C14 dating laboratory

Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry (Vilnius Radiocarbon) is a part of the largest research organisation in Lithuania – Center for Physical Sciences and Technology (FTMC). Center carries out not only fundamental and applied research but also provides material analysis, certification, measurement and R&D services for hundreds of companies from around the world. From 2015, there is a 240 kV single stage accelerator mass spectrometer (SSAMS, National Electrostatics Corporation, USA) installed and a modern radiocarbon dating sample preparation laboratory with elemental analyzer (EA, Vario Isotope Select, Elementar, GmbH) connected to the Automated Graphitization Equipment AGE 3 (IonPlus AG). The accuracy of the measured ¹⁴C/¹²C ratio is better than 0.3%.

Even more important than modern equipment is a team of skilled specialists working in the field of nuclear physics, mass spectrometry and radioactive carbon dating for more than 20 years.

The Ionizing Radiation Metrology Laboratory of FTMC maintains the national standard complex in the field of the fundamental SI quantity – the radionuclide activity – by realizing the unit (s-1), which has a special name becquerel (Bq).

The institution is certified according to the requirements of the ISO 9001: 2015 international standard in the fields of research, experimental development, metrology and the training of highly qualified scientists.