Stable Isotope Lab in UCSD

Overview

Stable isotope lab is led by Dr Mark Thiemens and is located in Urey Hall on the main UC San Diego Campus. Dr Mark Thiemens is the dean of Physical Sciences and distinguished professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry in UC San Diego. Stable Isotope lab belongs to a physical sciences division and has researchers from both the physics and chemistry departments. The research in the Stable Isotope Lab has a wide range of research domains from Atmospheric Climate Research to Cosmochemistry and Geophysics. The past projects include analysis of Martian Meteorites, Moon Rocks and Ice from Arctic and many more.

My experiences

I joined Stable Isotopes Lab in March 2015. Currently I am working as a lab research assistant with Project Scientist Dr. Robina Shaheen. I am currently involved in performing photolysis experiments using JSC mars simulate in the presence and absence of ozone to study the exchange of oxygen isotopes. During my research I learned techniques of mass spectrometry and gas chromatography to analyse oxygen and carbon dioxide samples produced during the reactions.

The routine experiment usually involves me loading oxygen, carbon monoxide and water into the photocell (shown below) and shining UV light on it for a certain number of hours. The experiment itself is pretty simple however it is lengthy, depending on the reactions and reactants concentrations, therefore it might take up to 18 hours for reaction to come to completion. Further are a few pictures showing the set up in the lab.