The (U-Th-Sm)/He lab is equipped with an Alphachron automated system for helium measurement. We routinely measure 2 laser pans of 24 aliquots each in automatic mode in 1 week. We collaborate with PD Dr. Johannes Glodny in section 3.1 at the German Research Centre for Geosciences; he is responsible for sample dissolution and analysis of U, Th and Sm using ICP-MS. At present, we analyze both apatites and zircons.

The Potsdam ⁴He/³He Thermochronology Laboratory at the University of Potsdam, Germany is dedicated to high-precision measurement of ⁴He and ³He noble gas abundances and isotopic ratios (i.e. ⁴He³He) in U-bearing accessory minerals such as apatite.
The laboratory is equipped with a Helix SFT Thermo Scientific mass spectrometer recently acquired and funded by the European Research Council (ERC). The Helix SFT is connected to a Thermo extraction and purification Prepline dedicated to mineral …

The ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating method is a modification/improvement of the ⁴⁰K-⁴⁰Ar method. The utilised decay system is the electron capture by a ⁴⁰K parent nuclide and the production of a ⁴⁰Ar daughter nuclide with a decay constant (Λe) of 0.581 x 10⁻¹⁰. In addition, beta-decay of ⁴⁰K to ⁴⁰Ca also occurs with a decay constant (Λb) of 4.96 x 10⁻¹⁰, but this branch is not used. For the K-Ar method, direct determination of potassium concentrations on sample aliquots is necessary. In contrast, for …

The MSF-Lab, established in 2004, is part of the Department of Experimental Planetary Physics and is used for different astrobiological and physical experiments to simulate the key environmental conditions like pressure, temperature, radiation, gas composition, and primarily also the diurnally varying atmospheric humidity in a range from earth conditions to similar to those at the near-surface atmosphere of Martian mid- and low latitudes. A further part of the laboratory are tests with gas, …

The noble gases (or "rare gases") helium, neon, argon, krypton, and xenon are chemically inert. Due to their volatile nature they have a strong tendency to partition into gas or fluid phases and can be used as tracers for the origin and the transport of fluids.
In rocks they are typically present in very low concentrations of ~10⁻⁹ to 10⁻⁶ cm³ STP/g (He, Ar; 1 cm³ STP is equivalent to 2.7 x 10¹⁹ atoms) and ~10⁻¹³ to 10⁻¹⁰ cm³ STP/g (Ne, Kr, Xe). Therefore their concentrations and isotopic …

The Planetary Analog Simulation Facility-Laboratory (PASLAB) at the DLR is used for different astrobiological, chemical and physical experiments to simulate variations in key environmental conditions like pressure, temperature, radiation and gas composition, under conditions ranging from Earth-like (including Early Earth) to the near-surface atmosphere of Martian mid- and low latitudes and exoplanets (e.g. temperature range between -70 °C to +20 °C, low pressures 6 to 10 mbar, etc.). The DLR …