Laser Ablation Molecular Isotopic Spectrometry: Strontium and its isotopes

The experimental details are reported of Laser Ablation Molecular Isotopic Spectrometry (LAMIS) and its application for performing optical isotopic analysis of solid strontium-containing samples in ambient atmospheric air at normal pressure. The LAMIS detection method is described for strontium isotopes from samples of various chemical and isotopic compositions. The results demonstrate spectrally resolved measurements of the three individual 86Sr, 87Sr, and 88Sr isotopes that are quantified using multivariate calibration of spectra. The observed isotopic shifts are consistent with those calculated theoretically. The measured spectra of diatomic oxide and halides of strontium generated in laser ablation plasmas demonstrate the isotopic resolution and capability of LAMIS. In particular, emission spectra of SrO and SrF molecular radicals provided clean and well resolved spectral signatures for the naturally occurring strontium isotopes. A possibility is discussed of using LAMIS of strontium isotopes for radiogenic age determination.

► We demonstrated Laser Ablation Molecular Isotopic Spectrometry for Sr.
► SrO has several orders of magnitude increase in isotope shifts versus Sr.
► We formed SrO and Sr-molecular halides in the laser plasmas.
► Sr is important for applications in medicine, forensics, geology and ecology.