Performance of the 1 MV multi-element accelerator mass spectrometer and its application in Quaternary research

The Institute of Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences (IHEG-CAGS) has commissioned the first 1 MV multi-element accelerator mass spectrometer (HVE 4110Bo-AMS) within the Ministry of Natural Resources of China. This AMS system possesses high precision measurement capabilities for 14C, 10Be, 26Al, 41Ca, 129I and Pu. Acceptance test has shown that its performance meet or exceed specifications, 14C measurement precision reaches 1.26 ‰ on average of 4 targets with a background of 1.71×10-16(0.016 pMC). The background values of 10Be and 26Al are 1.39×10-15 and 8.51×10-16, respectively. The laboratory is equipped with an automated graphitization system (AGE3) and a vacuum graphite preparation system for 14C sample preparation, alongside established extraction protocol for 10Be/26Al in quartz-rich geological samples. These capabilities support groundwater 14C dating, Quaternary sediment chronology, and cosmogenic nuclides (10Be/26Al) exposure/burial dating studies. The multi-nuclide collaborative analysis capability of this AMS system significantly enhances the resolution, precision, and scope of Quaternary chronology and paleoenvironments research, providing critical technical support for geoscience and environmental science.