Isotope analysis - determination of the isotopic composition of a chemical element . Isotopic analysis of various elements can be implemented on various physical principles . The most common is the mass spectrometric method, with which you can conduct isotopic analysis of all elements of the periodic system without exception.
Mass spectrometers for determining the isotopic composition must be highly accurate . To analyze the isotopic composition of light elements ( carbon , hydrogen , oxygen , sulfur , nitrogen , etc.), electron impact ionization is used. For these purposes, all methods for introducing a gas phase are suitable, as in organic mass spectrometers. For the analysis of isotopes of heavier elements, thermionization or ionization in inductively coupled plasma is used . Many types of isotopic mass spectrometers use magnetic mass analyzers.
The most important technical characteristics of mass spectrometers are sensitivity , dynamic range , resolution , scanning speed .
Optical methods of isotope analysis (for example, absorption methods based on diode lasers) in some cases make it possible to get rid of isobaric overlays (i.e., interference associated with the coincidence of the masses of isotopes or isotopomers of different elements), which often impede measurements carried out using mass spectrometers.
See also
- Isotope Mass Spectrometers