摘要:
optimize sensitivity, while maintaining Th/U ≈ 0.9 and low oxide production (<0.2% ThO). A well-tuned instrument with 4.0 J/cm2 laser energy density yields typical 238U sensitivity on the order of 15,000 cps/ppm on NIST 612 glass (10 m/sec raster, 43 m spot diameter).At the beginning of a session, up to ≈800 grains (plus standards) on a single puck were preselected at random, then run in continuous automated mode for up to 20 hours. A 25 m spot diameter was used for all analyses reported here. Typical laser pit depths were 15-20 m. Each analysis sequence consisted of data collection for 20 sec with the laser off (for backgrounds), then 20 sec of lasing, then 17 sec with laser off for washout before the next analysis. Isotopes measured (in E-scan mode) were 238U, 235U, 232Th, 208Pb, 207Pb, 206Pb, 204Pb, and 202Hg. Typically, 13 sec of data from the 20 sec lasing duration were used for age calculations, omitting 2 sec at the beginning to allow for signal ramp up and 5 sec at the end which was collected mainly as a check for anomalies.The primary age standard was Temora II zircon (416.8±1.3 Ma; Black et al., 2004), using the final nonmagnetic Frantz fraction at 1.2 amps and 1° side slope. Temora II was run after each 5 unknowns. FC5Z (Duluth gabbro) was run as a secondary age standard after each 10 unknowns (1099 Ma; e.g., Black et al., 2004). Mt. Dromedary was run ≈20 times per sessions as a tertiary age standard (99.12 Ma). Madder was run 10-20 times per session as a U and Th concentration standard.Software used for data reduction included Iolite 2.5 with the Geochronology 3 data reduction scheme (Paton et al., 2010), followed by an Excel spreadsheet (see below; Sharman et al., 2013). To correct for down-hole elemental and isotopic fractionation, we used Iolite's exponential detrending algorithm, which calibrates to the observed down-hole fractionation of the Temora II standard. Iolite also permits efficient inspection of signal intensities, ratios, and ages as they evolved through the 20 sec lasing interval for each grain. During inspection in Iolite, the 13 sec integration intervals used to calculate ages were shortened (truncated off the trailing end) if
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