Traditionally the Laboratory of Chronology has significant experience in pretreatment of radiocarbon samples, but the Accelerator Mass Spectrometer is located in the Department of Physics, University of Helsinki. The continuing development of radiocarbon determinations and related laboratory accreditation sets a demand for a practical organizational structure under which the quality of the determinations can be further improved. Due to this, the Radiocarbon Analytics Finland - RACAF - was created. In RACAF the expertise of Laboratory of Chronology in sample pretreatment and long experience in applying radiocarbon method in a wide area of research is combined with the Accelerator Mass Spectrometric expertise of Department of Physics. Under RACAF methods are developed, biofraction determinations and radiocarbon determinations related to environmental research are produced using a second generation sample pretreatment equipment (EA-HASE) and the AMS of University of Helsinki.

The organization is governed by Finnish Museum of Natural History and the decision-making body of the organization is the steering group, which consists of the Director of Finnish Museum of Natural History, the Director of the Department of Physics and a third external member chosen by the steering group. At present (2013) the steering group consists of the Director of Finnish Museum of Natural History, prof. Leif Schulman, the Director of the Department of Physics, prof. Juhani Keinonen and ICOS-Finland coordinator, prof. Timo Vesala. In practice the work is organized by Director of Laboratory of Chronology, Dr. Markku Oinonen and Ph.D. Vesa Palonen assisted by Quality Coordinator Antto Pesonen and Laboratory Engineer Pertti Tikkanen.

Lokki J, Keinonen J 2009. RACAF establishment document

Palonen V, Herranen T, Pesonen A, Oinonen M 2012. HASE - The Helsinki adaptive sample preparation line. Nucl. Instr. Phys. Res B 294: 182–184.

Schulman L, Keinonen J 2012. RACAF establishment document, addendum