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Title: Small system for tritium accelerator mass spectrometry

Patent ·
OSTI ID:868673
 [1];  [1]
  1. Livermore, CA
+ Show Author Affiliations

Apparatus for ionizing and accelerating a sample containing isotopes of hydrogen and detecting the ratios of hydrogen isotopes contained in the sample is disclosed. An ion source generates a substantially linear ion beam including ions of tritium from the sample. A radio-frequency quadrupole accelerator is directly coupled to and axially aligned with the source at an angle of substantially zero degrees. The accelerator accelerates species of the sample having different mass to different energy levels along the same axis as the ion beam. A spectrometer is used to detect the concentration of tritium ions in the sample. In one form of the invention, an energy loss spectrometer is used which includes a foil to block the passage of hydrogen, deuterium and .sup.3 He ions, and a surface barrier or scintillation detector to detect the concentration of tritium ions. In another form of the invention, a combined momentum/energy loss spectrometer is used which includes a magnet to separate the ion beams, with Faraday cups to measure the hydrogen and deuterium and a surface barrier or scintillation detector for the tritium ions.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
Assignee:
United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
Patent Number(s):
US 5189302
OSTI ID:
868673
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (8)

Use of the CO2 Source in Radiocarbon Dating by AMS journal January 1989
Determination of tritium using a small Van de Graaff accelerator journal November 1984
Tritium measurements with a tandem accelerator journal June 1990
The AMS program at LLNL journal April 1989
The LLNL multi-user tandem laboratory journal April 1989
Accelerator mass spectrometry in the biomedical sciences: Applications in low-exposure biomedical and environmental dosimetry report May 1990
Detection of tritium using accelerator mass spectrometry
  • King, Steven E.; Phillips, Gary W.; August, Robert A.
  • Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, Vol. 29, Issue 1-2 https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-583X(87)90194-7
journal November 1987
The LLNL ion source — past, present and future journal December 1990

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Related Subjects

tritium
accelerator
mass
spectrometry
apparatus
ionizing
accelerating
sample
containing
isotopes
hydrogen
detecting
ratios
contained
disclosed
source
generates
substantially
linear
beam
including
radio-frequency
quadrupole
directly
coupled
axially
aligned
angle
zero
degrees
accelerates
species
energy
levels
axis
spectrometer
detect
concentration
form
loss
foil
block
passage
deuterium
surface
barrier
scintillation
detector
combined
momentum
magnet
separate
beams
faraday
cups
measure
substantially linear
hydrogen isotope
axially aligned
scintillation detector
sample containing
energy level
faraday cup
mass spectrometry
hydrogen isotopes
energy levels
source generates
substantially zero
frequency quadrupole
directly coupled
surface barrier
energy loss
source generate
axially align
/250/