Instrument description:

PrecisION isoprime magnetic sector mass spectrometer (Elementar®) coupled to a vario PYRO cube high-temperature elemental analyser (Elementar®).

Principle of the analysis:

The solid samples (weighed in silver capsules) undergo pyrolysis at 1400°C. They are converted into CO gas. The sample gas is then introduced into the spectrometer source under helium flow and analysed against a standard commercial CO gas.

The gas molecules are ionised in the source, accelerated by an electric field and deflected according to their mass by a magnetic field. Three Faraday cages are placed at the outlet, allowing masses 28, 29 and 30 to be recovered.

δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O are determined simultaneously from the same sample with an accuracy of 0.15‰ for δ¹³C and 0.30‰ for δ¹⁸O (see Loader et al. 2014, for a description of the method: DOI: 10.1021/ac502557x).

Type of analysis performed on this instrument:

Stable carbon and oxygen isotopes ratios in cellulose and wood.

Fundings:

Projet : RIOCAS, IDF-DIM-MAP-2021-3-001

Contacts:

Monique Pierre : 01.69.08.31.20 / monique.pierre[a]sce.ipsl.fr

Michel Stievenard : 01.69.08.71.70 / michel.stievenard[a]lsce.ipsl.fr

Instrument description:

ISOPRIME magnetic sector mass spectrometer (Elementar^®) coupled to a vario MICRO Cube elemental analyser (Elementar^®).

Principle of the analysis:

The solid samples (which were weighed in tin capsules) undergo combustion at around 1000°C. They are converted into CO₂ gas. The sample gas is then introduced into the spectrometer source under helium flow and analysed against a commercial reference CO₂ gas.

The gas molecules are ionised in the source, accelerated by an electric field and deflected according to their mass by a magnetic field. Three Faraday cages are placed at the output, enabling masses 44, 45 and 46 to be recovered. The accuracy of the analysis of δ¹³C is 0.10‰.

Type of analysis performed on this instrument:

Stable carbon isotopes ratios in cellulose and wood.

Fundings:

Projet : RIOCAS, IDF-DIM-MAP-2021-3-001

Contacts:

Monique Pierre : 01.69.08.31.20 / monique.pierre[a]sce.ipsl.fr

Michel Stievenard : 01.69.08.71.70 / michel.stievenard[a]lsce.ipsl.fr

Description of the instrument:

Water samples (3mL) are equilibrated for 8 hours with CO2. The gas is then introduced in the mass spectrometer in dual inlet mode. Each sample is measured with respect to a laboratory standard for 15 min.

Generally speaking, in a mass spectrometer, the molecules are ionized in the source, accelerated in an electric field, and deviated depending on the mass to charge ratio by a magnetic field. Three faraday cages are placed at the outlet, and are aligned with mass 44, 45, 46 (for CO2).

Principle of the analysis:

http://www.thermo.com.cn/Resources/200802/File_28763.pdf

Type of analysis performed on this instrument:

This instrument is dedicated to the routine analysis of the oxygen isotopic composition (¹⁸O) of natural waters.

Analytical uncertainty: 2 = 0.05‰ for ¹⁸O

Contacts :

Bénédicte Minster

Description of the instrument:

This analyzer uses Cavity Ringdown Spectroscopy (CRDS) to quantify spectral features of gas phase molecules (H₂¹⁶O, H₂¹⁸O and HD¹⁶O) in an optical cavity.

Samples are automatically injected (2 microliters) in a vaporization module at 110°C before they are sent to the laser cavity. The measurement time for each sample is 9 minutes.

Principle of the analysis:

https://www.picarro.com/products/l2130i_isotope_and_gas_concentration_analyzer

Type of analysis performed on this instrument:

This instrument is dedicated to the routine analysis of the oxygen isotopic composition (¹⁸O and D) of natural waters.

Analytical precision :

1 = 0.2‰ for ¹⁸O

1 = 0.7‰ for D

Contacts :

Bénédicte Minster

Description of the instrument:

This analyzer uses Cavity Ringdown Spectroscopy (CRDS) to quantify spectral features of gas phase molecules (H₂¹⁶O, H₂¹⁸O H₂¹⁷O and HD¹⁶O) in an optical cavity.

Samples are automatically injected (2 microliters) in a vaporization module at 110°C before they are sent to the laser cavity. The measurement time for each sample is 9 minutes, and several hours for the combined analysis of ¹⁷O – ¹⁸O.

Principle of the analysis:

https://www.picarro.com/isotope_analyzers/h2o_isotopes_liquid_and_vapor

Type of analysis performed on this instrument:

This instrument is dedicated to the routine analysis of the oxygen isotopic composition (¹⁸O, ¹⁷O and D) of natural waters.

Analytical precision:

1 = 0.2‰ for ¹⁸O

1 = 0.7‰ for D

1 = 10 ppm for ¹⁷O-excess

Contacts:

Frédéric Prié

 (Example of an extraction line)

 Description of the instrument:

Generally speaking, in a mass spectrometer, the molecules are ionized in the source, accelerated in an electric field, and deviated depending on the mass to charge ratio by a magnetic field. Ten faraday cages are placed at the outlet, and are aligned with masses 28, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34, 36, 38, 40 and 44. Measurements are performed in dual-inlet mode : regularly alternating between sample and standard measurements.

This instrument can be coupled to a gas extraction line, to separate gases trapped in ice cores, and to various purification systems, including a chromatography column, and adsorption systems. It can also be coupled to a water fluorination line for ¹⁷O-excess measurements. At the outlet of these different purification lines, gas samples are trapped in liquid helium, and introduced in the sample bellows of the mass spectrometer.

Principle of the analysis:

http://www.thermo.com/eThermo/CMA/PDFs/Product/productPDF_26513.pdf

Type of analysis performed on this instrument:

• δ¹⁵N of N₂ in air (1 = 5 ppm)

• δ¹⁸O of O₂ in air (1 = 15 ppm)

• δ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar, ⁴⁰Ar/³⁸Ar in air (1 = 20 ppm)

• Δ¹⁷O of O₂ in air (1 = 5 ppm)

• ¹⁷O-excess of H₂O (1 = 5 ppm)

Contacts:

Frédéric Prié frederic.prie[a]lsce.ipsl.fr

Amaelle Landais Amaelle.Landais[a]lsce.ipsl.fr

(Example of a sample preparation line)

Description of the instrument :

Generally speaking, in a mass spectrometer, the molecule are ionized in the source, accelerated in an electric field, and deviated depending on the mass to charge ratio by a magnetic field. Ten faraday cages are placed at the outlet, and are aligned with masses 28, 29, 30 ; 32, 33, 34 ; 36, 38, 40 ; 82, 86. Measurements are performed in dual-inlet mode : regularly alternating between sample and standard measurements.

This instrument can be coupled to a gas extraction line, to separate gases trapped in ice cores, and to various purification systems, including a chromatography column, and adsorption systems. It can also be coupled to a water fluorination line for ¹⁷O-excess measurements. At the outlet of these different purification lines, gas samples are trapped in liquid helium, and subsequently introduced in the sample bellows of the mass spectrometer.

Principe of the analysis:

http://www.thermoscientific.com/en/product/mat-253-stable-isotope-ratio-mass-spectrometer.html

Type of analysis performed on this instrument:

• δ¹⁵N of N₂ in air (1s = 5 ppm)
• δ¹⁸O of O₂ in air (1 s = 15 ppm)
• δ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar, d⁴⁰Ar/³⁸Ar in air (1 s = 20 ppm)
• Δ¹⁷O of O₂ in air (1 s = 5 ppm)
• ¹⁷O-excess of H₂O (1 s = 5 ppm)

Contacts:

Frédéric Prié frederic.prie[a]lsce.ipsl.fr

Amaelle Landais Amaelle.Landais[a]lsce.ipsl.fr

Device description:

The IRMS ISOPRIME 100 mass spectrometer is coupled to an extraction line specific to this type of analysis. The equipment was installed in 2012. This spectrometer is a Dual Inlet one. It is dedicated to the analysis of the clumped isotopes (47) of the (bio) carbonates and in particular of the foraminifers and the speleothems The precisions are of the order of 10ppm on the measurement of 47. The amount of material needed for a measurement is in the range of 1-3 milligrams.

Principle of analysis:

http://daeron.fr/wiki/doku.php?id=papers#theory_methods_and_calibration

Analyzes carried out on the instrument:

Measurement of  47 on carbonate matrix.

Contacts:

Mr. Daëron: mathieu.daeron[a]lsce.ipsl.fr

Description of instrument:

The mass spectrometer IRMS ISOPRIME 100 is coupled to an extraction line. The equipment was installed in 2014. This spectrometer is a Dual Inlet one. It is dedicated to the analysis of (bio) carbonates and in particular benthic and planktonic foraminiferaes. The precisions are of the order of 0.08 and 0.05 respectively for oxygen and carbon. The amount of material needed for a single measurement is in the order of 15-200 micrograms. The specificity of this spectrometer is the possibility of measuring a single foraminifer (15 micrograms).

Principle of analysis:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isotope-ratio_mass_spectrometry

Analysis carried out on the instrument:

Isotopic analysis of carbonates, carbon and oxygen stable isotopes.

Contacts:

D. Blamart: dominique.blamart[a]lsce.ipsl.fr
P. Richard: patricia.richard[a]lsce.ipsl.fr