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Updated: May 23, 2026

Preparing an Isotopically Pure 229Th Ion Beam for Studies of 229mTh
Published on: May 3, 2019
The physical chemistry of mass-independent isotope effects and their observation in nature
Mark H Thiemens1, Subrata Chakraborty, Gerardo Dominguez
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, 92093, USA. mthiemens@ucsd.edu
Abstract:
Historically, the physical chemistry of isotope effects and precise measurements in samples from nature have provided information on processes that could not have been obtained otherwise. With the discovery of a mass-independent isotopic fractionation during the formation of ozone, a new physical chemical basis for isotope effects required development. Combined theoretical and experimental developments have broadened this understanding and extended the range of chemical systems where these unique effects occur. Simultaneously, the application of mass-independent isotopic measurements to an extensive range of both terrestrial and extraterrestrial systems has furthered the understanding of events such as solar system origin and evolution and planetary atmospheric chemistry, present and past.
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