Synonyms
Accelerator dating; AMS; Atom counting
Definition
Accelerator mass spectrometry is a technique that combines a particle accelerator with a mass spectrometer in order to measure very low levels (10−16) of cosmogenic and anthropogenic radionuclides employed for dating purposes.
Introduction
Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) is widely used to measure rare isotope ratios of cosmogenic and anthropogenic nuclides. Cosmogenic isotopes are produced through the interaction of cosmic rays with atmospheric molecules, rocks at the earth’s surface (Dunai, 2010) and in extraterrestrial settings. AMS is the analytical tool of choice for a range of isotopes used for dating purposes, especially radiocarbon dating and surface exposure dating. Table 1 lists a number of these isotopes, hereafter referred to as AMS isotopes. These can potentially be used to date samples from years to tens of millions of years old. The chief advantage of AMS over standard mass spectrometry is that it eliminates...
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Jull, A.J.T., Burr, G.S. (2015). Accelerator Mass Spectrometry. In: Jack Rink, W., Thompson, J.W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Scientific Dating Methods. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6304-3_102
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