eprintid: 1464571 rev_number: 32 eprint_status: archive userid: 608 dir: disk0/01/46/45/71 datestamp: 2015-11-26 11:41:50 lastmod: 2020-02-12 18:05:08 status_changed: 2015-11-26 11:41:50 type: article metadata_visibility: show item_issues_count: 0 creators_name: Schwanethal, J title: Minimising 12 C 3+ interference on 4 He + measurements in a noble gas mass spectrometer ispublished: pub divisions: UCL divisions: A01 divisions: B04 divisions: C06 divisions: F57 note: This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. abstract: Measurements of helium isotopes used for geochronological studies are subject to interferences from 12C3+ and HD+. The 12C3+ interference was studied on a Nu Instruments Noblesse mass spectrometer which has sufficient mass resolution to measure the interference on the 4He+ peak due to 12C3+ directly, by setting the magnet at the relevant peak shoulders. Helium sensitivity varies with source trap current. Increasing the source trap current increases the electron fluence, and hence the probability of ionisation, within the source. The source trap current on the Noblesse is typically held at ∼400 μA. Increasing the trap current to 550 μA increases sensitivity to 4He+ approximately two-fold, but 12C3+ increases approximately 17 times. The 4He+ and 12C3+ peak shoulders at m/z = 4 are narrow, despite the high mass resolution, and consequently any instrument drift can cause the peak positions to be lost. However, it is shown that measurement of 12C2+ at m/z = 6 can be used to correct for this interference, allowing the intensity of the broad flat top of m/z = 4 to be used. date: 2015-02-13 date_type: published official_url: http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C4JA00422A vfaculties: VMPS oa_status: green full_text_type: pub language: eng primo: open primo_central: open_green verified: verified_manual elements_source: crossref elements_id: 1024556 doi: 10.1039/C4JA00422A lyricists_name: Schwanethal, James lyricists_id: JSCHW50 actors_name: Schwanethal, James actors_name: Gibson, Alice actors_id: JSCHW50 actors_id: AGIBS47 actors_role: owner actors_role: impersonator full_text_status: public publication: Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry volume: 30 number: 6 pagerange: 1400-1404 issn: 1364-5544 citation: Schwanethal, J; (2015) Minimising 12 C 3+ interference on 4 He + measurements in a noble gas mass spectrometer. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry , 30 (6) pp. 1400-1404. 10.1039/C4JA00422A <https://doi.org/10.1039/C4JA00422A>. Green open access document_url: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1464571/11/Minimising%2012%20C%203%2B%20interference%20on%204%20He%20%2B%20measurements%20in%20a%20noble%20gas%20mass%20spectrometerGold.pdf