Enhancing sample preparation capabilities for accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon and radiocalcium studies

With support provided by the LLNL Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, the UCR Radiocarbon Laboratory continued its studies involving sample pretreatment and target preparation for both AMS radiocarbon (14C) and radiocalcium (41Ca) involving applications to archaeologically -- and paleoanthropologically- related samples. With regard to AMS 14C-related studies, we have extended the development of a series of procedures which have, as their initial goal, the capability to combust several hundred microgram amounts of a chemically-pretreated organic sample and convert the resultant CO2 to graphitic carbon which will consistently yield relatively high 13C- ion currents and blanks which will yield, on a consistent basis, 14C count rates at or below 0.20% modern, giving an 2 sigma age limit of >50,000 yr BP