Quantum-mechanical equilibrium isotopic fractionation correction to radiocarbon dating: a theory study.

Abstract

This paper relates the quantum–mechanical equilibrium isotopic fractionation correction to the radiocarbon dating method by Eq. 9, and also shows the significant influence of temperature on the method. It is suggested that the correction is a function of the frequencies and temperature of a specific sample and these two variables can be evaluated theoretically by the ab initio quantum calculations and experimentally by analyzing the clumped-isotope ratios in it, respectively. This paper also suggests that the 14C/12C ratio in the atmosphere in geological time can be calculated by Eq. 10.