Issues and opportunities in accelerator mass spectrometry for stable isotopes.
Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) has developed in the last 30 years many notable applications to the spectrometry of radioisotopes, particularly in radiocarbon dating. The instrumentation science of trace element AMS (TEAMS) that analyzes stable isotopes, also called Accelerator SIMS or MegaSIMS, while unique in many features, has also shared in many of these significant advances and has pushed TEAMS sensitivity to concentration levels surpassing many competing mass spectroscopic technologies. This review examines recent instrumentation developments, the capabilities of the new instrumentation and discernable trends for future development.
Matteson
Sam
S
Department of Physics, University of North Texas, PO Box 311427, Denton, Texas 76203-1427, USA. matteson@unt.edu