and
zircon. These facilities include ultrasonic cleaners, drying oven, and two dedicated fume hood and
recovery apparatus for heavy liquids (MI). Several undergraduate students are will be employed by
Carrapa and other faculty members to help with mineral separation.
Fission track dating system
The fission track laboratory at the U of A includes two Olympus BX51 research microscopes with
magnifications > 1250x in both transmitted and reflected light. The microscopes are attached to an offthe-shelf drawing tube and a Kinetek Corporation high-precision automated stage system for fission-track
analysis. FTStage (version 4) software, a Calcomp tablet and custom-made cursor are available for these
equipments. The Java-based FTStage software is run by a Dell Optiplex and Datel system computers with
serial interface. The fission track lab is also equipped with a PC workstation dedicated to data analysis
and GIS, a Mac workstation dedicated to basin analysis and a petrographic microscope with automated
point counter dedicated to provenance studies. The fission track lab is managed by B. Carrapa. and S.
Thomson.
Arizona Radiogenic Helium Dating Lab (http://www.geo.arizona.edu/~reiners/arhdl/arhdl.htm)
The (U-Th)/He dating lab includes a microscopy lab, He line/mass spec lab, wet chemistry lab with two
fume hoods, and sector ICP-MS lab. Lab maintenance, sample processing, and user training are shared by
Peter Reiners, Stuart Thomson and several undergraduate student employees.
Microscopy. The He-dating microscopy lab includes three high-power (160-240x) stereozoom
microscopes (two Leica MZ16s and one Olympus SZX-16) with transmitted and reflected light sources,
cross-polarization, bright- and dark-field capabilities, and digital cameras and computers for crystal
documentation and measurement. A fourth, lower power stereomicroscope is used for manipulation of
foil envelopes into laser cells. The lab also has a large collection of glassware and tools for picking and
Pt, Pd, Mo, Rh, Nb, and Ti foil and tube sample holders. A wide variety of other microscopes, including
petrographic, are also available in the department.
He analysis. The mass spec (He line) lab houses two custom built He extraction/purification/measurement
lines, each with Janis cryogenic purification systems (including He-refrigerated cold stage, T-controller,
water-cooled compressor, and two extra compressors for emergency use), Balzers QMS quadrupole mass
spectrometers, turbo, ion, and mechanical pumps, pneumatically-actuated all-metal valves controlled by
LabVIEW automation, associated getters, two resistance furnaces for gas extraction, and three light bulb
mini- furnace for diffusion experiments (based on design of Farley et al., 1999). Sample heating for
routine dating is performed by either 20-W Nd:YAG or 25-W CO2 lasers with beam delivery and custom
made sample cells, sapphire and ZnS windows, and high-vacuum ports. The lab also includes two air
compressors for automatic valve operation, three computers for laser and line operation, and a large array
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of modular ultra-high vacuum parts for experimentation and technical innovation. The lab has its own air
conditioning (tolerance of ±1°C), building chilled water, and two water-to-water heat exchangers, and
many single- and three-phase circuits with 208 and 115 voltage.
Wet chemistry. The wet chemistry lab occupies a lab adjacent the He analysis lab, and contains two fume
hoods, a large variety of teflon labware, twelve large capacity and about 15 small capacity Parr bombs, a
high precision oven, hotplates, ultrasonic bath, six high precision pipettes, 229Th, 230Th, 235U, 233U,
and 147Sm spikes, U, Th, and Sm normals, and a variety of ultra-high-purity and environmental grade
acids.
Element2 high-resolution ICP-MS. The Thermo Finnigan Element2 sector ICP-MS that we used at Yale
was carefully decommissioned, moved, recommissioned, and brought back up to specifications by
Thermo engineers here at the UofA. The new ICP-MS lab, which is adjacent to a water quality analysis
lab in the Gould-Simpson building, has recently been renovated and the instrument was plumbed into its
own room with devoted AC, forced-air ventilation, and vacuum, N2, DD H2O, and gas lines. The
Element2 is frequently and routinely used for U-Th-Sm isotope dilution for He dating, with a
selfaspirating low-flow teflon nebulizer, an all-PFA Teflon sample introduction system, and Cetac
autosampler. The instrument receives frequent use for our analyses, and although we episodically replace
parts, it performs extremely well, with sensitivity of about 1.5 billion cps per ppb of U, near-zero
background. Our blanks are nearly always <1 pg of U and Th, and precision on measured isotope ratios
<0.3-0.5% RSD. For more information see: http://www.geo.arizona.edu/~reiners/arhdl/arhdl_reports.htm.
Before receiving our own Element2 ICP-MS, we routinely used another one here at UofA, run by Julia
Goreva, in the Lunar and Planetary Lab. The LPL instrument also proved highly reliable for our (UTh)/
He research, and it provides a potentially useful secondary instrument, should ours temporarily stop
functioning.
Arizona LaserChron Center (http://www.geo.arizona.edu/alc/)
Nu Instruments HR Multicollector ICP Mass Spectrometer with an excimer 193 HE laser-ablation system
This instrument has twelve faraday collectors and four ion-counting discrete dynode multipliers, all of
which are adjustable through the use of zoom optics. The flight tube is sufficiently wide that U, Th, and
Pb can be measured simultaneously, with 238U and 232Th in faraday collectors and 208Pb, 207Pb,
206Pb, and 204Pb measured with ion-counters. This instrument has a newly designed collector
configuration that allows for measurement of masses 180-171 using an additional set of faraday
collectors. This provides opportunities to conduct Hf isotope analyses immediately following acquisition
of U-Th-Pb geochronologic information, with no change in collector configuration. A newly designed
collector block allows measurement of Hf-Yb-Lu isotopes and U-Th-Pb age from the same laser pit with
only a jump in magnet setting. This instrument is coupled to a 2010 Photon Machines Analyte 193
excimer laser.
The ALC has a fully equipped facility for making and imaging various types of sample mounts. We also
have several undergraduate students who are supported 10-20 hours per week to assist with mineral
separation, operate the Geoscience SEM, and operate the ICPMS.
GVI Isoprobe, equipped with 10 faraday collectors and four channeltrons, which is coupled to a New
Wave DUV193 excimer laser. The flight tube of the ICPMS is sufficiently wide that U, Th, and Pb
isotopes can be measured simultaneously, with U, Th, and 208-206Pb measured in faraday collectors and
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Pb measured in an ion counter.
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Radiogenic isotope and trace element laboratory
We house a low-blank clean lab that can be used for high-precision U-Pb isotopic measurements
conducted by ID-TIMS and a variety of radiogenic isotopic analyses (Sr, Nd, Pb, etc.). We use a clean
laboratory opened in July 2007 that is equipped with 20 standard first- and 20 second-stage ion-exchange
columns for Rb, Sr, and REEs, which will be available for this study. An additional eight LN Spec ion
exchange columns are available for separation of Sm- and Nd from low-LREE samples. We have a VG
Sector multicollector mass spectrometer, a VG54 multicollector mass spectromegter and a VG354
multicollector mass spectrometer. An oxygen bleed valve system is used for analyzing Nd isotopes as
oxides (Ducea et al., EPSL, 2003) for low Nd samples.
Single collector, quadrupole ICP-MS for trace element analyses. Rare earth elements and 30 other trace
elements will be analyzed utilizing a X-Series 2 Thermo Element single collector ICP-MS acquired in late
2011.
Other facilities
Paleomagnetic laboratory
The Paleomagnetic lab in the Department of Geosciences at the University of Arizona is contained within
a magnetically-shielded room with a ~300 nT background field. This room houses a 2G model 755R
three-axis cryogenic magnetometer with an in-line degaussing system and an automated sample handler.
Seven precisely calibrated and programmable thermal demagnetizers, capable of demagnetizing ~30
samples each, are also housed within the shielded room. Other instruments include an AGICO KLY-3CS
susceptibility bridge, Curie temperature microbalance, Sapphire Instruments IS-2 for magnetic
susceptibility and anisotropy experiments. This lab is currently managed by Tank Ojha with support by P.
Lippert.
Materials Science and Engineering SEM: Although both LPL and Geosciences maintain useful electron
microprobe and SEM instruments that are fully available (described below), recent experience by the PI
with the SEMs in Materials Science have demonstrated the power and ease-ofuse of these new SEM, and
their appropriateness for the purposes of this proposal. These facilities include:
Field-emission SEM: Hitachi S-4800 Type II / Thermo-Noran NSS EDS Cold field emission electron gun;
Resolution 1 nm at 15 KV, 1.4 nm at 1 KV; Magnification 20X to 800,000X; Imaging voltages 100V to
30 KV; STEM detector; BSE low and/or high angle; EDS detection range Boron and higher; EDS Quant,
line, map, imaging.
Variable Pressure SEM: Hitachi S-3400N Type II / Thermo-Noran NSS EDS Tungsten thermionic
emitter, Quad Bias; Resolution 30nm at 3KV, 3nm at 30KV; SE and BSE; Samples as tall as 30mm;
Chamber pressure 6 to 270 Pa in VP mode; EDS detection range Boron and higher; EDS Quant, line,
map, imaging.
Raman and CL Spectrometer: Renishaw Structural and Chemical Analyzer: InVia Raman Spectrometer;
514nm, 24mW laser; CL from 40 to 1060nm.
Variable Pressure SEM: Hitachi S-2460N / Thermo-Noran NSS EDS Tungsten thermionic electron gun;
operating Vacuum from .01 to 2 Torr in VP mode; EDS detection range Boron and higher; EDS Quant,
line, map, imaging..
LPL/Geosciences Electron Microprobe: The Departments of Geosciences and Planetary Sciences (U of
A.) maintain an electron microprobe (Cameca Superprobe) laboratory for general use within the campus.
The electron probe is equipped with 5 spectrometers and is managed full-time by Dr. Kenneth Domanick.
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The University funds Domanick; his duties include maintenance, troubleshooting and routine analysis of
samples in the electron microprobe lab, as well as training other users This instrument is available on an
hourly charge basis. Carbon coating and polishing facilities are also available.
Geosciences’ SEM: The Geosciences Department maintains a Cameca instrument fitted with a LINK
EDS detector and a CL detector. This Camscan Series II SEM can acquire digital secondary-electron and
backscattered-electron images, and digital energy-dispersive x-ray maps. Semi-quantitative energydispersive microanalysis can be performed as well. Image capture on the SEM is fully automatic.
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Technical staff in the Department of Geosciences:
Mark Pecha: Full-Time Staff Scientist, Primary responsibilities: Manager of the Arizona LaserChron
Center, Supported by University of Arizona.
Roswell Juan, Full-Time Lab Technician, Primary Responsibilities: Oversee sample preparation
facilities, Supported by user fees.
Mark Baker, Full-Time Research Specialist, Primary responsibilities: Oversee TIMS, clean labs, LAICP-MS labs; Supported by University of Arizona.
David Steinke, Full-Time Staff Engineer, Primary responsibilities: Oversee maintenance and
development of electronics for Department of Geosciences; Supported by State of Arizona.
Ben McElhaney, Full-Time Assistant Staff Engineer, Primary responsibilities: Maintain electronics for
Department of Geosciences; Supported by State of Arizona.
Isaac Way: Full-Time Senior Analyst, Primary responsibilities: Computer Support Systems, Supported
by State of Arizona.
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