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Updated: Mar 9, 2026

Preparing an Isotopically Pure 229Th Ion Beam for Studies of 229mTh
Published on: May 3, 2019
Simultaneous measurement of tritium and radiocarbon by ultra-low-background proportional counting
Emily Mace1, Craig Aalseth1, Tom Alexander1
1Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Blvd, MSIN J4-65, Richland, WA 99352, USA.
Abstract:
Use of ultra-low-background capabilities at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory provide enhanced sensitivity for measurement of low-activity sources of tritium and radiocarbon using proportional counters. Tritium levels are nearly back to pre-nuclear test backgrounds (~2-8 TU in rainwater), which can complicate their dual measurement with radiocarbon due to overlap in the beta decay spectra. We present results of single-isotope proportional counter measurements used to analyze a dual-isotope methane sample synthesized from ~120mg of H2O and present sensitivity results.
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