Accelerator mass spectrometry

• Published in: Mass spectrometry reviews Vol. 27; no. 5; pp. 398 - 427
• Main Authors: Hellborg, Ragnar, Skog, Göran
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.09.2008; Wiley
• Subjects: accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS); Analytical chemistry; Archaeology - methods; Carbon Radioisotopes - analysis; Chemistry; Cosmic Radiation; cosmogenic isotopes; Earth and Related Environmental Sciences; Equipment Design; Exact sciences and technology; Fysik; Geologi; Geologic Sediments - chemistry; Geology; Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap; Isotopes - analysis; isotopic composition; Mass Spectrometry - instrumentation; Mass Spectrometry - methods; Natural Sciences; Naturvetenskap; Nuclear Medicine - methods; Oceanography - methods; Particle Accelerators - instrumentation; Physical Sciences; radioisotopes; Radioisotopes - analysis; Spectrometric and optical methods; Static Electricity; Subatomic Physics; Subatomär fysik; tandem accelerator; Tandem Mass Spectrometry - instrumentation; Tandem Mass Spectrometry - methods; cosmogenic isotopes; Geology; Carbon Isotopes; Instrumentation; Accelerator mass spectrometry; accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS); Isotopic composition; Review; Oceanography; Radioisotope; radioisotopes; Archaeology; tandem accelerator; Sample preparation; Environment; Application; Carbon 14; Isotopes; Medical application
• ISSN: 0277-7037; 1098-2787
• DOI: 10.1002/mas.20172

In this overview the technique of accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) and its use are described. AMS is a highly sensitive method of counting atoms. It is used to detect very low concentrations of natural isotopic abundances (typically in the range between 10−12 and 10−16) of both radionuclides and stable nuclides. The main advantages of AMS compared to conventional radiometric methods are the use of smaller samples (mg and even sub‐mg size) and shorter measuring times (less than 1 hr). The equipment used for AMS is almost exclusively based on the electrostatic tandem accelerator, although some of the newest systems are based on a slightly different principle. Dedicated accelerators as well as older “nuclear physics machines” can be found in the 80 or so AMS laboratories in existence today. The most widely used isotope studied with AMS is 14C. Besides radiocarbon dating this isotope is used in climate studies, biomedicine applications and many other fields. More than 100,000 14C samples are measured per year. Other isotopes studied include 10Be, 26Al, 36Cl, 41Ca, 59Ni, 129I, U, and Pu. Although these measurements are important, the number of samples of these other isotopes measured each year is estimated to be less than 10% of the number of 14C samples. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., Mass Spec Rev 27: 398–427, 2008