Facility Support: The Purdue Rare Isotope Measurement Laboratory

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EAR-0452936CaffeeAlthough the application of cosmic-ray-produced (cosmogenic) nuclides in earth surface processes is relatively new, the impact of these studies is astonishing. Ten years ago it was difficult to measure the erosion rate of a landscape over a timescale relevant to geomorphology; few measurements existed, and these were often unreliable. Today, basin-wide erosion rates can be measured with cosmogenic 10Be and 26Al, almost routinely, by measuring their concentrations in stream sediment. The initial success of these studies portends an immense growth in the application of cosmogenic nuclides. The measurement of cosmogenic radionuclides is accomplished using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). AMS is an increasingly important tool that is applied to a variety of research problems spanning numerous earth science disciplines. The unique strength of AMS is its ability to measure isotopes of an element in which the abundance ratios range from 10-12 to 10-15. The nuclides most commonly measured by AMS include 10Be, 14C, 26Al, 36Cl, and 129I. These and other radionuclides are produced in a variety of geologic settings; their concentrations can serve as chronometers or tracers of naturally-occurring processes. As demand in the NSF scientific community for AMS measurements increases PRIME Lab must be able to meet this demand and assume leadership in both measurement capabilities and scientific applications. PRIME Lab's ultimate goal is to be the focus point for the measurement and application of AMS radionuclides in Earth sciences in the U.S. During the last several years numerous upgrades have been completed. These enhancements are enabling higher precision and faster measurements. During the next four years we anticipate both improvements in existing measurement capabilities and the development of new capabilities. These developments in AMS technology will proceed in parallel with new application of cosmogenic nuclides in the Earth sciences.