Small system for tritium accelerator mass spectrometry

Patent · Tue Feb 23 00:00:00 EST 1993

OSTI ID:6037465

Roberts, M L; Davis, J C

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): US 5189302; A
• Application Number: PPN: US 7-783803
• OSTI ID: 6037465
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: 28 Oct 1991
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS
37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
HYDROGEN
ISOTOPE RATIO
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
QUADRUPOLE LINACS
DESIGN
DEUTERIUM
ENERGY LOSSES
HELIUM 3
ION BEAMS
ION SOURCES
MOMENTUM TRANSFER
SCINTILLATION COUNTERS
SPECTROMETERS
TRITIUM
ACCELERATORS
BEAMS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ELEMENTS
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HELIUM ISOTOPES
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
LINEAR ACCELERATORS
LOSSES
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
NONMETALS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
RADIATION DETECTORS
RADIOISOTOPES
SPECTROSCOPY
STABLE ISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
430100* - Particle Accelerators- Design
Development
& Operation
400102 - Chemical & Spectral Procedures