Samson earns NSF Grant (EAR-0922710 ) for new TIMS!

Scott Samson got great news from the National Science Foundation (EAR-0922710): his proposal for a new thermal ionization mass spectrometer (TIMS) was awarded through the Major Research and Instrumentation division of NSF! Scott and Mike Cheatham flew to Manchester, England in June to test a new instrument from the company IsotopX. They will fly to Germany in early October to check out the rival instrument from ThermoScientific. The new mass spectrometer will replace the one SU purchased in 1990 for Scott an Pat Bickford (now Professor emeritus). The new instrument (costing a mere three quarters of a million dollars!) will allow Scott and his students to continue to pursue innovative research in U-Pb geochronology and radiogenic isotope geochemistry. Acquiring a state-of-the-art mass spectrometer once again puts SU at the forefront of this constantly expanding area of geochemistry. We encourage all alumni and potential new students to come and see the new laboratory!