Experts in Radiocarbon Analysis

AMS Radiocarbon Dating Services - Beta Analytic, Inc.

The AMS technique for radiocarbon dating accounts for a substantial number of the analysis requests we receive each day. There can be considerable advantages to using the AMS technique in many dating applications, making possible the extension of radiocarbon dating into many new areas of research. AMS also permits applications in important situations that cannot be dated by the Radiometric technique.

BETA has been providing routine AMS radiocarbon dating services to the international scientific community since 1983 by reporting in excess of 30,000 AMS radiocarbon dating results. Each year we report in excess of 5,000 AMS results, all delivered within 30 working days from receiving the sample material.

Systematic agreement between your samples and the reference standards is guaranteed.

Your samples are included in a "full wheel" of graphite targets, including backgrounds, moderns and known-age standards prepared by BETA. These additional materials undergo the same chemical pretreatments and graphite syntheses as do your samples. This is indispensable for precision radiocarbon dating. They are interspersed throughout the accelerator wheel to provide reference measurements for the age calculations and verifications. Only with rare exception is it acceptable to analyze unknowns which have been prepared separately from the reference standards.

Advantages to using AMS analysis

• It can be used to radiocarbon date one milligram of carbon or less.
• The small sample size needed for analysis may permit a more selective sampling.
• The small sample requirement often allows a stronger pretreatment than would otherwise be possible.
• The small sample taken often means that a portion of the original material can be archived
• Statistical error is better for older and smaller samples.
• Measurement is quasi-simultaneous between reference standards and unknowns.

Our delivery time is dependably the fastest in the world: 6 to 30 business days

Results of AMS dating analysis are reported within 30 business days for the Standard AMS Delivery Service and within 6-14 business days for the Advance AMS Delivery Service. These quoted delivery times are independent of the quantity of samples sent. When your samples are received, we quote an expected terminal delivery date in a correspondence, letting you know the samples arrived safely.

BETA begins the chemical treatments immediately. At the same time, backgrounds, moderns and known-age samples are also being processed. The complete wheel of samples is then taken to the accelerator for measurement. We then calibrate lab results to calendar years, apply isotopic ratio corrections (where needed), and report the results to you.

Our AMS dates are systematic with more than 85,000 radiometric results we've reported over the last 20 years.

More researchers are using a mix of both AMS and Radiometric dating in order to properly answer the complex questions posed by their research. Our AMS radiocarbon dates are systematically the same as any of the Radiometric results provided by BETA since 1979. Inter-calibration between laboratories is essential to this. In addition to reference standards, we circulate "blind" known-age samples, which were measured radiometrically at BETA, to ensure non-biased results. Also, we have an unprecedented quality control program (which we would be glad to send you a copy). Furthermore, we participate in all international standard measurements and use international conventions for our radiocarbon dating calculations.

We are always available to answer your questions.

Please don't hesitate to call, fax or e-mail us. We have many years experience in all aspects of radiocarbon dating; you're very welcome to take advantage of this expertise. beta@radiocarbon.com