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Updated: Jul 11, 2026
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Measuring Carbon-based Contaminant Mineralization Using Combined CO2 Flux and Radiocarbon Analyses
Published on: October 21, 2016
Carbon-14: direct detection at natural concentrations.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|November 4, 1977
Summary
Researchers directly detected carbon-14 (14C) in 19th-century wood using a tandem Van de Graaff accelerator. This high-energy mass spectrometry technique effectively separated 14C ions from other interfering ions.
Area of Science:
- Nuclear Physics
- Analytical Chemistry
- Archaeometry
Background:
- Radiocarbon dating is crucial for determining the age of organic materials.
- Traditional methods for detecting carbon-14 (14C) can be time-consuming and require larger sample sizes.
- Advancements in accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) offer potential for more efficient 14C detection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the direct detection of naturally occurring 14C in historical wood samples.
- To evaluate the efficacy of a tandem Van de Graaff accelerator as a high-energy mass spectrometer for 14C analysis.
- To showcase the practical advantages of this advanced detection technique.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing a tandem Van de Graaff accelerator as a high-energy mass spectrometer.
- Employing a DeltaE-E detector telescope for ion identification and energy measurement.
- Analyzing a sample of 19th-century wood for the presence of 14C.
Main Results:
- Successfully detected naturally occurring 14C atoms in the 19th-century wood sample.
- Effectively resolved 14C ions from interfering ions using the DeltaE-E detector telescope.
- Demonstrated the capability of the accelerator-based system for precise ion analysis.
Conclusions:
- Tandem Van de Graaff accelerator-based high-energy mass spectrometry is a viable method for direct 14C detection.
- The DeltaE-E detector telescope provides excellent discrimination against interfering ions.
- This technique offers practical advantages for the analysis of historical organic materials.
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