Dr. Steph Walker

Yeah. I can’t run Nd dynamic because there’s a couple of dalys where I’d need faradays 🥲

Graph of neodymium isotope values from my new MC-ICPMS. Pretty scattered values compared to very stable TIMS analyses.

Maybe I should start running hafnium so I feel better about my post-TIMS world 😂

A faraday “bucket” collector being held in a blue gloved hand with tin foil in the background.

Faraday Friday!!

Fucking hell… this doesn’t bode well for international collaboration does it?

Lit plasma on a Sapphire mass spectrometer glimpsed through the torch box window.

First tantalising glimpse of the plasma earlier this week. Hopefully we’ll get an ion beam next week, but very pleased with the progress so far. So excited for the cool research we can do with this.

Happy new mass spec day to all who celebrate 🥹

Hasn’t it already? 👀💀

Send me photos of your lab (especially mass specs!) please? 🥺

I miss lab work 😭

Happy birthday and congrats to Katie!! 🦅

Avocado’s Number Guacamole from Trader Joe’s

Wow, this is some totally esoteric naming, even for Trader Joe’s.

That’s the idea! They just got a new triton and they wanted a hand setting up small sample size Nd! It’s been fun playing with the triton!

Two computer screens showing a program that runs a Thermal Ionisation Mass Spectrometer

Crossing into the Thermo dark side this week at Cardiff Uni! 🥲

Any chance of some more details? The sticker is that I need them delivered flat-packed and then built/installed on site 🫠

Ok UK isotope folks: do you have a clean lab? Do you have polypropylene laminar flow exhausting fume cupboards?
Where did you get them??

Me, running a 4ng NdO standard at 2.5V for over 50 dynamic cycles: I am a GOD, bow before me 😤
Me, accidentally leaving the filament ramped up and the LOS open over night: ah ffff 🤡
(That’s hubris, kids 🫠)

No I haven’t but that sounds super interesting! We used to run the cuts on the TIMS (💀) but we have an ICPMS now thank god.

Column calibrations amirite? 🙄

A single column in a clear rack. The lab space is white and there are reagent bottles around.

Running one column today because I love pain apparently.

After no papers published last year (😅) it’s my second day back to work today and I have 2 drafts in my inbox already! Sometimes hard work takes a while to come to fruition, I guess!

"Your future is a horror story written by your crimes," is such an absolute A+ literary line that you'd be forgiven for forgetting it comes from the Muppets.

In an alternate timeline I guess I’m a philosopher reading about geology as a hobby 🤔😂

Got ID’d buying a bottle of wine just now and when the guy behind the counter saw it he said “1991?! Oh wow, I’m sorry”
Nah mate, you’re good! 😂

Me two weeks ago: OMG 15 pages for this proposal is so much, I’ll never be able to fill them!
Me now: fuck fuck fuck I need to ✂️

Been thinking about naming the TIMS’ now we have two… is it too dark to put a sign above the door saying “abandon hope all ye who enter here” and call them Dante and Virgil?

Oh man, cheers to that.

Trying to set up Extremely Small NdO runs on the TIMS. 30mV beam sizes on 100pg… thinking to myself: should I even be using the faradays for this? 🤔

A thermal ionisation mass spectrometer covered in reflective covers as it ‘bakes’ to improve the vacuum.

‘New’ TIMS is getting its one-year check-up from Isotopx. Been having some issues with the analyser vacuum so she’s all tucked in and having a toasty nap 😴

Left my PlayStation downloading the new Assassin’s Creed game before coming into the lab today. I can’t wait to be done so I can go play 🥲

You wouldn’t think it would be hard to convince people to NOT COME TO WORK when they’re ill with a fever and cough in 2023 but here we are! 🫠