Facility Support: Accelerator Mass Spectrometry at PRIME Lab

普度大学稀有同位素测量实验室（PRIME实验室）定期测量岩石、土壤、水和空气中的10Be、26Al、36Cl和129I，为NSF赞助的大型社区和其他用户提供i)为NSF用户社区提供最先进的常规使用放射性核素测量，ii)为那些没有自己内部实验室或专业知识的NSF研究人员提供化学准备服务。iii)将用于未来地球科学调查的新测量技术；iv)具备将放射性核素应用于地球科学问题所需知识的NSF地球科学研究人员。利用加速器质谱法测量放射性核素是地球表面过程和第四纪地质研究的重要组成部分。这些放射性核素用于确定地貌、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率，以及直接影响人口的地质过程。在许多国际公认的期刊上发表的数百份科学报告中报告了这些测量结果。我们正在积极从事教学样品制备方法的下一代研究人员，独立于他们的隶属关系。PRIME实验室还雇佣了许多普渡大学的本科生，教授他们数据采集和数据分析的基础知识。PRIME实验室在西拉斐特地区更大的教育社区中发挥着重要作用。与理学院辅导员和物理系外联主任合作，PRIME实验室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.