FACILITIES & CAPABILITIES
Cosmogenic nuclide laboratories and measurement facilities in Australia and New Zealand
UNIVERSITY OF CANTERBURY |Â TE WHARE WÄ€NANGA O WAITAHA
Christchurch, New Zealand
Capabilities
Isotopes: 3He, in-situ 10Be, meteoric 10Be, in-situ 14C, 21Ne, 26Al, 36Cl.
Sample type: Quartz.
What can be done: Rock crushing, grinding, the usual quartz purification – FRANTZ, Aqua Regia (+Hot phosphoric capability), isotope separation, furnace for calcining.
Measurement arrangements: Various, including ANSTO and GNS Science.
Laboratory
Geochemistry lab: 2 hoods in isotope separation room (1 with scrubber for HF); 1 hood in quartz separation room.
Can support up to 4 people at different stages (with roster to prevent any contamination).
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Support
Support from Tim Stahl. No funding expectations.
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Contact
Sacha Baldwin [email]
Tim Stahl [email]
MONASH UNIVERSITY
Melbourne, Australia
Capabilities
Isotopes: In-situ 10Be and 26Al, meteoric 10Be, In-situ 14C, and 21Ne
Sample type: Quartz (for now)
What can be done: All physical preparation (cut, crush, and separate samples), Chemistry from digestion to Chromatography, and sample pressing into AMS target.
Laboratory
Geochemistry lab: 4X scrubbed fumehoods, 4X conventional fumehoods. Full support facility for beaker cleaning and reagent distillation.
Can support 3-4 visitors at a time, depending on work flow. Must have lab inductions to use facilities.
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Support
Some technical support from the team. You are expected to have your own funding.
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Contact
Richard Jones [email]
AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
Canberra, Australia
Capabilities
Isotopes: in-situ 10Be, meteoric 10Be, 26Al, 32Si, 36Cl, 41Ca, 53Mn, 60Fe, 129I, 226,228Ra, 231Pa, 233,236U, 237Np, 239,240,242,244Pu, 241Am.
Sample type: Quartz, limestone, feldspars, soil
What can be done: Rock crushing, some chemistry (but not quartz or feldspars), sample pressing into AMS targets, AMS measurement.
Measurement arrangements: Grant supported, but free seed measurements.
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Laboratory
Some capacity for chemistry, in particular for 36Cl from carbonates, sulphur removal from AgCl, and actinides.
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Support
Support is available for those wishing to use the chemistry facilities or press their own samples.
We encourage users to visit to participate in the AMS measurements.
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Contact
Keith Fifield [email]
AUSTRALIAN NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ORGANISATIONÂ (ANSTO)
Sydney, Australia
Capabilities
Isotopes: in-situ 10Be, meteoric 10Be, in-situ 14C, 26Al, 36Cl.
Sample type: Rock and water.
What can be done: Every laboratory step, and AMS measurement.
Measurement arrangements: ANSTO Portal System. Approval needs to be obtained in one of the portal rounds (open every six months). [Website]
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Laboratory
Geochemistry lab: 3x scrubbed fumehoods (1 for 36Cl only); many conventional fumehoods.
Can support up to 3-4 visitors at a time, depending on work flow. Must pass a security check, which may take 6-8 weeks.
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Support
The laboratory is designed to train and support regular visitors.
All visitors working in the lab need approval via the ANSTO portal.
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Contact
Lab managers: Charles Mifsud [email] Krista Simon [email]
For assistance with ANSTO’s portal system: David Fink [email], Klaus Wilcken [email]
VICTORIA UNIVERSITY OF WELLINGTON | TE HERENGA WAKA
Wellington, New Zealand
Capabilities
Isotopes: in-situ 10Be, meteoric 10Be, 26Al.
Sample type: Rock, soil, sediment (various minerals, primarily quartz).
What can be done: Every laboratory step from crushing rock through to target packing for AMS.
Measurement arrangements: ANSTO Portal agreements, external grants, internal funding.
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Laboratory
Physical processing: Boyd crusher, disk mill, ring mill; sieves; high-intensity roll magnet; 2x Frantz isodynamic magnetic separator; Feldspar flotation equipment; heavy liquids.
Geochemistry lab (for element extraction and cathode preparation): 2 HF hoods + 1 laminar flow hood. Geochemistry lab can support ~3 concurrent users.
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Support
Technical support available from Kevin Norton, Luisa Ashworth, and the entire group.
Visitors are expected to have funding for their AMS measurements. It is ideal if sample preparation can be cofounded at $100/sample when the visitor does the lab work, however, this is negotiable.
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Contact
Kevin Norton [email]
UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG
Wollongong, Australia
Capabilities
Isotopes: 10Be and 26Al.
Sample type: Quartz.
What can be done: Every laboratory step from rock/sand to oxides pressed in AMS cathodes (sample cost negotiable).
Measurement arrangements: ANSTO Portal agreements.
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Laboratory
Geochemistry lab: 1 high-capacity HF hood – dedicated to 24/7 HF dissolution and fuming with A2-size hotplate; 12 HEPA evaporation chambers with A3-size hotplates; 1 laminar-flow cabinet dedicated to column chromatography.
Support
No technical support available and capacity mainly limited by time available to train new users. No theoretical capacity limitation for trained users.
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Contact
A. T. Codilean