Radioisotope Detection and Dating with Tandem Accelerators

During the past three years the Rochester MP tandem accelerator and associated equipment have been used to develop the techniques for the detection of naturally occuring radioisotopes and rare atoms such as the platinum group elements (PGE). Isotope ratios below 10-15 (for 14C and 36Cl) and PGE element abundances down to at least 10-9 (1 ppb) have been detected. Isotope ratios are also being measured in an effort to develop the techniques for radioisotope dating, element abundance measurements (by isotope dilution), nuclear cross section measurements, cosmic ray exposure ages etc. The apparatus at Rochester is now being further developed to increase the sensitivity and accuracy of the measurements and equipment for Toronto is being built at General Ionex exclusively for isotope and rare element abundance studies in geology, archaeology and nuclear physics.