AMS and upcoming geochronology facility at Inter University Accelerator Centre (IUAC), New Delhi, India

Abstract

Inter University Accelerator Centre, an ion accelerator centre, is in the process of setting up a national facility for geochronology. It will be a unique and first such facility in the country to provide the latest and exclusive instrumentation for the geochronological related studies to earth scientists of the country. Within this program various instruments are being installed and a 500 kV Pelletron Accelerator for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) has already been set up to measure 14C, 10Be and 26Al radionuclides. A sample preparation laboratory having three automated graphitization equipment and one carbonate handling system has also been set up. Other analytical facilities required for geochronological studies have also been established. This paper provides a brief description of new AMS system, graphitization laboratory for sample preparation, routine 14C measurements, 10Be and 26Al measurements and other instruments installed and planned within the geochronology facility at IUAC.