• Multi Ion Counting

In-situ analysis of zircons The systematics of U and Pb in zircons serve as one of the most important dating tools available in the geosciences. Until now, most zircon analyses are performed by second-ary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) or thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS). SIMS offers the possibility of in-situ analysis of single crystals at high spatial resolution. TIMS relies on micro-drilling in order to achieve spatial resolution, with subsequent chemical separation required to extract U and Pb. A new technique for in-situ U-Pb analysis in zircons is ICP-MS in combination with laser ablation. However, the sample volumes are small and con-centrations of U and Pb can be very low, necessitating an ion detection system with very high sensitivity and low noise. Because laser ablation produces transient signals