Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T01:36:09.442Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Reduction in Backgrounds of Microsamples for AMS 14C Dating

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

D. L. Kirner ,
R. E. Taylor  and
John R. Southon
D. L. Kirner
Affiliation:
Radiocarbon Laboratory, Department of Anthropology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521-0418 USA
R. E. Taylor
Affiliation:
Radiocarbon Laboratory, Department of Anthropology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521-0418 USA Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California, Riverside, California 92521-0418 USA
John R. Southon
Affiliation:
Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California, Livermore, California 94550 USA
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Vogel, Nelson and Southon (1987) determined that the total-system 14C background values in catalytically reduced graphitic carbon samples of 500 mg or less were inversely proportional to their weights. We have used wood reportedly of Pliocene age (i.e., 14C “dead”) to further examine this relation. Our observations are consistent with the conclusions of Vogel, Nelson and Southon (1987). It appears that contamination can be characterized as if a constant level of modern carbon is being added. We also report a significant overall net reduction in total system background values ca. 45% for combusted samples from levels previously reported by Vogel, Nelson and Southon (1987).

Type
V. Advances in Measurement Techniques
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 37 , Issue 2 , 1995 , pp. 697 - 704
Copyright
Copyright © the Department of Geosciences, The University of Arizona 

References

Arnold, M., Bard, E., Maurice, P. and Duplessy, J.-C. 1987 14C dating with the Gif-sur-Yvette tandetron accelerator: Status report. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B29: 120–123.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bennett, C. L., Beukens, R. P., Clover, M. R., Gove, H. E., Liebert, R. B., Litherland, A. E., Purser, K. K. and Sondheim, W. E. 1977 Radiocarbon dating using accelerators: Negative ions provide the key. Science 108: 508–509.Google Scholar
Beukens, R. P. 1992 Radiocarbon accelerator mass spectrometry: Background, precision and accuracy. In Taylor, R. E., Long, A. and Kra, R. S., eds., Radiocarbon After Four Decades: An Interdisciplinary Perspective. New York, Springer-Verlag: 230–239.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boutton, T. W. 1991 Stable carbon ratios of natural materials: I. Sample preparation and mass spectrometric analysis. In Coleman, D. C. and Fry, B., eds., Carbon Isotope Techniques. San Diego, Academic Press, Inc.: 155–170.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davis, J. C., Proctor, I. D., Southon, J. R., Caffee, M. W., Heikkinen, D. W., Roberts, M. L., Moore, T. L., Turtletaub, K. W., Nelson, D. E., Loyd, D. H. and Vogel, J. S. 1990 LLNL/UC AMS facility and research program. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B52: 269–272.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gillespie, R. and Hedges, R. E. M. 1984 Laboratory contamination in radiocarbon accelerator mass spectrometry. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B5: 294–296.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gulliksen, S. and Thomsen, M. S. 1992 Examination of background contamination levels for gas counting and AMS target preparation in Trondheim. In Long, A. and Kra, R. S., eds., Proceedings of the 14th International 14C Conference. Radiocarbon 34(3): 312–317.Google Scholar
Gurfinkel, D. M. 1987 An assessment of laboratory contamination at the Isotrace Radiocarbon Facility. Radiocarbon 29(3): 335–346.Google Scholar
Muller, R. A. 1977 Radioisotope dating with a cyclotron. Science 196: 489–494.Google Scholar
Muller, R. A. 1979 Radioisotope dating with accelerators. Physics Today 32: 23–30.Google Scholar
Nelson, D. E., Kortelling, R. G. and Scott, W. R. 1977 Carbon-14: Direct detection at natural concentrations. Science 198: 507–508.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schmidt, F. H., Balsley, D. R. and Leach, D. D. 1987 Early expectations of AMS: Greater ages and tiny fractions. One failure?—One success. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B29: 97–99.Google Scholar
Southon, J. R., Cafe, M. W., Advise, J. C., More, T. L., Proctor, I. D., Schemata, B. and Vogel, J. S. 1990 The new LLNL AMS spectrometer. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B52: 301–305.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Southon, J. R., Vogel, J. S., Trombone, S. E., Advise, J. C., Robbers, M. L., Cafe, M. W., Finical, R. C., Proctor, I. D., Heikkinen, D. W., Berno, A. J. and Hornady, R. S. 1992 Progress in AMS measurements at the LLNL spectrometer. In Long, A. and Kra, R. S., eds. Proceedings of the 14th International 14C Conference. Radiocarbon 34(3): 473–477.Google Scholar
Taylor, R. E. 1987 Radiocarbon Dating: An Archaeological Perspective. New York, Academic Press: 212 p.Google Scholar
Taylor, R. E. 1991 Radioisotope dating by accelerator mass spectrometry: Archaeological and paleoanthropological perspectives. In Goksu, H. Y., Oberhofer, M. and Regulloi, D., eds., Scientific Dating Methods. Dordrecht, Kluwer Academic Publishers: 37–54.Google Scholar
Vogel, J. S., Nelson, D. E. and Southon, J. R. 1987 14C background levels in an accelerator mass spectrometry system. Radiocarbon 29(3): 323–333.Google Scholar