New Resonance Ionization Mass Spectrometry Scheme for Improved Uranium Analysis
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States). Nuclear and Chemical Sciences Division
Resonance ionization mass spectrometry (RIMS) combines tunable laser spectroscopy with mass spectrometry to provide here a high-efficiency means of analyzing solid materials. We previously showed a very high useful yield of 24% for analysis of uranium using three lasers to excite and ionize atoms sputtered from metallic uranium and uranium dioxide. A new resonance ionization scheme using only two lasers achieves a higher useful yield of 38% by accessing both the ground electronic state and a low-lying electronic state of atomic uranium that is significantly populated by sputtering. The major loss channel in analyzing uranium dioxide is the formation of UOx molecules during sputtering. Prebombardment of the surface with 3 keV noble gas ions prior to analysis reduces the surface and results in a sputtered flux with a greatly enhanced proportion of atomic U. This method of surface reduction results in uranium useful yields as high as 6.6% for uranium dioxide analysis, compared to 2% from previous work.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation; LLNL Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program; Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) (United States); Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) (United States)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC52-07NA27344
- OSTI ID:
- 1497286
- Report Number(s):
- LLNL-JRNL-752818; 938294
- Journal Information:
- Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 90, Issue 17; ISSN 0003-2700
- Publisher:
- American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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