The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution will upgrade the nine year-old mass spectrometer serving a number of investigators in its Geology & Geophysics Department. The existing VG Micromass 602E requires a new source and is no longer serviced by the manufacturer. The upgrade will involve converting the machine to a triple collector with a new high sensitivity source, including new magnets and flight tube. New micro inlet valves will also be developed and installed. A forty-sample carousel system will be implemented using pneumatic valves and proven control and data acquisition software. The upgrade will have several benefits beyond more reliable operation. Automation will enhance productivity and sample throughput over present manual operation, and will reduce operating errors. Higher sensitivity and a smaller inlet volume will also allow analysis of smaller sized samples. Over the years, the present machine has been in continuous operation in support of numerous NSF-sponsored oceanographic, earth, and atmospheric studies. This pattern of heavy use is expected to continue.
