Sample throughput and data quality at the Leibniz-Labor AMS facility

Abstract

Since our first report on the performance of the Kiel accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) system and our early work on sample preparation, systems have been built to improve the sample quality and throughput of the laboratory. Minor modifications were also made on the AMS system, mainly in order to reduce the amount of work and time needed to maintain the system in optimal condition. The design and performance of a 20-port reduction system, a pneumatic target press, and a remote alarm unit for the AMS system are discussed, along with an overview of the results obtained during the last year and the procedure used to obtain them. Statistical analysis shows that the contribution of the AMS system to the measuring uncertainty at our current level (0.3% for a modern sample) is negligible.