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41Ca ultratrace determination with isotopic selectivity > 10(12) by diode-laser-based RIMS
P Müller1, B A Bushaw, K Blaum
1Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz, Germany.
Fresenius' Journal of Analytical Chemistry
|August 11, 2001
Summary
This study presents a new method for ultratrace determination of calcium-41 (41Ca) using laser-based resonance ionization mass spectrometry. This technique offers extremely high isotopic selectivity for applications in environmental dosimetry, cosmochemistry, and biomedical research.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Atomic Physics
- Mass Spectrometry
Background:
- Accurate determination of ultratrace calcium-41 (41Ca) is crucial for various scientific fields.
- Existing methods face challenges in achieving the required isotopic selectivity for low abundance measurements.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and demonstrate a highly selective method for ultratrace 41Ca determination.
- To explore applications in environmental, cosmochemical, and biomedical research, including radiodating.
Main Methods:
- Utilized diode-laser-based resonance ionization mass spectrometry (RIMS).
- Employed double- or triple-resonance optical excitation with narrow-band diode lasers.
- Detected photoions using a quadrupole mass spectrometer optimized for background and isobar suppression.
Main Results:
- Achieved extremely high isotopic selectivity: ~5 x 10(12) for neighboring isotopes and >10(8) for isobars.
- Demonstrated an overall detection efficiency of approximately 5 x 10(-5).
- Attained accuracy and reproducibility of 41Ca/40Ca isotope ratios better than 5%.
Conclusions:
- The developed RIMS technique provides exceptional selectivity for ultratrace 41Ca analysis.
- This method is suitable for diverse applications requiring precise measurement of low 41Ca abundances.
- Future work can extend its use to 41Ca-based radiodating.