A C-14 beam monitor using silicon solid state sensor for cultural heritage

Abstract

We report the design and preliminary test results of a 14 C beam monitor developed for the online monitoring for radiocarbon dating. The challenge of the INFN CHNet-Lilliput experiment is to measure the amount of carbon in very small samples (down to a few micro-grams) with a very low concentration of radiocarbon. For this purpose, a new dedicated beam monitor for 14 C ions (Energy ≃ 10 MeV) uses a silicon solid state detector made of 4 independent sectors, active area 50 × 50 mm 2 and 300 μ m thickness. The detector was preliminary tested in the INFN Laboratory of Bari and then installed on the final part of the Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) beam line at the INFN-LABEC Laboratory of Firenze (Italy) where sample measurements for radiocarbon dating are performed since 2004. • Preliminary test results of a 14C beam monitor for the online monitoring for radiocarbon dating. • The challenge of the INFN CHNet-Lilliput experiment is to measure the amount of carbon in very small samples. • A new dedicated beam monitor for 14C ions (Energy ∼ 10 MeV) uses a silicon solid state detector made of 4 independent sectors ( 300 μ m thickness). • The detector was tested in the INFN Laboratory of Bari and then installed at the INFN-LABEC (Firenze).