We report a new analytical technique for precise and accurate determination of the 228Ra/226Ra ratio by total evaporation thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TE-TIMS). An improved chromatographic separation method employing a new tandem column technique that enables high yield and high purity of Ra is also described. Repeated analysis of Ra standard solution (228Ra/226Ra = 1.1) yielded an analytical reproducibility for 228Ra/226Ra ranging from 0.2% to 0.9% (2σ) for 170 to 2 fg of Ra. Reproducibility was strongly controlled by counting statistics of 226Ra+ and 228Ra+ ion beam intensities collected by an ion counting detector, implying that in-run precision for Ra isotope analysis of our method can be evaluated using a counting statistics law. Determination of 226Ra abundances in silicate rock samples were examined by isotope dilution TE-TIMS, and reproducibility was 0.3% (2σ) for JR-2 (226Ra = 3700 fg g−1) and 0.6% (2σ) for JB-2 (226Ra = 81 fg g−1); the reproducibility of these measurements are 2–3 times better than previously published conventional TIMS procedures. The 226Ra/228Ra ratio in natural samples can be also measured with an analytical uncertainty of ∼1% (2σ). The accuracy of our method was confirmed by measuring (226Ra/230Th) and (228Ra/232Th) ratios for JR-2, a sample old enough (1 Ma) to be in 230Th–226Ra and 232Th–228Ra radioactive equilibria. Our method is especially effective for samples with a very low abundance of Ra.
@article{20191011113816-801170,
author = "Tetsuya Yokoyama and Eizo Nakamura",
title = "Precise analysis of the 228Ra/226Ra isotope ratio for short-lived U-series disequilibria in natural samples by total evaporation thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TE-TIMS)",
journal = "Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry",
year = "2004",
volume = "19",
pages = "717-727",
doi = "10.1039/B400829D",
}
caption | ID | rowname | stone | ||
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Table 2 Repeated analysis of Ra abundance in GSJ standard by TE-TIMS pub | 20191011143002-687320 | Ra (Yokoyama et al., 2004) | 2 | ||
Table 3 Repeated analysis of 226Ra/228 Ra ratio in natural sample pub | 20191011143345-502579 | Ra226zRa228 (Yokoyama et al., 2004) | 1 | ||