Beta Analytic Inc.

Based in Miami, Florida, the Beta Analytic radiocarbon dating lab revolutionized the fields of archaeology and late quaternary geology. Prior to the company’s inception in 1979, radiocarbon dates were scarce and available only through small university laboratories. It took months and sometimes years to obtain carbon dating results. The lab’s commitment to meet the scientific community’s demand for fast yet accurate carbon dating analysis led to immediate success.  Beta Analytic was founded by Murry Tamers, Ph.D. (Yale University), D.Sc. (Universite de Paris Sorbonne) and Jerry Stipp, Ph.D. (Australian National University). They have both been instrumental in the development of radiocarbon dating methodology since 1959 and have published more than 100 papers. Dr. Tamers was a director for university radiocarbon dating labs for twenty years before he commercialized radiocarbon dating analysis as Beta Analytic chairman and lab director.  The company’s dedication to accuracy is at the core of its policies. By innovating new techniques, keeping abreast of the latest technology, and training qualified scientists to stay ahead of demand, Beta Analytic has maintained its firm commitment to quality over the years.

Why choose Beta Analytic for radiocarbon dating?

• Beta is able to offer rapid service because all analyses are done in-house. The lab has multiple accelerators with very high redundancy in spare parts ensuring that delivery times are met consistently.
• Since 1979, Beta Analytic ​has been​ the world leader in Carbon-14 ​​measurements, having reported thousands of dates since inception. The commitment to high-quality results and service has earned BETA the recognition of governmental, academic, and commercial organizations worldwide.
• The lab has a dedicated full-time staff of technicians and scientists working overtime, if necessary, to meet its promised delivery times. The lab does not engage in “satellite dating” – the practice of preparing individual graphite samples in remote chemistry labs then subcontracting to an AMS facility for the measurement
• Beta Analytic’s research associates and technical managers welcome discussion before, during, and after the analyses. Clients are not charged for consultation.
• Clients have online access to results from any device and can download calibration and QA reports 24/7 via the mobile-responsive results portal on the lab’s website.
• Beta Analytic has representatives offering assistance and advice in Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish and Portuguese.
• Beta Analytic has a dedicated customer support team providing shipping assistance to a global clientele and offering consultation throughout the submittal and analytical procedure by email, phone, or website chat.
• The lab has forwarding offices in London, UK; North Sydney, Australia; São Paulo, Brazil; Beijing and Xiamen, China; Nagoya, Japan; Seoul, South Korea; and Taipei, Taiwan. All packages shipped to these offices are forwarded to Miami, Florida, via overnight courier service at Beta Analytic’s expense.
• To eliminate the risk of cross-contamination, the lab does not accept pharmaceutical samples with “tracer Carbon-14” or any other material containing artificial radiocarbon (14C).

Beta Analytic’s Capacity

The lab’s instruments are the newest state-of-the art technology designed specifically for radiocarbon measurement. Beta Analytic currently owns multiple accelerator mass spectrometers, each capable of 25 to 30 sample analyses per day. Each instrument has two SNICS (Source of Negative Ions by Cesium Sputtering) ion sources. The redundancy best ensures constant throughput since the SNICS is the major source of downtime in an AMS. The company also has a substantial supply of spare parts, especially those that are prone to failure and/or have extended repair times.  Sequential injection of Carbon-13 and Carbon-12 provides for measurement of Carbon-13/Carbon-12 ratio within the instrument, necessary for accurate total fractionation correction without relying upon relative measures and assumptions (something some older machines are limited to). Sequential injection of Carbon-14, Carbon-13, and Carbon-12 allow for calculation of age both using Carbon-14/Carbon-12 and Carbon-14/Carbon-13 ratios. Simultaneous accumulation of the Carbon-14/Carbon-12, Carbon-14/Carbon-13, and Carbon-13/ Carbon-12 ratios ensure ongoing quality control during the detection; the calculation of each provides three different measures to ensure isotope pathway is stable during the analysis.  In addition to measuring the Carbon-13/ Carbon-12 within the AMS (correction for total fractionation to derive the most accurate conventional radiocarbon age/pMC), the sample’s Carbon-13/ Carbon-12 ratio is also analyzed in an isotope ratio mass spectrometer. Beta Analytic has access to two in-house Thermo-Finnegan Delta Plus Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometers, each capable of 70 measurements per day. Two machines are on the premises to ensure redundancy and constant throughput.  Multiple parameters are tested for each sample before accepting the data. This includes, but is not limited to, cathode current, extractor current, cesium focus current, high-energy Carbon-14/Carbon-12, high-energy Carbon-14/Carbon-13 ratio, low-energy Carbon-13/ Carbon-12 ratio, low-energy Carbon-12 current, low-energy Carbon-13/ Carbon-12 current, and gated Carbon-14 counts. Once accepted, ratios between and within the Oxalic Acid modern standard are utilized to calculate a fraction of modern value for the unknown.  At least two background measurements are made at the beginning and end of each run to ensure the absence of any contamination between sample wheels. Six modern standards are measured and 4 to 5 known-age QA standards are run in each wheel to ensure accuracy in the results for the unknowns.

Take Advantage of Beta Analytic’s Radiocarbon Dating Expertise

• Fast delivery guaranteed (3-14 business days)
• Analyze only the most suitable samples to optimize your budget
• Peace of mind when there is no room for error
• Unquestionable data for high-end publication
• Access your results anytime from anywhere
• Biomedical samples not accepted to prevent cross-contamination