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Exploring sample size limits of AMS gas Ion Source 14C analysis at Cologneams

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 December 2019

Jan Olaf Melchert Open the ORCID record for Jan Olaf Melchert [Opens in a new window] ,
Alexander Stolz ,
Alfred Dewald ,
Merle Gierga ,
Philipp Wischhöfer  and
Janet Rethemeyer
Jan Olaf Melchert
Affiliation:
Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 49b, 50674 Cologne, Germany
Alexander Stolz
Affiliation:
Institute of Nuclear Physics, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 77, 50937 Cologne, Germany
Alfred Dewald
Affiliation:
Institute of Nuclear Physics, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 77, 50937 Cologne, Germany
Merle Gierga
Affiliation:
Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 49b, 50674 Cologne, Germany
Philipp Wischhöfer
Affiliation:
Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 49b, 50674 Cologne, Germany
Janet Rethemeyer*
Affiliation:
Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 49b, 50674 Cologne, Germany
*
*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected].
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Abstract

Increasing demands for small-scale radiocarbon (14C) analyses required the installation of a “SO-110 B” type ion source (HVE Europa B.V.) at our 6 MV Tandetron AMS (HVE) dedicated for the direct injection of CO2 using either the gas injection system (GIS) from Ionplus AG or a EuroVector EA 3000 elemental analyzer (EA). We tested both systems with multiple series of 14C-free and modern standards (2.5–50 µg C) combusted in quartz ampoules or EA containers and were able to quantify exogenous C introduced. In EA-GIS-AMS analysis exogenous C is mainly derived from the EA sample containers. Blank values for 50 µg C combusted in solvent-cleaned tin (Sn) vessels were 0.0127 ± 0.0012 F14C (boats) and 0.0090 ± 0.0010 F14C (capsules), while they were much higher for thermally cleaned silver (Ag) capsules. The processing of gas samples for GIS-AMS yields similar blank values corresponding to 0.30 ± 0.08 µg exogenous C with 0.93 ± 0.23 F14C consisting of 0.28 µg C modern and 0.02 µg C fossil C. The combustion of larger amounts of blank material (1 mg C) in a single quartz tube split into aliquots gives lower blanks (0.0064 ± 0.0008 F14C; 50 µg C). Thus, 14C analysis of small, gaseous samples is now possible at CologneAMS.

Keywords

AMSCSRAgas ion sourceradiocarbonsmall-scale radiocarbon analysis
Type
Conference Paper
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 61 , Issue 6: Radiocarbon 2018 Conference Proceedings Trondheim, Norway, June 17–22, 2018 Part 2 of 2 , December 2019 , pp. 1785 - 1793
Copyright
© 2019 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

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