High Precision Osmium Isotope Measurements Using New Generation Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry

The technique for measuring Os isotopes to high precision (e.g. +/-30-50 ppm on the 186/188 ratio, 2 sigma) via negative thermal ionization mass spectrometry (NTIMS) was established a decade ago at the University of Maryland. Recent technical advances have resulted in the production of a new generation of TIMS that allows isotopic measurements with substantial improvement in accuracy and precision. Because of the improved capability, the new generation TIMS holds great potential to examine a variety of problems in geochemistry and cosmochemistry. Over the past 5 years, I have refined the technique for higher precision measurements of Os isotopes using the Triton TIMS from Thermo Electron. The measurements are made in static mode using 7 Faraday collectors. 70 or more nanograms of Os is loaded onto a Pt filament with barium hydroxide, the latter is an electron emitter that promotes efficient production of Os trioxide. Oxygen is bled into the source at constant pressures. Signal intensities of 120-180 mV 186Os trioxide are generated and measured as negative ions. Oxygen corrections to the raw data are made using the oxygen isotopic composition obtained for 2 ng loads of Re tetroxide measured on the Faraday cups. Multiple runs over the course of 3 years for the same lecture bottle used to bleed in oxygen to the source showed no change in the oxygen isotopic composition. Oxygen corrections are followed by instrumental mass fractionation corrections using 189/188, 192/189, or 192/188 using the exponential law. Both the internal and external precision for standard and unknown data are best when using 192/188, by a factor of 1.4 over 189/188, and 1.8 over 192/189. Replicate runs on 100 ng standard loads of a single filament shows no change in corrected values within external precision for all Os isotopic ratios over a wide range of fractionation, confirming adherence to the exponential law during emission. 39 runs for a standard solution gave +/-14 ppm (2 sigma) on the 186/188 ratio when using 192/188 of 3.083 for normalization. Technique development continues, with a goal of reducing the amount of Os measured to generate these precisions. Applications of this technique to ongoing studies include further examination of 186/188-187/188 variations in mantle-derived materials. Samples studied include Archean and Proteozoic komatiites, abyssal peridotites, plume-derived basalts, and Os-rich alloys from ultramafic portions of ophiolites. The origin of nucleosynthetic Os isotopic anomalies in meteorites, and the cosmic ray exposure effects to the Os isotopic composition of extra-terrestrial materials, are being investigated to evaluate the variation identified in a preliminary set of chondrites using the Triton.