Manufacturer and model:
Gas Chromatography – isotope ration mass spectrometer (GC-iRMS)
(GC Isolink Trace 1310 connected to a Detla V by a ConFlo IV).

General Information:
The CG-iRMS measures the isotopic composition (δ 2 H and δ 13 C) of specific organic
molecules (e.g., alkanes, fatty acids etc.) and can be used for a variety of applications in
earth sciences, environmental sciences, chemistry and biology.

Key Features:
The CG-iRMS can measure a slue of volatile and thermally stable organic molecules.
Organic molecules extracted from sediments, plants, soils etc., are injected as liquids into
the GC, where they are thermally separated into different classes of molecules based on
their mass. Each class of molecules are pyrolyzed in a reactor, converted to gas (CO 2 or
H 2 ) and injected into the iRMS. In the iRMS, the gas is ionized, accelerated and sent
through a magnetic-sector mass analyzer that separates the isotopes. The magnetic field
bends the isotopes that collide into Faraday detectors, where they are counted.

Contact person:
Yoni Goldsmith yonig@mail.huji.ac.il

A figure of the instrument:

Manufacturer and model:
MicroXRF (Bruker Tornado M4+)
General Information:
The MicroXRF system is designed to measure XRF spectra in solids (rock slabs, thin sections
and pellets) at the resolution of 20 μm to generate quantitative analyses of major and minor
element compositions. In may be operated to analyze points, profiles or areas.

Key Features:
The Tornado M4+ system is equipped with an automated XYZ stage that enables the
generation of detailed elemental maps. Two SSD detectors can be operated
simultaneously to increase counts-per seconds, and quickly cover a large area. The
system is currently calibrated to carbonate rock slabs, and carbonate and silicate
pellets. It operates under pressure < 2mbars to minimize matrix effects caused by
interactions between X rays and air.

Contact person
Yael Ebert – Lab manager

A figure of the instrument

Manufacturer and model:
ICON NWP Model - The ICON (Icosahedral Non-hydrostatic) model is a comprehensive
numerical weather and climate model developed by the German Weather Service

General Information:
The ICON model is notable for its use of an icosahedral grid system, which allows for
improved representation of complex terrain and atmospheric processes compared to
traditional grid systems. The ICON model is used for both research and operational
purposes. It can provide short-term weather forecasts as well as contribute to longer-
term climate simulations.

Key Features:

• Icosahedral Grid: ICON uses a hexagonal grid structure, which helps minimize distortions in representing the Earth's surface and atmospheric processes. This allows for more accurate simulations, especially in regions with complex topography.
• Non-hydrostatic Dynamics: The model incorporates non-hydrostatic equations, allowing it to capture a wide range of atmospheric phenomena, including convective processes, gravity waves, and other small-scale dynamics that are important for accurate weather predictions.
• Multiscale Capability: ICON is capable of simulating a broad range of spatial scales, from global to local. It can provide forecasts for various meteorological variables, including temperature, pressure, wind, and precipitation.
• Coupled Atmosphere-Ocean Interactions: ICON can be coupled with ocean models to simulate interactions between the atmosphere and the ocean. This is important for studying climate variability and phenomena like El Niño and La Niña.
• Data Assimilation: Like many modern NWP models, ICON uses data assimilation techniques to combine observational data from various sources (such as satellites, weather stations, and aircraft) with model simulations. This improves the accuracy of iinitial conditions for forecasts.

Contact person
Dr. Roy Yaniv
Roy.yaniv@mail.huji.ac.il
+972-508476806

A figure of the instrument

Manufacturer and model:
Hirox RH-2000 - High-resolution microscope

General Information:
The Freddy and Nadine Hermann Institute of Earth Sciences houses a top-of-line Hirox
RH-2000 digital microscope, equipped with a MXB-2016Z lens (optical zoom 20-160),
and a set of adapters for polarized imaging of various samples in a wide range of
conditions on a freely rotating stage, that can be adjusted delicately with a couple of x-y
knobs. The microscope is capable of imaging petrographical thin sections of wide
shapes and sizes, as well as samples of rocks and fossils, and wet samples. Images
can be taken using the regular top camera and a rotating mirror adapter, which provides
360-degree rotation around a specimen. Images can be taken during analyses and
time-lapse for observation of ongoing processes under the microscope. In the case of a
3D sample, a set of images can be taken automatically using the stepping motor in
several height steps to produce a clear and fully focused image (multi-focus) of 3D
objects such as rock samples and fossils.
The system is equipped with a complementary software package developed by Hirox,
which provides a wide range of digital light and color conditions, capable of providing
the user with 'publication standard’ images, including notations, marks, and
measurements. Embedded image-processing techniques allow the user quick line,
area, and height measurements, as well as a statistical summary of the analyzed
images, thus providing quick (as an example) grain or microfossil size determination.
Cross-sections of three-dimensional analyses can also provide detailed information on
the surface structures of the sample.
 
The following sections were retrieved from the Hirox RH-2000 webpage, where more
information can be found.
 
The fastest way to create 3D Models

When capturing 10 image planes, it only takes 1 second to display a high-quality 3D model. The integrated stepping motor allows for faster, smoother, and more accurate scanning with 0.05 µm/pulse precision and 30 mm of automated travel.

Key Features:

Creation of multi-focus 3D images

Profiling
Simply adjust the slicer to visualize and measure any details on the 3D object: the profile created is like a virtual vertical cross-section allowing precise measurements.

Volume and Area Measurement
Volume and area can also be measured on the 3D object by adjusting the horizontal cross-section and clicking on the area of interest.

Contact person

Yaakov Weiss - yakov.weiss@mail.huji.ac.il
Ofir Tirosh - ofirtirosh@gmail.com

A figure of the instrument

Manufacturer and model:
Ultra clean lab

General Information:
Ultra clean lab. Working space (class 1000), work stations (class 100), MQ water system,
prepFAST MC system, ANALAB sub-boiling acid purification system, ETC EVO II (Easy Trace
Cleaner Evolution II).

Key Features:
Lab specializes in studies of radiogenic isotopes and trace element concentrations in sediments,
dust and seawater, as well as various applications of uranium decay series (including U-Th
dating).
Research fields range between modern marine biogeochemical cycles and interaction between
atmosphere and oceans, to organic carbon fluxes in the ocean, to reconstructions of the history of
the oceans and Earth’s climate.

Contact person
Sigalit Amiran-Kan - Lab manager.

A figure of the instrument

Manufacturer and model:
Picarro L2140i Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy for water isotope and a Standards
Delivery Module for measuring vapor.

General Information:
The Picarro L2140i measures the isotopic composition (δ 2 H, δ 18 O and δ 17 O) of water and
vapor and can be used for a variety of applications in earth sciences, environmental
sciences, chemistry and biology.

Key Features:
The Picarro L2140i measures the isotopic composition of tiny amounts (~5 ul) of water
and vapor. In our lab, we developed a method that achieves very high precision (0.03‰,
0.2‰, and 5 permeg for δ 2 H, δ 18 O and 17 O-excess, respectively).

Contact person:
Yoni Goldsmith yonig@mail.huji.ac.il

A figure of the instrument:

The MFK1 is a sensitive instruments for measuring anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility and bulk magnetic susceptibility in weak variable magnetic fields (from 2 A/m to 700 A/m peak values) and three frequencies (976 Hz, 3904 Hz and 15616 Hz. ) The kappabridge measures the AMS of an static specimen. Susceptibility is measured in 15 different positions using a special holder with sample positions that correspond to the rotatable measuring design. The positions are changed manually and, using special software, the susceptibility tensor is calculated including the statistical errors in its determination.

The CS4 unit measures the temperature variation of magnetic susceptibility at temperatures ranging from room temperature up to 700 degrees Centigrade. The quasi-continuous measurement process is fully automated, being controlled by a PC. The curve of temperature variation against susceptibility consists of between 500 to 700 points. In weakly magnetic specimens the curve can be resolved into a paramagnetic hyperbola and complex "ferro"magnetic response curve.

Contact person

 

Laboratory Head

Professor Ron Shaar  | 972-2-65-84248 | ron.shaar@mail.huji.ac.il 

Laboratory Manager

Yakar Zemach | Yakar.Zemach@mail.huji.ac.il

Paleomag Lab website

 

Manufacturer and model:
Agilent 8900 Triple Quadrupole ICP-MS

General Information:
Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) is an analytical technique used to
detect metals and several non-metals at trace-level concentrations in liquid samples. It
operates by ionizing the sample with an inductively coupled plasma and then using a mass
spectrometer to detect the ions. The Agilent 8900 Triple Quadrupole ICP-MS uses two
quadrupole mass filters and a collision/reaction cell to minimize polyatomic interferences.

Key Features:

• A suite of pre-set methods simplifies method setup for routine analysis.
• Helium mode provides simple, effective control of common polyatomic interferences
• Robust (low CeO/Ce) plasma for unmatched matrix tolerance.
•  High sensitivity and low background provide the lowest detection limits for ultra-trace analytes.
• Versatility and high performance combine to support advanced research and demanding applications.

Contact person

Ofir Tirosh - ofirtirosh@gmail.com

A figure of the instrument

Manufacturer and model:
Piston Cylinder (TecnoPrecisa Services, Milan Italy)

General Information:
End-loaded piston-cylinder apparatus for high-pressure high temperature experiments. This
piston-cylinder is a conventional end-loaded device, with a 13 mm piston bore. Pressure ranges
from 0.5 to 4 GPa and temperatures up to 1800 o C.
Experiments cover a wide range of topics: high-pressure high-temperature phase equilibria, trace
element partition coefficients, oxygen fugacity and solubility in dry and volatile-bearing mantle
environments.

Key Features:
The piston cylinder includes a main hydraulic upper ram that pushes on a pressure vessel. The
pressure vessel is built from a tungsten carbide (WC) core surrounded by concentric rings of
hardened steel. The sample is placed inside a NaCl or pyrex-NaCl pressure medium placed
inside the 13 mm piston bore.
Pressure on the sample is imposed by applying load to the hydraulic upper ram. Temperature is
raised by passing current through a cylindrical stepped graphite heater surrounding the sample.

Contact person
Prof. Ronit Kessel

A figure of the instrument

The 2G-Entreprises SRM has a measurement sensitivity of 10-12 Am2 and an exceptionally wide dynamic range of 10-12 to 10-4 Am2. This property enables measurements of a broad array of natural magnetic materials, from extremely weak magnetic particles (such as micrometer scale dust particles) to strong natural magnets (such as volcanic rocks).

Key features

The 2G-Entreprises SRM employs three orthogonal DC-SQUIDs (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device) to achieve the desired sensitivity and dynamic range. The SQUIDs are hosted in a magnetically clean chamber produced from high magnetic permeability Ni-Fe alloy (MuMetal). An additional superconducting circuit is used to attenuate residual magnetic noises. The superconducting circuits operate in cryogenic temperature of 4K, achieved by liquid helium dewar.

The system includes an automatic computer-controlled sample handler and an in-line Alternating Field (AF) demagnetization coils, and ARM system protected by three layers of MuMetal shields. It is designed to perform almost all the basic paleomagnetic procedures in the most sensitive, reproducible, and time-effective manner.

 

Contact person

Laboratory Head

Professor Ron Shaar  | 972-2-65-84248 | ron.shaar@mail.huji.ac.il 

Laboratory Manager

Yakar Zemach | Yakar.Zemach@mail.huji.ac.il

Paleomag Lab website

 

The RAPID 2G-Entreprises SRM was installed in 2017. Like our old 2G it has a measurement sensitivity of 10-12 Am2 and an exceptionally wide dynamic range of 10-12 to 10-4 Am2.  This property enables measurements of a broad array of natural magnetic materials, from extremely weak magnetic particles (such as micrometer scale dust particles) to strong natural magnets (such as volcanic rocks). The SRM use three orthogonal DC-SQUIDs (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device) to achieve this  sensitivity and dynamic range. The SQUIDs are hosted in a magnetically clean chamber produced from high magnetic permeability Ni-Fe alloy (MuMetal). An additional superconducting circuit is used to attenuate residual magnetic noises. The superconducting circuits operate in cryogenic temperature of 4K, achieved by a helium-free cryo-pump.

The RAPID is equipped with a programmable vertical multi-specimen sample handler that can process up to 99 specimens in one session. The RAPID includes in-line Alternating Field (AF) demagnetization coils with maximum field of 110mT for the transverse coil and 250mT for the axial coil; axial ARM with DC field up to 500 microT; and axial IRM with maximum peak field of 2 Tesla.

Contact person

Laboratory Head

Professor Ron Shaar  | 972-2-65-84248 | ron.shaar@mail.huji.ac.il 

Laboratory Manager

Yakar Zemach | Yakar.Zemach@mail.huji.ac.il

Paleomag Lab website

 

In our lab, we have a JEOL Superprobe JXA-8230. The EPMA designed for chemical analysis of the characteristic X-Rays emitted from a sample when probed by an electron beam. An EPMA can quantify elemental concentration using electron dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and wavelength dispersive spectroscopy (WDS) to detect and count characteristic X-Rays emitted from a sample. There are pros and cons to using the EDS and WDS detector (mainly time and the necessity of experience using the techniques). We will be happy to discuss these in person

Key features

Imaging options in the EPMA:

 

• Back scattered electron imaging (BSEI) is sensitive to the mean electron density (atomic weight). Back scattered electrons ate a form of elastic scattering in which incoming incident electrons are bounced back off the sample to hit the detector. 
   
• Secondary electron imaging (SEI) reveals the sample's topography due to the variation in SE production at different tilt angles. Secondary electrons ejected from the k-shell by inelastic scattering interactions with the electron beam. They originate within a few nanometers of the surface. 
   
• Cathodoluminescence (CL) Promotion of valence band electron to conducting band can emit photon of electromagnetic radiation in the visible light region. 

Chemical analysis in the EPMA:  

• EDS Detector: Energy dispersive spectroscopy counts the number and energy of X-Rays emitted from a specimen. The energy spectrum of the X-Rays characterizes the atomic structure of the emitting element.
   
•   WDS Detector: Wavelengthe dispersive spectroscopy counts the number of X-Rays of a specific wavelength diffracted by a crystal. In contrast to EDS, WDS detectors only count the X-Rays of a single wavelength at one time that characterize the atomic structure of the emitting element

Term and conditions

 

• The price per hour is valid only for users who have opened a credit account of 9000 ₪.
   
• The price per hour is valid only for user's with credit in the account.
   
• Users cannot book when the account is in debt.
   
• Users can book for the current and the next month only.
   
• Users cannot book more than 3 days in a row.
   
• At the time of booking, you are required to provide the following information: sample type, analysis type, required elements, and analysis goal.
   
• Booking time should be according to the attached table:

 

 

	Standard deviation	Detection limit (ppm)	Min booking days
Imaging (SEI, BSE, CL)			1
EDS (Factory setup)	5%	1000	1
EDS (Mineral calibration)	3%	500-1000	1-2*
WDS	0.5-1%	40-100	2-3*

* Depends on a project.

 

• WDS calibration cannot be performed on the same day as the analyses.
   
• It is not possible to change the type of analysis or change calibration on the same day of the analyses.
   
• WDS calibration takes about two hours per mineral and can be performed only by the lab staff.
   
• The user can cancel an appointment without charge up to 24 hours before.
   
• Calibration is performed on existing SPI standards (minerals and metals).
   
• If specific standards are needed. It is the user's responsibility to provide them. 

 

• Types and sizes of samples:
   

  	Size	Depth	Max samples
  Epoxy mounts	1" (outside diameter)	1"	6
  Thin sections	4.5 X 2.6 cm		3
  Thick samples	4.5 X 2.6 cm	1 cm	3
  Large samples	7.5 X 3.5 cm	0.2 cm	1
  Small samples	<1"	<1"	6

• All samples must be approved by the lab staff before entering the EPMA.
   

• The user is responsible for preparing his samples prior to the day of analyses (cutting, epoxy, polishing). Remember: epoxy must be prepared 48 hrs before analysis (the lab does not provide epoxy).
   

• Sample preparation should be done prior to the day of analyses.
   

• Polishing the samples is the user responsibility with lab staff guidance.
   

• Coatings are is the lab staff responsibility.
   

• Changing samples are under lab staff responsibility only.
   

• The entrance to the lab is shoeless. The user should come with socks or get shoes from the lab. You will not be able to enter barefoot.
   

• User can work independently only after appropriate training and the approval of the lab manager.
   

• The lab manager can deny a user from independent work.
   

• During unassisted time at the instrument, the user if fully liable for any damage resulted on the EPMA instrument or accessory.
   

• It is user's responsibility to retrieve, back up, and process its data.
   

• The lab staff will not send the data electronically. The user can send it to himself from the lab computer.
   

• The lab is not a storage facility. Users are responsible to take their samples back at the end of analyses.
   

• For any further questions, please feel free to contact the lab staff.

   

   

Service rates

The price per hour is valid only for users who have opened a credit account of 9000 ₪.

 

 

users	Per hour		Per day		Sample Preparation**
	Independent	Assist	Independent	Assist
IES	150	200	900	1200	50
HUJI	200	300	1200	1800	50
Academic	250	450	1500	2700	50
Industry	Please contact for quote

 

* All price in NIS.

** Price per sample. (A set of small samples on one mount considered as one)

 

Contact person

 

 

EPMA Laboratory Manager : 

 

Yael Kempe | yael.kempe@mail.huji.ac.il

 

Laboratory head: 

Professor Oded Navon

 

How to order