Is there an option to separate lines in a sample into individual samples? Naming convention could be SampleName_LineNumber-LineNumber. On several occasions, users have set linear traverses across a grain, paint chip, etc. or added single points on a zoned mineral to a single sample. After the fact, we have collected LA-ICP-MS or other data and we would like to specify concentrations for each individual line in a sample. Or alternatively, for a number of lines in a traverse we'd like to break them out to apply different calculation options.
Apologies if my search skills did not find a similar thread already discussed.
Well, it's a cool idea but a bit of work to implement.
As you well know but I'll spell it out for others, the reason for specifying elements "missing" elements, that is those not analyzed by EPMA such as H2O, OH, etc., is to provide a more accurate matrix correction for those elements analyzed by EPMA. And of course it provides a more accurate analytical total even if the matrix effects are negligible. This is the topic described here:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=92.0And it's sometimes surprising how much a few extra percent of water or oxygen can make in the other analyzed major elements. E.g, missing oxygen from ferric iron as described here:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=92.msg8593#msg8593But sometimes it's surprising how little of a difference it makes, for example instead of analyzing 16 or so REEs in monazite, if all one is interested in is a chem-age and one only needs U, Th, Pb (and Y for the interference correction), one can simply specify a CePO4 matrix and the matrix effects on the U, Th and Pb are close to negligible. As opposed to actually having to properly analyze all the other elements. See the first post in the "Specifying Unanalyzed Elements topic" and also this:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=1029.0The main reason that the U, Th and Pb concentrations don't change much due to the matrix effects is of course because if they are trace elements then matrix effects have little to no effect at small concentrations as described in this post here (that is, background corrections and interferences dominate the errors for trace elements, while standards, matrix effects and dead time corrections tends to dominate major element errors):
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=610.msg11752#msg11752But getting back to your request, I mention all this because if the total amount of elements from your LA-ICPMS are less than a percent of so, they may make little to no difference in the concentrations of the other elements. But that needs to be evaluated on a case by case basis.
So before we implement a new button as you suggest, perhaps you can respond a little about the concentrations you will be specifying from LA-ICPMS...
I assume that you would be wanting to utilize this feature you requested a long time ago:
https://probesoftware.com/smf/index.php?topic=92.msg11837#msg11837