Laser Ablation Used In Studies To Map Fossil Teeth

The customer

Southern Cross University BIOMICS (Advanced Bioisotope & Metallomic imaging facility).

The project

Southern Cross University’s BIOMICS lab (GARG Geoarchaeology and Archaeometry Research Group) used a Laser-ablation system to obtain isotopic and trace elemental spatial distributions with histological mapping of tooth formation to enable novel studies and new understandings of human evolution.

Our solution

Kenelec Scientific supplied a Laser Ablation (LA) system, NWR213 and ESL193 excimer both from ESL which compliments Southern Cross University BIOMICS’ Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICPMS).

The outcome

BIOMICS is composed of a Laser-ablation system NW213 and ESL193 excimer from ESL, with a large two volume ablation cell linked to a Quadrupole and Multicollector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICPMS and MC-ICPMS).

The main advantage of the LA-ICPMS is that it minimises the destruction or significant alteration of the original sample, unlike other elemental and isotopic analyses which is a major consideration when sampling archaeological material.

Samples are placed in the large ablation chamber, where the laser vaporises specific parts of the surface. A flow of He in the ablation chamber carries the elements towards the mass spectrometers where it mixes with a flow of Ar just before entering the plasma.

Because of the laser beam width, intensity and pattern can be changed easily; the instrument thus offers not only high precision measurements but also very targeted sampling and virtually non-destructive analyses.

• Tags: ESL, laser ablation,