Alfred Nier and the sector field mass spectrometer

Abstract

Science and technology are intimately related, and advances in science often become possible with the availability of new instrumentation. This has certainly been the case in mass spectrometry, which is used in so many scientific disciplines. Originally developed as an instrument for research in physics it was used in the discovery of isotopes, their recognition as the fundamental species comprising the elements, and the investigation of elemental isotopic composition. Isotope ratio mass spectrometry is a metrological technique of the highest order, and has been widely used in chemical, biochemical, cosmochemical, environmental, geological, physical, and nuclear research. Mass spectrometry presently plays a key role not only in scientific research, but also in industrial operations. This paper highlights the role that Alfred Otto Carl Nier played in bringing mass spectrometry into the mainstream of science. Nier's career spanned a remarkable period in science, and he made crucial contributions to atomic weights, geochronology, isotope geochemistry, nuclear physics, and space science. He is widely viewed as the 'father of modern mass spectrometry', because of his genius with instrumentation, his innovations, and the generosity with which he shared his ideas and designs. It is timely to remember his fundamental work in mass spectrometry, particularly the development of the sector field mass spectrometer, which is still the instrument of choice for many isotope scientists some 66 years after its first appearance in 1940.

Isotope ratio analysis of actinides, fission products, and geolocators by high-efficiency multi-collector thermal ionization mass spectrometry

“…In absence of this blank, a detection limit for bead load techniques comparable to that for Sr and Cs can be expected (<0.1 fg) using ion counting, which is based upon the observed total efficiencies. An abundance sensitivity of 10 6 to 10 7 measured at atomic mass 144 Nd + 1 u when applying a 144 Nd beam can be reported using SEM with RPQ, similar to that for Cs. Fig.…”

“…New developments that are being explored for radioanalytics include laser ablation ion storage time-of-flight mass spectrometry [140,141] and femto-second laser ablation ICP-MS [142,143]. Some of the applications of mass spectrometry in nuclear research have been reviewed by DeLaeter [67] and DeLaeter and Kurz [144].…”

A Brief History of Mass Spectrometry

“…He also assisted geochemists in determining the age of the earth by measuring 207 Pb/ 206 Pb in the planet's crust, among other achievements. 4 One of his most notable accomplishments, however, was his contribution to U enrichment efforts during WWII. At the time,…”

The role of mass spectrometry to study the Oklo–Bangombé natural reactors

“…Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of this sector-field instrument, which not only reduced the weight and power consumption of the electromagnet, but also enabled the ion source and detector to be removed from the influence of the magnetic field. This singlestage instrument was significantly easier to construct and apply to isotopic measurements than previous designs (De Laeter & Kurz, 2006). Two groups, one at the University of Chicago, USA under Professor Mark Inghram, and the other at McMaster University in Canada under the leadership of Professor Harry Thode, undertook an ambitious off-line mass spectrometric research program to determine the cumulative fission yields of a number of fissile elements.…”