An anomalous isotope effect exists in many heavy element isotope systems （e.g., Sr, Gd, Zn, U）. This effect used to be called the ＂odd--even isotope effect＂ because the odd mass number isotopes behave differently ...An anomalous isotope effect exists in many heavy element isotope systems （e.g., Sr, Gd, Zn, U）. This effect used to be called the ＂odd--even isotope effect＂ because the odd mass number isotopes behave differently from the even mass number isotopes. This mass-indepen- dent isotope fractionation driving force, which originates from the difference in the ground-state electronic energies caused by differences in nuclear size and shape, is cur- rently denoted as the nuclear field shift effect （NFSE）. It is found that the NFSE can drive isotope fractionation of some heavy elements （e.g., Hg, T1, U） to an astonishing degree, far more than the magnitude caused by the con- ventional mass-dependent effect （MDE）. For light ele- ments, the MDE is the dominant factor in isotope fractionation, while the NFSE is neglectable. Furthermore, the MDE and the NFSE both decrease as temperatures increase, though at different rates. The MDE decreases rapidly with a factor of 1/T2, while the NFSE decreases slowly with a factor of 1/T. As a result, even at high temperatures, the NFSE is still significant for many heavy element isotope systems. In this review paper, we begin with an introduction of the basic concept of the NSFE, including its history and recent progress, and follow with the potential implications of the inclusion of the NFSE into the kinetic isotope fractionation effect （KIE） and heavy isotope geochronology.展开更多
基金funding support from the973 Program(2014CB440904)Chinese NSF projects(41225012,41490635,41530210)
文摘An anomalous isotope effect exists in many heavy element isotope systems （e.g., Sr, Gd, Zn, U）. This effect used to be called the ＂odd--even isotope effect＂ because the odd mass number isotopes behave differently from the even mass number isotopes. This mass-indepen- dent isotope fractionation driving force, which originates from the difference in the ground-state electronic energies caused by differences in nuclear size and shape, is cur- rently denoted as the nuclear field shift effect （NFSE）. It is found that the NFSE can drive isotope fractionation of some heavy elements （e.g., Hg, T1, U） to an astonishing degree, far more than the magnitude caused by the con- ventional mass-dependent effect （MDE）. For light ele- ments, the MDE is the dominant factor in isotope fractionation, while the NFSE is neglectable. Furthermore, the MDE and the NFSE both decrease as temperatures increase, though at different rates. The MDE decreases rapidly with a factor of 1/T2, while the NFSE decreases slowly with a factor of 1/T. As a result, even at high temperatures, the NFSE is still significant for many heavy element isotope systems. In this review paper, we begin with an introduction of the basic concept of the NSFE, including its history and recent progress, and follow with the potential implications of the inclusion of the NFSE into the kinetic isotope fractionation effect （KIE） and heavy isotope geochronology.
