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The Carbonate 14C Background and its Components at the Leibniz AMS Facility

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

Markus Schleicher
Affiliation:
Leibniz-Labor für Altersbestimmung und Isotopenforschung, Christian-Albrechts-Universität Max-Eyth-Str. 11–13, D-24118 Kiel, Germany
Pieter M. Grootes
Affiliation:
Leibniz-Labor für Altersbestimmung und Isotopenforschung, Christian-Albrechts-Universität Max-Eyth-Str. 11–13, D-24118 Kiel, Germany
Marie-Josée Nadeau
Affiliation:
Leibniz-Labor für Altersbestimmung und Isotopenforschung, Christian-Albrechts-Universität Max-Eyth-Str. 11–13, D-24118 Kiel, Germany
Axel Schoon
Affiliation:
Leibniz-Labor für Altersbestimmung und Isotopenforschung, Christian-Albrechts-Universität Max-Eyth-Str. 11–13, D-24118 Kiel, Germany
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Abstract

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After routine accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dating had been established at the Leibniz-Labor with the completion of systems for CO2 production, graphitization, and target making, a systematic investigation was conducted to find the sources of 14C concentrations observed in background materials. We quantified the contributions of the AMS-system, the reduction, CO2 production from carbonate, carbonate contamination, and combustion. Carbonate contamination appears to be the dominating factor. Improvements in the pretreatment of foraminifer carbonate have led to the elimination of most of this contamination.

Type
Part 1: Methods
Copyright
Copyright © The American Journal of Science 

References

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