Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-mlc7c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-14T05:06:19.408Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Status report of the Trondheim Radiocarbon Laboratory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 October 2019

Martin Seiler*
Affiliation:
The National Laboratory for Age Determination, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU University Museum, Trondheim, Norway
Pieter M Grootes
Affiliation:
The National Laboratory for Age Determination, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU University Museum, Trondheim, Norway
John Haarsaker
Affiliation:
The National Laboratory for Age Determination, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU University Museum, Trondheim, Norway
Sylvie Lélu
Affiliation:
The National Laboratory for Age Determination, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU University Museum, Trondheim, Norway
Izabela Rzadeczka-Juga
Affiliation:
The National Laboratory for Age Determination, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU University Museum, Trondheim, Norway
Sølvi Stene
Affiliation:
The National Laboratory for Age Determination, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU University Museum, Trondheim, Norway
Helene Svarva
Affiliation:
The National Laboratory for Age Determination, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU University Museum, Trondheim, Norway
Terje Thun
Affiliation:
The National Laboratory for Age Determination, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU University Museum, Trondheim, Norway
Einar Værnes
Affiliation:
The National Laboratory for Age Determination, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU University Museum, Trondheim, Norway
Marie-Josée Nadeau
Affiliation:
The National Laboratory for Age Determination, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU University Museum, Trondheim, Norway
*
*Corresponding author. Email: martin.seiler@ntnu.no.

Abstract

The Trondheim radiocarbon (14C) laboratory has evolved from a traditional radiocarbon decay counting laboratory to an accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) facility primarily measuring 14C. This evolution required adjustments in sample preparation and data handling to match the capacity of the AMS system and reduction in sample sizes to about 1 mgC. We summarize here the steps involved in dating a sample at the National Laboratory for Age Determination in Trondheim, Norway. These include the structure of our sample database for information handling, sample cleaning procedures for different sample types, our reduction systems, both an automated EA-based system for regular use and a manual system for more challenging samples, and data evaluation. We will also briefly summarize the capabilities of our isotope-ratio mass spectrometer.

Type
Conference Paper
Copyright
© 2019 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

Selected Papers from the 23rd International Radiocarbon Conference, Trondheim, Norway, 17–22 June, 2018

References

REFERENCES

Bruhn, F, Duhr, A, Grootes, PM, Mintrop, A, Nadeau, M-J., 2001. Chemical removal of conservation substances by ‘Soxhlet’-type extraction. Radiocarbon 43(2A):229237.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
de Vries, HL, Barendsen, GW. 1954. Measurements of age by carbon-14 technique. Nature 174(4442):11381141.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Donahue, DJ, Linick, TW, Jull, AJT. 1990. Isotope-ratio and background corrections for accelerator mass-spectrometry radiocarbon measurements. Radiocarbon 32(2):135142.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Elliott, C, Vijayakumar, V, Zink, W, Hansen, R. 2007. National Instruments LabVIEW: A programming environment for laboratory automation and measurement. JALA: Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation 12(1):1724.Google Scholar
Jull, AJT, Donahue, DJ, Hatheway, AL, Linick, TW, Toolin, LJ. 1986. Production of graphite targets by deposition from CO/H2 for precision accelerator 14C measurements. Radiocarbon 28(2A):191197.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Klein, MG, Mous, DJW, Gottdang, A. 2006. A compact 1 MV multi-element AMS system. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms 249(1–2):764767.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Klein, MG, van Staveren, HJ, Mous, DJW, Gottdang, A. 2007. Performance of the compact HVE 1 MV multi-element AMS system. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms 259(1):184187.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lanting, JN, Aerts-Bijma, AT, van der Plicht, J. 2001. Dating of cremated bones. Radiocarbon 43(2A):249254.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Longin, R. 1971. New method of collagen extraction for radiocarbon dating. Nature 230(5291):241242.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mann, WB. 1983. An international reference material for radiocarbon dating. Radiocarbon 25(2):519527.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mook, WG, van der Plicht, J. 1999. Reporting 14C activities and concentrations. Radiocarbon 41(3):227239.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nadeau, M-J, Grootes, PM. 2013. Calculation of the compounded uncertainty of 14C AMS measurements. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 294(Supplement C):420425.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nadeau, M-J, Vaernes, E, Svarva, HL, Larsen, E, Gulliksen, S, Klein, M, Mous, DJW. 2015. Status of the “new” AMS facility in Trondheim. Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research B 361:149155.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nemec, M, Wacker, L, Hajdas, I, Gaggeler, H. 2010. Alternative methods for cellulose preparation for AMS measurement. Radiocarbon 52(3):13581370.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nordeide, SW, Gulliksen, S. 2007. First Generation Christians, Second Generation radiocarbon dates: The cemetery at St. Clement’s in Oslo. Norwegian Archaeological Review 40(1):125.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nydal, R. 1959. Trondheim natural radiocarbon measurements I. Radiocarbon 1:7680.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nydal, R. 1962. Proportional counting technique for radiocarbon measurements. Review of Scientific Instruments 33(12):13131320.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nydal, R. 1968. Further investigation on the transfer of radiocarbon in nature. Journal of Geophysical Research 73(12):36173635.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nydal, R, Gislefoss, J, Skjelvan, I, Skogseth, F, Jull, AJT, Donahue, DJ. 1992. 14C profiles in the Norwegian and Greenland Seas by conventional and AMS measurements. Radiocarbon 34(3):717726.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ohneiser, A. 2006. Entwicklung einer automatischen CO2-Reduktionsanlage zur Probenvorbereitung am AMS Radiokarbonlabor Erlangen [Diploma thesis]: Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg. 80 p.Google Scholar
Ruff, M, Fahrni, S, Gäggeler, HW, Hajdas, I, Suter, M, Synal, H-A, Szidat, S, Wacker, L. 2010. On-line radiocarbon measurements of small samples using elemental analyzer and MICADAS gas ion source. Radiocarbon 52(4):16451656.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schleicher, M, Grootes, PM, Nadeau, M-J, Schoon, A. 1998. The carbonate 14C background and its components at the Leibniz AMS facility. Radiocarbon 40(1):8593.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scott, EM. 2003. TIRI and FIRI: Section 10: Summary and conclusions. Radiocarbon 45(2):285291.Google Scholar
Slota, PJ, Jull, AJT, Linick, TW, Toolin, LJ. 1987. Preparation of small samples for 14C accelerator targets by catalytic reduction of CO. Radiocarbon 29(2):303306.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vogel, JS, Southon, JR, Nelson, DE, Brown, TA. 1984. Performance of catalytically condensed carbon for use in accelerator mass-spectrometry. Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research B 5(2):289293.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wacker, L, Nemec, M, Bourquin, J. 2010. A revolutionary graphitisation system: Fully automated, compact and simple. Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research B 268(7–8):931934.CrossRefGoogle Scholar