Switching between DRS

The ease with which you can rapidly switch between different elements for internal standardisation and different reference materials for external calibration (see last post) is one of the great strengths of Iolite.

This can be extended to the DRS level too. If, for example, in addition to standard U-Pb geochronology, you wish to do some trace element analyses simultaneously on your zircon/monazite/etc grains this is straightforward. Just make sure that, during the analysis routine, in addition to the 91500 zircon (or whatever your favourite calibrant may be) you include a NIST glass or other reference material for the trace element calibration. Also, of course add an internal standard element such as Si to your zircon run routine in addition to any trace elements of interest.

Then, when it comes to crunching the data just use the U-Pb DRS as normal to process the analyses for age and export the data (the U-Pb DRS will ignore all the other information collected - it is only interested in the stuff required to do its own particular job). Then you can just switch to the Trace_Elements DRS and reprocess the data again for trace element abundances using the NIST glass as reference and Si as internal standard. These data can also be exported as usual.

You can save each 'process' as a separate experiment so it will be easy to go back and forth if you need to check anything or adjust parameters.

Those doing simultaneous U-Pb and Hf isotopes on MC-ICPMS should be able to do a similar thing i.e switch between U-Pb and Hf isotope DRS..