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Water Sample from IsoTrace for Iodine-129 analysis

Physics

A white, semi-translucent bottle with a white cap. The bottle is rectangular in form with a circular cap. The cap is secured with a band of black tape. A label with a printed sample number is affixed to one face of the bottle.

Accession Number: 2018.ph.782

Alternative Name:

Primary Materials: Plastic.

Markings: The sample label reads: “266039”.

Dimensions (cm): Height = 17.5, width = 12, depth = 6.

Function:

This is a water sample that was used to test the level of the Iodine-129 isotope.

Condition:

Excellent: There is no evident damage to this artifact.

Associated Instruments:

Manufacturer:

Date of Manufacture: c. 1990s – 2013

Provenance:

This sample was gathered in the summer of 2017 from among a large number of samples that were being destroyed following the decommissioning of the IsoTrace tandem accelerator at the University of Toronto.

Additional Information and References:

See : L.R. Kilius, et al. “AMS of heavy ions with small accelerator.” <i>Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research</i> B52 (1990) 357-365. for a brief discussion of I-129 analysis at IsoTrace.

Historical Notes:

Iodine-129 is a radioactive isotope of iodine with a half-life of 15.7 million years. Although it occurs naturally, and can be used in radioisotope dating, it is also generated in nuclear detonations and other human nuclear activities.

This sample may have been studied for the presence of anthropogenic I-129 as part of a broader study of the circulation of ocean currents.

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