Abstract
New insights into interferences on helium isotope measurements, using a noble gas mass spectrometer, as a function of ion source trap current and filament voltage.
Highlights
Helium has two naturally occurring isotopes: 3He and 4He
All measurements were performed on a Nu Instruments Noblesse noble gas mass spectrometer at the London Geochonology Centre (LGC)
This paper has documented the effects of an isobaric interference on 4He+ by 12C3+. The magnitude of this interference monotonically rises with increasing trap current, and may signi cantly bias 4He+ measurements if uncorrected for
Summary
Helium has two naturally occurring isotopes: 3He and 4He. Helium has two naturally occurring isotopes: 3He and 4He The ratio of these two isotopes provides valuable insights into various aspects of geochemistry and geochronology.[1,2,3] Ongoing developments in noble gas research, notably the growing popularity of laser microprobe analysis, prompt noble gas researchers to measure 3He/4He on ever smaller signals. The precision of 3He/4He is generally limited by the 3He+ signal, which is nearly always orders of magnitude smaller than 4He+. Increasing sensitivity to 3He+ does increase the sensitivity to 4He+, and has the potential to magnify any interference due to 12C3+. It is desirable to increase the sensitivity to the helium isotopes with minimal, or predictable, effects on the interferences
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
