HeMan Pro

A massive leap forward in helium volume data reduction for the Alphachron. Free yourself from calculating results by hand.

Currently in active development and beta testing.

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Interface

See it in action

From raw intensity data to final helium volumes, HeMan Pro provides a complete visual workflow with real-time diagnostics at every stage.

HeMan Pro data reduction options and sequence selector interface

Data Reduction Options & Sequence Selector

Configure baseline correction, fitting models, standard reduction methods, and degassing thresholds. Select from a full history of sequences with at-a-glance analysis counts to quickly identify the sequence you're looking for.

Individual Analysis View

Inspect each aliquot in detail with intensity-vs-time plots for all measured masses, fitting statistics, and an interactive analysis list for rapid navigation.

HeMan Pro sequence statistics with spike intensity plots

Sequence Statistics & Spike Intensities

Quality control at the sequence level. Monitor gas standard reproducibility, blank stability across line, cold, and hot blanks, and identify anomalous measurements across the full dataset.

Automated Cross-Tank Calibration

No more calculating depletion factors by hand. HeMan Pro's dedicated X-Cal GUI guides you through the entire cross-calibration process automatically — run the sequence, reduce the data, and the program handles the math.

Aliquot Results

Comprehensive results organized by planchette showing helium volumes, uncertainties, re-extraction data, and blank corrections for every aliquot in the sequence.

Capabilities

Every tool you need, integrated

HeMan Pro is written in Python 3.13 and consists of over 35,000 lines of code. It handles everything from raw intensity data to final helium volume calculations with full error propagation.

Advanced Exponential Fitting

Improved fitting accuracy via advanced exponential decay models that capture the subtle curvature in intensity measurements. Toggle to bulk average for noisy data to prevent overfitting.

Automated Blank Corrections

Extremely flexible blank correction interpolations — bulk average, moving average, linear, and cubic spline. Blanks can be separated by mineral type and individual blanks can be excluded or included on the fly. The RE as HB feature allows re-extracts at blank level to serve as hot blanks.

Elimination of Negative Baseline-Corrected Intensities

Negative baseline-corrected intensities are physically meaningless ion count results. HeMan Pro's optional probabilistic baseline correction eliminates them entirely by estimating the most probable positive intensity given the measured signal and current baseline — no negative values, no arbitrary workarounds.

End-to-End Error Propagation

Extremely robust error estimates by propagating errors through the entire calculation pipeline — from original factory calibrations to individual intensity measurements to final helium volume results.

Automated and Manual Quality Control Phases

Two QC phases: Spike Depletion identifies outliers via helium-3 spike intensity conformance; Intensity Consistency plots allow quick visual identification of anomalous measurements across sequences.

Automated Cross-Tank Calibrations

No more headaches from cross-tank calibrations. Run the x-cal sequence, reduce the data like normal, review the results in the dedicated X-Cal GUI, and you're done — all calibrations are updated and applied going forward. Tank refilled, repaired, or replaced? No problem — HeMan Pro handles that, too.

Completely Overhauled Mathematics

Every aspect of the data reduction pipeline has been rebuilt and optimized far beyond what anyone could achieve in a spreadsheet — from baseline correction algorithms to fitting models to error propagation. The result is cleaner, more accurate, and more reproducible data.

Multi-Mineral Planchette Support

Native support for mixed-mineral sequences (e.g., zircon and apatite) with independent blank corrections, error propagation, and result compartmentalization — all in a single automated run.

Under the Hood

Built for accuracy and flexibility

HeMan Pro focuses exclusively on what it does best: calculating helium volumes from raw Alphachron data with unprecedented accuracy.

The probabilistic baseline correction is particularly powerful: it uses elegant statistics to separate the desired signal from instrumental noise, effectively answering the question, "What is the most probable positive intensity that could have produced this measurement given the current baseline?"

Cross-tank calibrations are fully automated and always more accurate than Excel-based methods. Significant discrepancies have been identified between Excel and Python fitting results — Python consistently returns better fits and more accurate depletion factors.

System Requirements

Status: Active development — beta test phase
Platform: Windows 10 or later (experimental macOS / Debian on request)
Built With: Python 3.13 — over 35,000 lines of code
Scope: Helium volume calculations with full error propagation
Licensing: Per Alphachron system (not per PC)

Beta Note: HeMan Pro is under active development and currently in beta testing.

Ready to modernize your helium volume calculations?

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