Facility Support: Accelerator Mass Spectrometry at PRIME Lab

普渡稀有同位素测量实验室(Prime Lab)定期为NSF赞助的大型社区和其他用户测量岩石、土壤、水和空气中的10Be、26Al、36Cl和129I，提供i)为NSF用户社区常规使用的放射性核素进行最先进的测量，ii)为没有自己的内部实验室或专业知识的NSF调查人员提供化学准备服务，iii)将在未来的地球科学调查中使用的新测量技术，以及iv)NSF地球科学调查人员，具有将放射性核素应用于地球科学问题所需的知识。用加速器质谱仪(AMS)测量放射性核素是地球表面过程和第四纪地质学研究的重要组成部分。这些放射性核素被用来确定地貌、流体和沉积物的年代，并确定侵蚀、土壤形成和构造变形的速度，这些地质过程直接影响人类人口。在许多国际公认的期刊上发表的数百份科学报告中报道了这些测量结果。我们积极致力于向下一代研究人员传授样品制备方法，与他们的从属关系无关。Prime Lab还雇佣了许多普渡大学本科生，向他们传授数据采集和数据分析的基础知识。Prime Lab在西拉斐特地区更大的教育社区中发挥着重要作用。Prime Lab与理学院辅导员和物理系外展主任合作，每年接待数百名学生参观实验室。

The Purdue Rare Isotope Measurement Laboratory (PRIME Lab) routinely measures 10Be, 26Al, 36Cl and 129I in rock, soil, water, and air for a large community of NSF-sponsored and other users providing i) state-of-the-art measurements for routinely-utilized radionuclides for the NSF user community, ii) chemical preparation services for those NSF investigators who do not have their own in-house laboratories or expertise, iii) new measurement techniques that will be used in future geoscience investigations, and iv) NSF geoscience investigators with the knowledge needed to apply radionuclides to geoscience problems. The measurement of radionuclides by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) is an essential component of the study of Earth surface processes and Quaternary geology. These radionuclides are used to date landforms, fluids, and sediments, and to determine rates of erosion, soil formation, and tectonic deformation, geologic processes that directly impact human populations. These measurements are reported in hundreds of scientific reports published in numerous internationally recognized journals. We are actively engaged in teaching sample preparation methods to the next generation of researchers, independent of their affiliation. PRIME Lab also employs numerous undergraduate Purdue University students, teaching them the basics of data acquisition and data analysis. PRIME Lab plays a significant role in the larger education community in the West Lafayette area. Working together with the College of Science counselor and the Department of Physics Outreach Director, PRIME Lab hosts hundreds of students annually on laboratory tours.