Our mass spectrometry facility includes a Nu Plasma II MC-ICP-MS, a VG Sector 54 TIMS, and an Agilent 8900 QQQ ICP-MS. The lab also includes a Photon Machines femtosecond laser ablation system for in-situ analysis. Additionally, the lab features a suite of HEPA-filtered clean lab space to accommodate a range of radiogenic and stable isotope preparatory analysis.
Our primary focus is on high-precision isotope ratio measurements of geologic materials. We commonly measure elemental isotope ratios of Rb, Sr, Sm, Nd, Pb, and U. We have previous experience measuring elemental isotope ratios of Mg, K, Ca, Cr, Fe, Lu, and Hf. We are open to developing methods to broaden our analytical techniques into other isotope systems. Additionally, we can measure trace- and minor-element concentrations in situ and via solution modes along with in situ chemical mapping.
We are pleased to host outside visitors in our laboratory to help them with geochemical analysis. We function as a teaching research lab, so we encourage collaborators to visit the lab and learn the details of sample processing and data acquisition, when possible. We have limited availability to process contract samples, so we restrict collaboration to projects that align with lab objectives and/or those that require our specific capabilities. If you are interested in collaborating with us, please contact Annie Bauer (annie.bauer@wisc.edu) and Mike Tappa (mtappa@wisc.edu). In your email, please include a description of: 1) the project goals, 2) sample/material type, 3) number of samples, 4) desired elements and/or isotopes for analysis, 5) concentration estimates for relevant elements, if you have them, and 6) any deadlines or time constraints.