Small system for tritium accelerator mass spectrometry
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.
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- Assignee:
- Dept. of Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
- Patent Number(s):
- A; US 5189302
- Application Number:
- PPN: US 7-783803
- OSTI ID:
- 6037465
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
400102 -- Chemical & Spectral Procedures
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS
430100* -- Particle Accelerators-- Design
Development
& Operation
ACCELERATORS
BEAMS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
DESIGN
DEUTERIUM
ELEMENTS
ENERGY LOSSES
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HELIUM 3
HELIUM ISOTOPES
HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
ION BEAMS
ION SOURCES
ISOTOPE RATIO
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
LINEAR ACCELERATORS
LOSSES
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MOMENTUM TRANSFER
NONMETALS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
QUADRUPOLE LINACS
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIOISOTOPES
SCINTILLATION COUNTERS
SPECTROMETERS
SPECTROSCOPY
STABLE ISOTOPES
TRITIUM
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES