New Ultra-High Sensitivity ICP-MS Solutions Drive Applications in Geochemistry Research

The unsurpassed sensitivity of Bruker’s new aurora Elite ICP-MS system, in combination with its low abundance sensitivity and fast scan speed, will now drive applications in the challenging market of geochemistry research. Thanks to ultra-high sensitivity and very short integration times the aurora Elite ICP-MS provides near simultaneous measurement of the isotopes of interest, performing isotope ratio analysis with highest accuracy and precision, ideal, for example, in geochronology of Zircons.

When coupled to laser ablation devices, the aurora Elite’s ultra-high sensitivity is the enabler to analyze material ablated from 2 µm spotsizes – a new dimension in Q-ICP-MS.

Of particular advantage in this context is the aurora Elite’s low abundance sensitivity due to a 3 MHz Quadrupole which even outperforms the abundance sensitivities of multi-collector ICP-MS – a definite must for accurate determinations of large isotope and/or elemental ratios, such as Uranium/Lead/Thorium.

Another challenge especially associated with the determination of large isotope ratios is the precision of the detector calibration, either between analog and counting segments of a discrete dynode detector used in a quadrupole ICP-MS, or between different detectors in a multi-collector ICP-MS. The aurora Elite employs a unique all-digital detector and avoids uncertainties associated with detector calibrations. Dr. Meike Hamester, Director ICP-MS Global Market Development and Product Management at Bruker’s Chemical and Applied Markets (CAM) Division, commented, “The introduction of the most sensitive ICP-MS on the market has proven to be extremely valuable in redefining the boundaries in geochemistry research.”

Bruker launched the aurora Elite in February 2013 during the European Plasma Winter Conference in Krakow, Poland. Representing the high-end of Bruker’s ICP-MS family, the aurora Elite’s unmatched sensitivity outshines all other ICP-MS instrumentation on the market, including the more expensive magnetic sector field ICP-MS instruments.

As a leading provider of innovative analytical instrumentation, Bruker offers an exhaustive range of geochemistry solutions for mineralogy, crystallography, geochronology, petrology, vulcanology, oceanography, cosmochemistry, atmospheric research and paleoclimatology applications, based on its unmatched range of high performance analytical technologies that include ICP-MS, LA-ICP-MS, FT-IR and Raman, NMR, FTMS, X-ray Fluorescence and Diffraction, EDS and Atomic Force Microscopy.