Status of the New Zealand tandem accelerator mass spectrometry facility

A tandem accelerator mass spectrometry system is being installed at the Institute of Nuclear Sciences, and will become operational this year. Laboratories for ¹⁴C dating and low level radioactivity counting have been established here for several years, and the advent of the accelerator technique is expected to widen significantly the scope of investigations using these facilities, as well as open up new research possibilities. Oceanographic and atmospheric studies in particular are seen as fields where accelerator mass spectrometry can be fruitfully employed.The system being developed is similar to that at Zürich, and is based on a type EN tandem Van de Graaff, with magnetic and electrostatic beam analysis, and sequential acceleration of isotopes under computer control.Techniques have been developed for the conversion of carbonaceous material to graphite, for ¹⁴C dating, and the extraction of beryllium from sediments for ¹⁰Be measurements.