Journal
NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH SECTION B-BEAM INTERACTIONS WITH MATERIALS AND ATOMS
Volume 294, Issue -, Pages 349-352Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV
DOI: 10.1016/j.nimb.2012.01.026
Keywords
Accelerator mass spectrometry; Radiocarbon dating; Mass spectrometry; Molecule dissociation
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Radiocarbon is still the most important nuclide measured by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). The related capabilities for dating and tracer studies are eminent not only in archaeology but also drive important applications in the earth and environmental sciences as well as in biomedical research. So far, standard mass spectrometric systems have not been capable of radiocarbon dating because of interfering molecular isobars which, however, can be completely eliminated in charge changing processes at high ion beam energies (MeV)[1,2]. Here, we present a novel type mass spectrometry system for radiocarbon analyses. Radiocarbon dating was performed using 45 key C-14 ions from the ion source and a molecule dissociation unit kept at ground potential. This proof-of-principle experiment demonstrates for the first time the feasibility of mass spectrometric radiocarbon dating without an accelerator. The results obtained will be the basis of an optimized design for a radiocarbon dating instrument comparable in size, complexity and cost to standard mass spectrometers. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available