Characterization of meteoric 10Be in certified reference materials for use in internal control standards

Abstract

In recent decades, interest in the measurement of 10Be has increased due to its relevance in various fields of science. Trace amounts of 10Be produced from meteoric sources require sensitive accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) measurements and robust sample preparation. The extraction, separation, and preparation of the appropriate oxide form for AMS require extensive and careful laboratory processing and certified reference materials to validate the chemical performance of the protocols used and the calibration of the AMS system in the measurement. In this work, the meteoric 10Be concentrations in two certified reference materials are characterized to establish their suitability as internal control standards for laboratory chemical preparation and AMS measurements of this radioisotope in our laboratory and the whole AMS community.