Progress in isotope analysis at ultra-trace level by AMS

This paper attempts to convey a flavor of the progress in Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) since its initiation in 1977. During this period, AMS evolved into the most powerful analytic technique to measure long-lived radioisotopes at natural isotopic abundances, which typically range from 10(-12) to 10(-16). As such, it covers a section of isotope ratio measurements, which is hardly accessible by any other mass spectrometric means. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.