@article {2333,
	title = {Automated systems and techniques utilized at the NOSAMS sample preparation laboratory: An update of productivity and quality issues},
	journal = {Radiocarbon},
	volume = {38},
	year = {1996},
	note = {id: 959},
	month = {1996},
	pages = {38-39},
	author = {Gagnon, A. R. and McNichol, A. P. and Hutton, D. L. and Osborne, E. A. and Donoghue, J. C.}
}
@conference {1652,
	title = {Improvements in procedural blanks at NOSAMS: Reflections of improvements in sample preparation and accelerator operation},
	booktitle = {15th International 14C Conference},
	volume = {37},
	year = {1995},
	note = {id: 1641; 15th International Radiocarbon Conference, Glasgow, Scotland, August 15-19, 1994},
	month = {1995},
	pages = {683-691},
	publisher = {Radiocarbon},
	organization = {Radiocarbon},
	author = {McNichol, A. P. and Gagnon, A. R. and Osborne, E. a and Hutton, D. L. and von Reden, K. F. and Schneider, R. J.}
}
@article {2348,
	title = {Improvements in procedural blanks at NOSAMS: Reflections of improvements in sample preparation and accelerator operation},
	journal = {Radiocarbon},
	volume = {37},
	year = {1995},
	note = {Ud868Times Cited:16
Cited References Count:6
},
	month = {1995},
	pages = {683-691},
	abstract = {During the four years the Sample Preparation Laboratory (SPL) at the National Ocean Sciences Accelerator Mass Spectrometer (NOSAMS) Facilty has been in operation we have accumulated much data from which we can assess our progress. We evaluate our procedural blanks here and describe modifications in our procedures that have improved our analyses of older samples. In the SPL, we convert three distinct types of samples-seawater, CaCO3 and organic carbon-to CO2 prior to preparing graphite for the accelerator and have distinct procedural blanks for each procedure. Dissolved inorganic carbon (Sigma CO2) is extracted from acidified seawater samples by sparging with a nitrogen carrier gas. We routinely analyze {\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}line blanks{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} by processing CO2 from a C-14-dead source through the entire stripping procedure. Our hydrolysis blank, IAEA C-1, is prepared by acidifying in vacuo with 100\% H3PO4 at 60 degrees C overnight, identical to our sample preparation. We use a dead graphite, NBS-21, or a commercially available carbon powder for our organic combustion blank; organic samples are combusted at 850 degrees C for 5 h using CuO to provide the oxidant. Analysis of our water stripping data suggests that one step in the procedure contributes the major portion of the line blank. At present, the contribution from the line blank has no effect on our seawater analyses (fraction modern (fm) between 0.7 and 1.2). Our hydrolysis blanks can have an fm value as low as 0.0006, but are more routinely between 0.0020 and 0.0025. The fm of our best organic combustion blanks is higher than those routinely achieved in other laboratories and we are currently altering our methods to reduce it.},
	keywords = {SPECTROMETRY},
	isbn = {0033-8222},
	author = {McNichol, A. P. and Gagnon, A. R. and Osborne, E. A. and Hutton, D. L. and vonReden, K. F. and Schneider, R. J.}
}
@article {848,
	title = {Automated Sample Processing at the National Ocean Sciences Ams Facility},
	journal = {Nuclear Instruments \& Methods in Physics Research Section B-Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms},
	volume = {92},
	year = {1994},
	note = {Nv547Times Cited:9Cited References Count:1},
	month = {Jun},
	pages = {129-133},
	abstract = {The high throughput and high precision requirements for the NOSAMS facility have made it essential to automate many of the stages in sample processing. These automated procedures increase the sample capacity for the lab while reducing errors in sample preparation. Automation has also allowed sample histories to be recorded and saved in Sybase, a relational data base.},
	issn = {0168-583x},
	doi = {10.1016/0168-583x(94)95991-9},
	author = {Cohen, G. J. and Hutton, D. L. and Osborne, E. A. and vonReden, K. F. and Gagnon, A. R. and McNichol, A. P. and Jones, G. A.}
}
@article {847,
	title = {Internal and External Checks in the Nosams Sample Preparation Laboratory for Target Quality and Homogeneity},
	journal = {Nuclear Instruments \& Methods in Physics Research Section B-Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms},
	volume = {92},
	year = {1994},
	note = {Nv547Times Cited:14Cited References Count:5},
	month = {Jun},
	pages = {158-161},
	abstract = {In the NOSAMS sample preparation laboratory (SPL) we have developed rigorous internal procedures aimed at ensuring that sample preparation introduces as little error into our analyses as possible and identifying problems rapidly. Our three major CO2 preparation procedures are: stripping inorganic carbon from seawater, hydrolyzing CaCO3, and oxidizing organic matter. For seawater, approximately 10\% of our analyses are standards or blanks which we use to demonstrate extraction of virtually all the inorganic carbon. Analysis of the stable carbon isotopic composition of the CO2 extracted from our standards indicates a precision of better than 0.15-0.20 parts per thousand. We also routinely process C-14-free CO2 in our stripping lines to demonstrate the absence of a significant process-dependent blank. For organic combustions and CaCO3 hydrolyses, we use the carbon yield (\% organic carbon (OC) or \% CaCO3 by weight) as a check on our sample procedures. We have analyzed the blank contribution of these procedures as a function of sample size. Our organic carbon blank is constant at approximately 0.4\% modem for samples containing greater than 1 mg C and our carbonate blank is less than 0.2\% modern for samples containing more than 0.5 mg C. We use a standard Fe/H-2 catalytic reduction to prepare graphite from CO2. We check the completeness of our reactions with the pressure data stored during the reaction as well as use a robot to determine a gravimetric yield. All graphite undergoes a visual inspection and is rejected if any heterogeneities are present. We have recombusted graphite made from CO2 with deltaC-13 values ranging from -42 to 1 parts per thousand and determined that the deltaC-13 of the recombusted carbon agrees with that from the pure gas to within 0.05 parts per thousand, demonstrating little or no fractionation during the treatment of the sample. The deltaC-13 we measure on the CO2 generated from more than 75\% of our samples is compared to the deltaC-13 measured on the AMS as a further check of our procedures. As further external checks, we analyzed the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) samples during the establishment of our laboratory and are presently participating in the third international radiocarbon intercalibration (TIRI) exercise.},
	issn = {0168-583x},
	doi = {10.1016/0168-583x(94)95997-8},
	author = {Osborne, E. A. and McNichol, A. P. and Gagnon, A. R. and Hutton, D. L. and Jones, G. A.}
}
@article {2371,
	title = {Rapid analysis of seawater samples at the National Ocean Sciences Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Facility, Woods Hole, MA},
	journal = {Radiocarbon},
	volume = {36},
	year = {1994},
	note = {id: 305},
	month = {1994},
	pages = {237-246},
	author = {McNichol, A. P. and Jones, G. A. and Hutton, D. L. and Gagnon, A. R. and Key, R. M.}
}
@article {2369,
	title = {The Rapid Preparation of Seawater Sigma-Co2 for Radiocarbon Analysis at the National Ocean Sciences Ams Facility},
	journal = {Radiocarbon},
	volume = {36},
	year = {1994},
	note = {Pz926Times Cited:61
Cited References Count:14
},
	month = {1994},
	pages = {237-246},
	abstract = {We have established a laboratory for extracting Sigma CO2 from seawater samples for AMS analysis of the radiocarbon content. The seawater samples are collected at sea, poisoned and stored until analysis in the laboratory. Each sample is acidified; the inorganic carbon is stripped out as CO2 with an inert carrier gas and then converted to graphite. We present results for Buzzards Bay surface H2O and Na2CO3 standards that demonstrate we strip > 98\% of inorganic carbon from seawater. Stable isotope analyses are performed to better than 0.2 parts per thousand, and the reproducibility of C-14 measurements on Buzzards Bay seawater is better than 13 parts per thousand. Finally, we compare data from samples collected in 1991 to those collected in the 1970s and to large volume samples.},
	keywords = {accelerator mass-spectrometry, C-14, samples},
	isbn = {0033-8222},
	author = {McNichol, A. P. and Jones, G. A. and Hutton, D. L. and Gagnon, A. R. and Key, R. M.}
}
@conference {1655,
	title = {Internal and external checks in the NOSAMS Sample Preparation Laboratory for target quality and homogeneity},
	booktitle = {6th International Conference on Accelerator Mass Spectrometry},
	year = {1993},
	note = {id: 958},
	month = {1993},
	pages = {75},
	address = {Canberra, Australia},
	author = {McNichol, A. P. and Gagnon, A. R. and Osborne, E. A. and Hutton, D. L. and Jones, G. A.}
}
@conference {1662,
	title = {Laboratory automation at the National Ocean Sciences AMS Facility},
	booktitle = {6th Internation Conference on Accelerator Mass Spectrometry},
	year = {1993},
	note = {id: 927},
	month = {1993},
	pages = {74},
	address = {Canberra, Australia},
	author = {Cohen, G. J. and Hutton, D. L. and von Reden, K. F. and Osborne, E. A. and McNichol, A. P. and Jones, G. A.}
}
@conference {1700,
	title = {The National Ocean Sciences AMS Facility at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution},
	booktitle = {6th International Conference on Accelerator Mass Spectrometry},
	year = {1993},
	note = {id: 930},
	month = {1993},
	pages = {46},
	address = {Canberra, Australia},
	author = {Jones, G. A. and Schneider, R. J. and von Reden, K. F. and McNichol, A. P. and Gagnon, A. R. and Cohen, G. J. and Osborne, E. A. and Hutton, D. L. and Kessel, E. D. and Elder, K. L.}
}
