The National Cosmogenic Nuclides Laboratory (LN2C in french) is a structure dedicated to the use of cosmogenic nuclides in Earth Sciences, notably via the preparation of samples and the measurements of cosmogenic isotopes. Its mission is to provide an effective access to this methodology to the French scientific community, for research projects in the following fields: natural hazards and risks, linked for example to earthquakes or landslides past climate change, for example with the dating of markers associated to glaciations landscape dynamics and the determination of current and past denudation rates dating of archaeological sites and objects. investigation of the magnetic field evolution over time The LN2C consists of a set of laboratories allowing the purification and preparation of different types of sample (rocks, soils, water, etc.) as well as the measurement of different isotopic ratios (10Be/9Be, 26Al/27Al, 36Cl/35Cl, ...) by the national 5MV AMS (Accelerator Mass Spectrometer) facility ASTER. The LN2C regroups faculty members, research scientists, engineers and technicians from Aix Marseille University, CNRS and IRD. The LN2C was founded by Didier Bourlès (AMU Professor), and is hosted by CEREGE on the Technopôle de l'Arbois domain in Aix-en-Provence since 2006.
The installation of the ASTER instrument was possible due to an initial investment by the Bouches du Rhône General Council, the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER), CNRS, IRD and the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region council. The LN2C is a technological platform of Aix-Marseille University and is part of the REGEF network. Its operation is supported by a recurring endowment from CNRS and IRD. The LN2C benefited from the Investments for the Future Program via EQUIPEX ASTER-CEREGE, which notably enabled the installation of a high energy source for ASTER.