EnvironMICADAS: A Mini ¹⁴C AMS with Enhanced Gas Ion Source Interface in the Hertelendi Laboratory of Environmental Studies (HEKAL), Hungary

Abstract

A more developed and modern technology replaced the old radiocarbon measuring methods in Hungary, based on isotope separation by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) and not on activity measurements. In summer 2011, the EnvironMICADAS was successfully installed in the Laboratory of HEKAL, Debrecen, Hungary. In this project, a multipurpose gas-handling system was developed for the gas ion source of EnvironMICADAS at ETH Zürich, designed for the measurement of small environmental origin samples (<50 μg carbon) with moderate precision requirements. The ultimate aim is an automated device for high sample throughput. Since its final installation and first year of operation, over 2000 graphite targets were analyzed. Long-term stability of the instrument is confirmed through measurements of the Ox-II standard and processed blank targets during the first half of 2012.

Cave monitoring in the Béke and Baradla caves (Northeastern Hungary): implications for the conditions for the formation cave carbonates

“…Sample preparation for accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) analyses were conducted following standard procedures (Molnár et al, 2013a), the 14 C/ 12 C and 13 C/ 12 C ratios were measured by the EnvironMICADAS 14 C facility at the Hertelendi Laboratory of Environmental Studies in Debrecen, Hungary (Molnár et al, 2013b). Activities are expressed in pMC (percent modern carbon).…”

Periodic input of dust over the Eastern Carpathians during the Holocene linked with Saharan desertification and human impact

“…These analyses were performed via EnvironMICADAS accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) at the Hertelendi Laboratory of Environmental Studies (HEKAL), Debrecen, Hungary, using the methodology outlined in Molnár et al (2013). The 14 C ages were converted into calendar years using the IntCal13 calibration curve (Reimer et al, 2013), and an age-depth model (see Fig.…”

Application of zinc sealed tube graphitization on sub-milligram samples using EnvironMICADAS

“…All of the presented radiocarbon measurements were carried out on EnvironMICADAS at ATOMKI [3] and all of the results were processed using the BATS AMS data evaluation software developed by Lukas Wacker, ETH Zurich [16]. The machine-induced isotopic fractionation is measured by the EnvironMICADAS on-line and all of the radiocarbon results were corrected using AMS measured d 13 C values [1,2,16].…”

“…The use of a gas ion source is a good solution to analyze samples with 10-50 lg carbon content using MICADAS type accelerator mass spectrometer [1,2]. Our EnvironMICADAS [3] is able to perform this kind of analysis routinely with moderate precision. The other solution is the development of a micro-graphitization method.…”