I am an analytical chemist specialising in inorganic mass spectrometry, with a focus on isotope tracing and analysis in natural systems. My research in the Earth Sciences Department is in application of noble gas isotopic analysis to terrestrial systems, and in developing the analytical capabilities of the Oxford University Noble Lab, a multi-user facility consisting of four magnetic sector mass spectrometers for analysis of all stable noble gas isotopes in gas, water, and solid samples.
Education: University of Michigan (B.S. in Chemistry and Classical Archaeology), Purdue University (Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry)
Professional experience: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, International Atomic Energy Agency
View Selected Publications
Noble gas geochemistry
Warr O, Ballentine CJ, Onstott TC, Nisson DM, Kieft TL, Hillegonds DJ, Sherwood-Lollar B (2022) 86Kr excess and other noble gases identify a billion-year-old radiogenically-enriched groundwater system. Nature Communications, 13: 3768.
Tyne RL, Barry PH, Lawson M, Byrne DJ, Warr O, Xie H, Hillegonds DJ, Formolo M, Summers ZM, Skinner B, Eiler JM, Ballentine CJm (2021) Rapid microbial methanogenesis during CO2 storage in hydrocarbon reservoirs. Nature, 600: 670-674.
Matsumoto T, Zouari K, Trabelsi R, Hillegonds D, Jiang W, Lu Z-T, Mueller P, Zappala JC, Araguas Araguas LJ, Romeo N, Agoun A (2020) Krypton-81 dating of the deep Continental Intercalaire aquifer with implications for chlorine-36 dating. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 535.
Barry PH, Kulongoski JT, Landon MK, Tyne RL, Gillespie JM, Stephens MJ, Hillegonds DJ, Byrne DJ, Ballentine CJ (2018) Tracing enhanced oil recovery signatures in casing gases from the Lost Hills oil field using noble gases. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 496: 57-67.
Visser A, Moran JE, Hillegonds D, Singleton M, Kulongoski J, Belitz K, Esser BK (2016) Geostatistical analysis of tritium, groundwater age and other noble gas derived parameters in California. Water Research, 91: 314-330.
Cosmochemistry
Welten KC, Caffee MW, Hillegonds DJ, McCoy TJ, Masarik J, Nishiizumi K. (2011) Cosmogenic radionuclides in L5 and LL5 chondrites from Queen Alexandra Range, Antarctica: Identification of a large L/LL5 chondrite shower with a preatmospheric mass of approximately 50,000 kg. Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 46(2):177-196.
Huber L, Gnos E, Hofmann B, Welten KC, Nishiizumi K, Caffee MW, Hillegonds DJ, Leya I. (2008) The Complex Exposure History of the Jiddat al Harasis 073 L-chondrite shower. Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 43(10):1691-1708.
Welten KC, Hillegonds DJ, Masarik J, Nishiizumi K. (2007) Cosmogenic 41Ca in diogenites: Production rates, pre-atmospheric size and terrestrial ages. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 259(1):653-662.
Welten KC, Nishiizumi K, Caffee MW, Hillegonds DJ, Johnson JA, Jull AJT, Wieler R, Folco L. (2006) Terrestrial ages, pairing, and concentration mechanism of Antarctic chondrites from Frontier Mountain, Northern Victoria Land. Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 41:1081-1094.
Ferko TE, Wang M-S, Hillegonds DJ, Lipschutz ME, Hutchinson R, Franke L, Sherer P, Shultz L, Benoit PH, Sears DWG, Singhvi AK, Bhandari N. (2002) The irradiation history of the Ghubara (L5) Regolith Breccia. Meteoritics and Planetary Science 37:311-28.
Radiochemistry
Kumar B, Han L-F, Wassenaar LI, Klaus PM, Kainz GG, Hillegonds D, Brummer D, Ahmad M, Dagnachew BL, Araguás L, Aggarwal P (2016) A compact tritium enrichment unit for with large sample volumes with automated re-filling and higher enrichment factor. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 118: 80-86.
Hillegonds DJ, Wassenaar LI, Aggarwal PK (2013) Synthesis Report: Intercomparison test fort the determination of low-level tritium activities in natural waters for age dating purposes (TRIC 2012).
Warwick PE, Croudace IW, Hillegonds DJ (2009) Determination of 41Ca in nuclear reactor bioshield concretes: A comparison of liquid scintillation counting and accelerator mass spectrometry. Analytical Chemistry, 81(5):1901-6.
Tumey SJ, Brown TA, Hamilton TE, Hillegonds DJ. (2008) Accelerator mass spectrometry of strontium-90 for homeland security, environmental monitoring and human health. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 266:2242-5.
Hillegonds DJ, Franklin S, Shelton DK, Vijayakumar S, Vijayakumar V. (2007) An update on the management of painful bone metastases with an emphasis on radionuclide therapy: Need to apply the concepts of oligometastases and quantitative staging in clinical trials. Journal of the National Medical Association, 99(7):785-794.
Calcium metabolism
Rogers TS, Garrod MG, Peerson JM, Hillegonds DJ, Buchholz BA, Demmer E, Richardson C, Gertz ER, VanLoan MD (2016) Is bone equally responsive to calcium and vitamin D intake from food vs. supplements? Use of 41calcium tracer kinetic model. Bone Reports, 5: 117-123.
Hillegonds DJ, Vogel JS, Fitzgerald RL, Deftos LJ,. Herold D, Burton DW (2013) Diagnosis and assessment of skeletal related disease using calcium 41. United States Patent Number 8388930.
Denk E, Hillegonds DJ, Hurrell RF, Vogel J, Fattinger K, Häuselmann HJ, Kraenzlin M, Walczyk T. (2007) Evaluation of 41Calcium as a new approach to assess changes in bone metabolism: effect of a bisphosphonate intervention in osteopenic, post-menopausal women. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 22(10):1518-1525.
Fitzgerald RL, Hillegonds DJ, Burton DW, Griffin TL, Mullaney S, Vogel JS, Deftos LJ, and Herold DA. (2005) 41Ca and accelerator mass spectrometry to monitor calcium metabolism in end stage renal disease patients. Clinical Chemistry 51(11):2095-2102.
Hillegonds DJ, Fitzgerald R, Herold D, Lin Y, Vogel JS. (2004) High throughput measurement of 41Ca by accelerator mass spectrometry to quantitate small changes in individual human bone turnover rates. Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation 9(3):99-102.
Other research (archaeological chemistry, biochemistry, physics)
Gökturk EH, Hillegonds DJ, Lipschutz ME Hodder I. (2002) Accelerator mass spectrometry dating at Çatalhöyük. Radiochimica Acta 90:407-10.
Javorsek II D, Elmore D, Fischbach E, Miller T, Stohler M, Bourgeois M, Hillegonds D, Marder J, Rohrs H, Vogt S. (2002) Testing the atomic structure of beryllium with AMS. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 194:78-89.
Hillegonds DJ, Record R, Rickey FA, Badylak S, Jackson GS, Simmons-Byrd A, Elmore D, Lipschutz ME. (2001) PRIME Lab sample handling and data analysis for accelerator-based biomedical radiocarbon analysis. Radiocarbon 43(2A):305-11.
Record RD, Hillegonds D, Simmons C, Tullius R, Rickey FA, Elmore D, Badylak S. (2001) In Vivo Degradation of 14C-labeled Small Intestinal Submucosa (SIS) when used for urinary bladder repair. Biomaterials 22:2653-9.
View Extended Publications
43 Warr O, Ballentine CJ, Onstott TC, Nisson DM, Kieft TL, Hillegonds DJ, Sherwood-Lollar B (2022) 86Kr excess and other noble gases identify a billion-year-old radiogenically-enriched groundwater system. Nature Communications, 13: 3768.
42 Tyne RL, Barry PH, Cheng A, Hillegonds DJ, Kim J-H, McIntosh JC, Ballentine CJ (2022) Basin architecture controls on the chemical evolution and 4He distribution of groundwater in the Paradox Basin. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 589: 117580.
41 Tyne RL, Barry PH, Lawson M, Byrne DJ, Warr O, Xie H, Hillegonds DJ, Formolo M, Summers ZM, Skinner B, Eiler JM, Ballentine CJm (2021) Rapid microbial methanogenesis during CO2 storage in hydrocarbon reservoirs. Nature, 600: 670-674.
40 Tyne RL, Barry PH, Karolytė R, Byrne DJ, Kulongoski JT, Hillegonds DJ, Ballentine CJ (2021) Investigating the effect of enhanced oil recovery on the noble gas signature of casing gases and produced waters from selected California oil fields. Chemical Geology, 584, 120540.
39 Flohr A, Matter JM, James RH, Saw K, Brown R, Gros J, Flude S, Day C, Peel K, Connelly D, Pearce CR, Strong JA, Lichtschlag A, Hillegonds DJ, Ballentine CJ, Tyne RL (2021) Utility of natural and artificial geochemical tracers for leakage monitoring and quantification during an offshore controlled CO2 release experiment. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 111: 103421.
38 Mtili KM, Byrne DJ, Tyne RL, Kazimoto EO, Kimani CN, Kasanzu CH, Hillegonds DJ, Ballentine CJ, Barry PH (2021) The origin of high helium concentrations in the gas fields of southwestern Tanzania. Chemical Geology, 585: 120524.
37 Kimani CN, Kasanzu CH, Tyne RL, Mtili KM, Byrne DJ, Kazimoto EO, Hillegonds DJ, Ballentine CJ, Barry PH (2021) He, Ne, Ar and CO2 systematics of the Rungwe Volcanic Province, Tanzania: Implications for fluid source and dynamics. Chemical Geology, 586: 120584.
36 Copia L, Wassenaar LI, Terzer‐Wassmuth S, Hillegonds DJ, Klaus PM, Araguás‐Araguás LJ (2020) Proficiency testing of 78 international laboratories measuring tritium in environmental waters by decay counting and mass spectrometry for age dating and water resources assessment. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 34: e8832.
35 Matsumoto T, Zouari K, Trabelsi R, Hillegonds D, Jiang W, Lu Z-T, Mueller P, Zappala JC, Araguas Araguas LJ, Romeo N, Agoun A (2020) Krypton-81 dating of the deep Continental Intercalaire aquifer with implications for chlorine-36 dating. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 535.
34 Tyne RL, Barry PH, Hillegonds DJ, Hunt AG, Kulongoski JT, Stephens MJ, Byrne DJ, Ballentine CJ (2019) A novel method for the extraction, purification, and characterization of noble gases in produced fluids. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 20: 5588-5597.
33 Barry PH, Kulongoski JT, Landon MK, Tyne RL, Gillespie JM, Stephens MJ, Hillegonds DJ, Byrne DJ, Ballentine CJ (2018) Tracing enhanced oil recovery signatures in casing gases from the Lost Hills oil field using noble gases. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 496: 57-67.
32 Kumar B, Han L-F, Wassenaar LI, Klaus PM, Kainz GG, Hillegonds D, Brummer D, Ahmad M, Dagnachew BL, Araguás L, Aggarwal P (2016) A compact tritium enrichment unit for with large sample volumes with automated re-filling and higher enrichment factor. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 118: 80-86.
31 Visser A, Moran JE, Hillegonds D, Singleton M, Kulongoski J, Belitz K, Esser BK (2016) Geostatistical analysis of tritium, groundwater age and other noble gas derived parameters in California. Water Research, 91: 314-330.
30 Rogers TS, Garrod MG, Peerson JM, Hillegonds DJ, Buchholz BA, Demmer E, Richardson C, Gertz ER, VanLoan MD (2016) Is bone equally responsive to calcium and vitamin D intake from food vs. supplements? Use of 41calcium tracer kinetic model. Bone Reports, 5: 117-123.
29 Hillegonds DJ, Vogel JS, Fitzgerald RL, Deftos LJ,. Herold D, Burton DW (2013) Diagnosis and assessment of skeletal related disease using calcium 41. United States Patent Number 8388930.
28 Visser A, Singleton MJ, Hillegonds DJ, Velsko CA, Moran JE, Esser BK (2013) A membrane inlet mass spectrometry system for noble gases at natural abundances in gas and water samples. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 27(21):2472-2482.
27 Jackson GS, Hillegonds DJ, Muzikar, P, Goehring, B. (2013) Ultra-trace analysis of 41Ca in urine by accelerator mass spectrometry: An inter-laboratory comparison. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 313:14-20.
26 Kulongoski JT, Hilton DR, Barry PH, Esser BK, Hillegonds DJ, Belitz K. (2013) Volatile fluxes through the Big Bend section of the San Andreas Fault, California: Helium and carbon-dioxide systematics. Chemical Geology, 339:92-102.
25 Welten KC, Caffee MW, Hillegonds DJ, McCoy TJ, Masarik J, Nishiizumi K. (2011) Cosmogenic radionuclides in L5 and LL5 chondrites from Queen Alexandra Range, Antarctica: Identification of a large L/LL5 chondrite shower with a preatmospheric mass of approximately 50,000 kg. Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 46(2):177-196.
24 Welten KC, Caffee MW, Hillegonds DJ, Masarik J, Nishiizumi K (2010) Identifying large chondrites using cosmogenic radionuclides. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 268:1185-1188.
23 Warwick PE, Croudace IW, Hillegonds DJ (2009) Determination of 41Ca in nuclear reactor bioshield concretes: A comparison of liquid scintillation counting and accelerator mass spectrometry. Analytical Chemistry, 81(5):1901-6.
22 Huber L, Gnos E, Hofmann B, Welten KC, Nishiizumi K, Caffee MW, Hillegonds DJ, Leya I. (2008) The Complex Exposure History of the Jiddat al Harasis 073 L-chondrite shower. Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 43(10):1691-1708.
21 Tumey SJ, Brown TA, Hamilton TE, Hillegonds DJ. (2008) Accelerator mass spectrometry of strontium-90 for homeland security, environmental monitoring and human health. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 266:2242-5.
20 Hillegonds DJ, Franklin S, Shelton DK, Vijayakumar S, Vijayakumar V. (2007) An update on the management of painful bone metastases with an emphasis on radionuclide therapy: Need to apply the concepts of oligometastases and quantitative staging in clinical trials. Journal of the National Medical Association, 99(7):785-794.
19 Denk E, Hillegonds DJ, Hurrell RF, Vogel J, Fattinger K, Häuselmann HJ, Kraenzlin M, Walczyk T. (2007) Evaluation of 41Calcium as a new approach to assess changes in bone metabolism: effect of a bisphosphonate intervention in osteopenic, post-menopausal women. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 22(10):1518-1525.
18 Welten KC, Hillegonds DJ, Masarik J, Nishiizumi K. (2007) Cosmogenic 41Ca in diogenites: Production rates, pre-atmospheric size and terrestrial ages. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 259(1):653-662.
17 Welten KC, Nishiizumi K, Caffee MW, Hillegonds DJ, Johnson JA, Jull AJT, Wieler R, Folco L. (2006) Terrestrial ages, pairing, and concentration mechanism of Antarctic chondrites from Frontier Mountain, Northern Victoria Land. Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 41:1081-1094.
16 Denk E, Hillegonds DJ, Vogel J, Synal A, Geppert C, Wendt K, Fattinger K, Hennessy C, Berglund M, Hurrell RF, Walczyk T. (2006) Labeling of the human skeleton with 41Ca for the assessment of changes in bone calcium metabolism. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 386:1587-1602.
15 Yang M, Burton DW, Geller J, Hillegonds DJ, Hastings RH, Deftos LJ, Hoffman RM. (2006) The bisphosphonate olpadronate inhibits skeletal prostate cancer progression in a green fluorescent protein nude mouse model. Clinical Cancer Research, 12(8):2602-6.
14 Fitzgerald RL, Hillegonds DJ, Burton DW, Griffin TL, Mullaney S, Vogel JS, Deftos LJ, and Herold DA. (2005) 41Ca and accelerator mass spectrometry to monitor calcium metabolism in end stage renal disease patients. Clinical Chemistry 51(11):2095-2102.
13 Palmblad M, Buchholz BA, Hillegonds DJ, Vogel JS (2005) Neuroscience and accelerator mass spectrometry. Journal of Mass Spectrometry 40(2):154-9.
12 Lin Y, Hillegonds DJ, Gertz ER, VanLoan MD, Vogel JS. (2004) Protocol for assessing bone health in humans by tracing long-lived 41Ca isotope in urine, serum, and saliva samples. Analytical Biochemistry 332:193-5.
11 Hillegonds DJ, Fitzgerald R, Herold D, Lin Y, Vogel JS. (2004) High throughput measurement of 41Ca by accelerator mass spectrometry to quantitate small changes in individual human bone turnover rates. Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation 9(3):99-102.
10 Welten KC, Nishiizumi K, Finkel KC, Hillegonds DJ, Jull AJT, Franke L Schultz L. (2004) Exposure history and terrestrial ages of ordinary chondrites from the Dar al Gani region, Libya. Meteoritics and Planetary Science 39(1):481-98.
9 Grant PG, Palmblad M, Murov S, Hillegonds DJ, Ueda D, Vogel JS, Bench G. (2003) Alpha particle energy loss measurement of microgram depositions of biomolecules. Analytical Chemistry 75(17):4519-24.
8 Ferko TE, Wang M-S, Hillegonds DJ, Lipschutz ME, Hutchinson R, Franke L, Sherer P, Shultz L, Benoit PH, Sears DWG, Singhvi AK, Bhandari N. (2002) The irradiation history of the Ghubara (L5) Regolith Breccia. Meteoritics and Planetary Science 37:311-28.
7 Gökturk EH, Hillegonds DJ, Lipschutz ME Hodder I. (2002) Accelerator mass spectrometry dating at Çatalhöyük. Radiochimica Acta 90:407-10.
6 Javorsek II D, Elmore D, Fischbach E, Miller T, Stohler M, Bourgeois M, Hillegonds D, Marder J, Rohrs H, Vogt S. (2002) Testing the atomic structure of beryllium with AMS. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 194:78-89.
5 Hillegonds DJ, Record R, Rickey FA, Badylak S, Jackson GS, Simmons-Byrd A, Elmore D, Lipschutz ME. (2001) PRIME Lab sample handling and data analysis for accelerator-based biomedical radiocarbon analysis. Radiocarbon 43(2A):305-11.
4 Record RD, Hillegonds D, Simmons C, Tullius R, Rickey FA, Elmore D, Badylak S. (2001) In Vivo Degradation of 14C-labeled Small Intestinal Submucosa (SIS) when used for urinary bladder repair. Biomaterials 22:2653-9.
3 Javorsek II D, Bourgeois M, Elmore D, Fischbach E, Hillegonds D, Marder J, Miller T, Rohrs H, Stohler M, Vogt S. (2000) New experimental test of the Pauli Exclusion Principle using accelerator mass spectrometry. Physics Review Letters 85(13):2701-4.
2 Jackson GS, Elmore D, Rickey FA, Musameh SA, Sharma P, Hillegonds D, Coury L, Kissinger P. (2000) The PRIME Lab biomedical program. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 172:899-903.
1 Rickey FA, Elmore D, Hillegonds D, Badylak S, Record R, Simmons-Byrd A. (2000) Regeneration of tissue about an animal-based scaffold; AMS Studies of the Fate of the Scaffold. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 172:904-909.