The main components of the 40Ar/39Ar lab at the University of Lund consist of a Micromass-5400 Gas Source Mass Spectrometer with a faraday and an electron multiplier.

A custom designed and built UHV gas metal extraction line, which contains two SAES C50-ST101 Zr-Al getters and a cold finger cooled to ca –155°C by a Polycold P100 cryogenic refrigeration unit.

For gas extraction, the 40Ar/39Ar laboratory at Lund University is equipped with a New-Wave Dual-Lase system which contains two lasers a high wavelength CO2laser and a UV laser. The CO2 Laser can be used for incremental heating on single or multi-grain aggregates or total fusion of a sample; while with the UV laser, specific spots on a crystal may be fused or ablated and an age estimated. A double vacuum furnace from Modifications Limited may also be utilized.

The entire analytical process is automated and runs on a Macintosh with software modified specifically for the laboratory at Lund University and developed originally at the Berkeley Geochronology Center by Al Deino. Dr Richard Spikings demonstrates the machines ease of use bellow!