The TIMS laboratory houses two MC-TIMS Thermo Scientific Triton Plus and Triton XT and a sample loading laminar flow hood. The Triton Plus has nine Faraday cups and a central SEM. The Faraday cups can be connected to 10 different amplifiers using a ‘Virtual Amplifier’ relay matrix. The amplifiers are equipped with two types of resistors; 1011 and 1013 Ω used for analysis of conventional and small beam sizes, respectively. The 1013 Ω resistors have 100 times higher signal output whereas they have relatively lower noise levels, resulting in increased precision when analysing small beams. We have six conventional 1011 Ω and four 1013 Ω amplifiers installed, and specialise in analysing Sr, Nd, Sm and Pb isotopes in small samples. The set-up, in combination with ultra-low blank chemical separation allow precise analyses of samples as small as 2 ng Sr, 30 pg Nd and 250 pg Pb. On the second Triton (XT), equipped with nine 1011 and one 1013 Ω amplifiers we routinely analyse the isotopic composition of larger amounts of Sr, Nd, Sm, Pb automatically.

Mass ratio

Destructive (complete destruction or irreversible alteration)

Thermo Scientific

teeth
water samples
glass
bones
archaeological
forensic human materials
metals
cultural heritage (paint, wood, glaze, etc.)
rock