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A Radiocarbon Dating Protocol for use with Packard Scintillation Counters Employing Burst-Counting Circuitry

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

G. T. Cook
Affiliation:
SURRC Radiocarbon Dating Laboratory, Scottish Universities Research and Reactor Centre East Kilbride G75 0QU Scotland
Robert Anderson
Affiliation:
SURRC Radiocarbon Dating Laboratory, Scottish Universities Research and Reactor Centre East Kilbride G75 0QU Scotland
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Abstract

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Considerable research has been carried out in this laboratory on the use of Packard scintillation counters employing burst-counting circuitry. The nature of the pulse-shape discrimination circuit has led to redefining our sample vialing philosophy and scintillation cocktail optimization. Results presented here demonstrate: 1) the enhancements in efficiency that are achievable using a two-component cocktail compared with the use of a primary fluor only; 2) the development of a cocktail in which efficiency and quenching are relatively unaffected by moderate variations in fluor concentrations and ratio; 3) the rationale behind the use of screw-cap vials rather than sealable ampules; 4) the advantage of nickel/chromium-plated brass caps over standard plastic caps.

Type
I. Sample Preparation and Measurement Techniques
Copyright
Copyright © The American Journal of Science 

References

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