High‐Precision Measurement of 187Os/188Os Isotope Ratios of Nanogram to Picogram Amounts of Os in Geological Samples by N‐TIMS using Faraday Cups Equipped with 1013 Ω Amplifiers

Abstract

N(187Os)/N(188Os) ratios of six geological reference materials were measured using static Faraday cups (FCs) with 1013 Ω amplifiers by N‐TIMS. Our results show that the repeatability precision was 2–3‰ (2 RSD, n = 3), when taking ~ 1 g of BHVO‐2 with 76 pg g−1 of Os mass fraction and ~ 2 g of BCR‐2 with 21 pg g−1 of Os mass fraction for each sample, whether measured by FCs or by secondary electron multiplier. The repeatability precision measured by FCs was 1–0.2‰ (2 RSD, n = 3) when taking ~ 1 g of BIR‐2 with 350 pg g−1 of Os mass fraction, ~ 1 g of WGB‐1 with 493 pg g−1 of Os mass fraction or ~ 0.5 g of WPR‐1 with 13.3 ng g−1 of Os mass fraction for each sample, which is much better than those measured by secondary electron multiplier. Instead, when taking ~ 2 g of AGV‐2 with 4 pg g−1 Os mass fraction, the repeatability precision measured by secondary electron multiplier is 3–4‰ (RSD, n = 3), which is better than those measured by FCs. Of the six reference materials analysed, WPR‐1 and BIR‐1a are the most homogeneous with regard to Os isotopic composition (2 RSD of 0.08% and 0.23%, respectively) when test portion masses are 0.5–1 g.