An Investigation of High-Precision and High-Accuracy 14C Dating Using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry.

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  • 加速器質量分析（ＡＭＳ）法による｀１４´Ｃ年代測定の高精度化および正確度向上の検討
  • カソクキ シツリョウ ブンセキ AMS ホウ ニヨル 14C ネンダイ ソクテ

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Abstract

Radiocarbon (14C) dating, known since 1950, is now used widely for research in geology, earth science, environmental science, archaeology, and cultural properties science. Conventionally, radioactivity measurements made by detecting beta-rays emitted in the radioactive decay of 14C atoms have been used to evaluate the 14C abundance of sample materials. About fifteen years ago, however, a new method of 14C dating by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) was developed, which uses a combination of a tandem electrostatic accelerator, a mass-analyzing magnet, and a heavyion detector, to detect 14C atoms directly and therefore requires very small amounts of carbon containing material, i. e., about 1mg of carbon, about three orders of magnitude less than that necessary for conventional radioactivity measurements. This outstanding performance has enabled us to apply 14C dating in various new areas of investigation.<br>This paper focuses on how to obtain highprecision and high-accuracy 14C dates. First, results of 14C dating with a Tandetron accelerator mass spectrometer at Nagoya University are briefly described. Also discussed are technical and theoretical issues in obtaining highlyreliable 14C ages with AMS: i. e.; collecting carbonaceous samples and preparing them without modern carbon contamination; selecting carbonaceous compounds particularly suitable for 14C dating; measuring 14C concentrations accurately and precisely with AMS; calculating 14C ages properly by correcting the 14C concentrations for carbon-isotopic fractionation; and calibrating 14C ages to calendar dates using dendrochronological data. In addition, two examples are discussed where AMS 14C dates for volcanic samples are compared with the dates measured for the relevant sample materials by fission-track and potassium-argon (K-Ar) dating methods. Finally, the present status of the Nagoya University Tandetron AMS facility and future plans for reforming the facility are described.

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