Absolute isotopic composition and atomic weight of neodymium using thermal ionization mass spectrometry

Synthetic mixtures prepared gravimetrically from highly enriched isotopes of neodymium in the form of oxides of well-defined purity were used to calibrate a thermal ionization mass spectrometer. A new error analysis was applied to calculate the final uncertainty of the atomic weight value. Measurements on natural neodymium samples yielded an absolute isotopic composition of 27.153(19) atomic percent (at.%) 142Nd, 12.173(18) at.% 143Nd, 23.798(12) at.% 144Nd, 8.293(7) at.% 145Nd, 17.189(17) at.% 146Nd, 5.756(8) at.% 148Nd, and 5.638(9) at.% 150Nd, and the atomic weight of neodymium as 144.2415(13), with uncertainties given on the basis of 95% confidence limits. No isotopic fractionation was found in terrestrial neodymium materials.