Charles Fipke Laser Ablation- Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry Lab
UBC Okanagan is presently building a world-class Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry lab. This lab has been made possible as a result of the generous support of Dr. Charles Fipke and a grant from Western Economic Diversification. Instrumentation going into the lab includes a Thermo Element XR, ICP MS that will be linked to a Photon Machines Excimer Laser Ablation system. The laser will be used to sample materials as small as 20 microns wide, and the ablated material will be analyzed for various trace elements such as strontium, lead or zirconium using the ICP MS. The concentrations of up to 40 elements can be determined at one time. The objective is to develop a fingerprint for the material being analyzed. These element “fingerprints” have a plethora of potential uses. For example they can be used to help find new ore deposits, track the migration patterns of fish, and monitor climate change by analyzing tree rings or mussel shells. The state-of-the-art instrumentation has potential applications across many disciplines and will help establish UBC Okanagan as one of the premier locations for multidisciplinary research.
Last reviewed 
3/6/2009 2:24:42 PM
