Applications of MC-ICP-MS in Cosmochemistry

The following sections provide an overview of the use of MC-ICP-MS in cosmochemistry. To this end, the text highlights selected novel findings and their scientific significance, while also discussing any particular analytical procedures and potential problems. 

Isotopic studies involving MC-ICP-MS revealed evidence for a heterogeneous distribution of Zr, Ti, Mo, and Ni isotopes in the solar system [49, 53-55, 59, 61]. Variations in relative isotopic abundances of Zr and Ti between carbonaceous chondrites and terrestrial samples provide evidence for a heterogeneous distribution of CAIs (Table 10.1) as carriers of these nucleosynthetic anomalies. This conclusion has implications for mixing processes in the solar nebula and accretion models of planets. 

However, mass balance indicates that presolar SiC grains cannot account for the Zr excesses observed in the early leaching steps and this therefore hints at the 

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This chapter provides an overview of the impact that MC-ICP-MS has had on cosmochemical research. To this end, it encompasses (i) an introduction to the extraterrestrial samples, and in particular meteorites, which are analyzed (ii) a brief explanation of the origin and significance of the most important types of isotopic anomalies that are measured (iii) a brief introduction to the particular advantages that MC-ICP-MS provides for isotopic analysis in cosmochemistry and to common analytical procedures and (iv) an overview of important applications of MC-ICP-MS in cosmochemistry. This last section highlights selected novel findings and their scientific significance, while also discussing particular analytical procedures and potential pitfalls. 

The application of MC-ICP-MS has had a profound impact on isotopic research in cosmochemistry over the last two decades. This immense impact primarily reflects two factors. First, MC-ICP-MS instruments are comparatively affordable and straightforward to use. As a result, there are now many laboratories world-wide in which MC-ICP-MS instruments are in routine use on a daily basis. The second factor is the performance characteristics of the instrumental technique, which is both versatile and suitable for high-precision isotopic analysis. As such, MC-ICP-MS can been applied to resolve small natural isotopic variations for a wide range of metallic and metalloid elements. Furthermore, it is equally suitable for the analysis of radiogenic and nucleosynthetic isotope anomalies and also mass-dependent isotope fractionations. As such, the technique of MC-ICP-MS is ideally suited for exploring the wealth of isotopic variations that are present in extraterrestrial materials and many successful investigations, which have yielded novel and important results, have been carried out in the recent past. 

Given the importance of isotopic analysis to cosmochemical research, it is unsurprising that improvements in mass spectrometric methods and instrumentation have played a significant role in advancing the scientific field. The advent of multiple-collector (MC) inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in the early 1990s [10-13] is no exception in this regard. The success of this instrumental technique, which is now routinely used in well over 100 laboratories world-wide, has had an enormous effect on cosmochemistry, with many studies published over the last two decades that showcase novel methods and applications. 

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