University of Arizona Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Facility

University of Arizona Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Facility
Name	University of Arizona Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Facility
Established	1990s
Type	Research facility
Location	Tucson, Arizona, United States
Affiliation	University of Arizona

University of Arizona Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Facility The University of Arizona Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Facility is a research center focused on high-sensitivity isotopic measurements used across archaeology, geoscience, and biomedical research. It operates accelerator mass spectrometers and complementary radiocarbon and isotopic preparation labs to support projects from fieldwork in Grand Canyon National Park and Mojave Desert to collaborations with institutions such as Smithsonian Institution and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The facility supports investigators affiliated with University of Arizona, Arizona State University, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and international partners including University of Cambridge and Max Planck Society.

History

The facility traces origins to the rise of accelerator mass spectrometry in the late 20th century driven by pioneers at McMaster University, ETH Zurich, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Early development at the University of Arizona paralleled expansions at Oxford University Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit and University of Groningen to meet demand from projects led by researchers associated with National Science Foundation grants and programs such as Sloan Foundation-funded initiatives. Over successive decades the laboratory acquired improved ion sources and tandem accelerators similar to systems at Argonne National Laboratory and Brookhaven National Laboratory, enabling collaborations with teams from Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and field campaigns in regions examined by United States Geological Survey geologists.

Facilities and Instrumentation

Instrumentation includes a tandem accelerator and one or more compact accelerator mass spectrometers comparable to those at ETH Zurich and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The facility houses negative ion sources, gas interfaces, and detector stacks akin to equipment used at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory. Shielded counting rooms and electronics racks follow practices from Los Alamos National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory facilities. Analytical capability spans radiocarbon via accelerator mass spectrometry, isotope ratio mass spectrometry paralleling instrumentation at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and trace isotope work consistent with standards set by International Atomic Energy Agency laboratories.

Research and Applications

Research applications cover paleoenvironmental reconstruction, archaeometry, hydrology, and biomedicine, supporting projects with teams from Smithsonian Institution, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Geological Survey, and archaeological groups affiliated with Arizona State Museum and Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. Studies include radiocarbon dating of samples from Chaco Canyon, provenance of materials linked to Maya Lowlands, groundwater dating in basins studied by Bureau of Reclamation, and biomedical tracer studies related to work at Mayo Clinic and Banner Health. The facility contributes isotopic data to climate research coordinated with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change authors and to conservation studies involving collaborators from World Wildlife Fund and Audubon Society.

Sample Preparation and Radiocarbon Laboratory

A dedicated sample preparation laboratory follows protocols comparable to those at the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit and the Radiocarbon Laboratory at the University of Waikato, including acid-base-acid pretreatments, cellulose extraction, and CO2 graphitization for graphitization targets used in AMS. The radiocarbon laboratory serves archaeologists from Arizona State Museum, paleobotanists working with specimens from Smithsonian Institution collections, and paleoclimatologists linked to National Science Foundation-funded cores. Quality control uses reference materials traceable to standards promoted by the International Radiocarbon Intercomparison and cross-calibration with labs at ETH Zurich and University of Oxford.

Collaborations and Funding

The facility engages in multi-institutional collaborations with University of Arizona departments, Arizona State University, federal agencies such as National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and United States Geological Survey, and international partners including University of Cambridge and Max Planck Society. Funding sources have included competitive awards from the National Science Foundation, contracts with National Institutes of Health for biomedical tracer work, and support from private foundations such as Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation for instrument upgrades. Collaborative networks extend to national laboratories like Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and consortia that include Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Training, Outreach, and Services

The facility provides training for graduate students from University of Arizona programs, postdoctoral researchers funded through National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health fellowships, and visiting scientists from institutions like University of Cambridge and Università di Pisa. Outreach includes workshops for curators from Smithsonian Institution and technicians from regional museums such as Arizona State Museum, and user services supplying routine radiocarbon dating and isotopic analyses for investigators affiliated with Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Santa Fe Institute, and municipal cultural resource management firms. The facility offers fee-for-service analyses and participates in interlaboratory comparisons with centers including Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit and ETH Zurich to maintain analytical quality.

Category:Research laboratories in the United States Category:University of Arizona