Welcome to the TIMS Facility at Boston University

The NSF funded TIMS Facility at Boston University (NSF MRI EAR-0521266) is a regional center for high precision, thermal ionization mass spectrometry that primarily serves the academic geosciences community. The Facility is housed in the Department of Earth Sciences. We welcome applications to perform isotopic measurements at the Facility from NSF funded geoscientists including students (graduate and undergraduate), post-doctoral researchers and more senior academics. We currently have the capability of obtaining high precision Sr and Nd isotopic measurements, with plans for the addition of both Pb & Caisotope measurements to follow in 2009, and the potential for further isotope systems as user requirements evolve. Our new clean lab facility became operational in July 2009 following a major expansion and renovation of the old facilities. The new facility will greatly improve our remit for high precision analysis on nanogram sized samples. Details about the project are available here.

Research Focus

The research remitt of the lab is primarly focussed on the development of procedures to measure increasingly small aliqouts of geologically useful isotopes. For example, recent improvements in both chemical extraction and loading techniques instigated in the lab have allowed for increasingly smaller amounts of Nd to be measured. The lab can now accurately measure as little as 4 ng of Nd without loss of the external precision typical for the Triton Mass Spectrometer (i.e. 10 ppm 2 sigma).

With these analytical improvements and the facility’s New-Wave micromill sampling device the BU TIMS Facility is now able to acquire isotopic data on samples with a resolution on the scale of 100s of microns and obtain both highly accurate and precise isotopic measurements from a variety of geological, oceanographic and environmental samples. Thus, we are capable of providing the fine scale geochemical and geochronological resolution necessary for cutting edge research in igneous and metamorphic geochemistry, tectonics and mantle processes, paleoclimatology, atmospheric and surface processes, weathering, and oceanography.

Regional Facility

The goal of the lab is to welcome the geoscience community by functioning as a regional research facility for isotope geochemistry. Since the facility has opened its doors in January 2007, a wide array of external and internal users have visited to measure Nd and Sr in a variety of rocks, minerals, fossil material, waters and soil. We emphasize hands-on user training and encourage active engagement in all facets of the preparation and analysis of samples during visits to the Facility. This has allowed many of our external users (including graduate students, post docs, and senior researchers) to visit the lab for extended periods, taking advantage of the training in isotope chemistry and mass spectrometry we offer. We are always interested in discussing potential measurements, user visits and collaborations and if you contact us we would be happy to help you with any further information.