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mass separation at the same level since it separates isobars which are
close in mass but possess different nuclear charge. ii) The higher energies
allow the use of thin foils to break up background molecules, without
deterioration of the beam quality that would affect the mass resolution.
Background molecules of masses close to that of the ion of interest
constitute a severe limitation in conventional mass spectrometry, in
particular for heavy nuclei. The insertion of stripper foils essentially
eliminates the molecular ions; the fragments will Ln general have drastically
different ion-optical characteristics and can be separated. iii) The
selectivity in the formation of charged particles in the ion source (in
particular that of negative ions) and the ion-optical properties of the full
accelerator system add another large factor in separation.
The limitations in accelerator mass spectrometry lie to some extent
in the accuracy for detection efficiency. This is partly due to the complexity
of the system, partly due to the fact that these facilities are used mainly
for nuclear physics experiments and constantly undergo minor changes. One
obvious solution is the construction of a dedicated facility as has been
proposed and actually commenced for detection of radioisotopes (mainly 14C)
for dating purposes8. On the other hand, the large number of operating
heavy-ion facilities could provide a wider opportunity to apply this technique.
At Argonne we have started a program of accelerator spectrometry which is
aimed at exploring its usefulness under the constraints just indicated.
In particular we have concentrated on two questions. First, to what
extent can a heavy-ion facility with state-of-the-art but standard detection
systems and minimal additional investment serve as a high-sensitivity
mass-spectrometer? Second, to what extent can this capability be applied
to measure radioisotope concentration for problems in nuclear physics
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Henning, W.; Kutschera, W.; Paul, M.; Smither, R. K.; Stephenson, E. J. & Yntema, J. L. Accelerator Mass Spectrometry and Radioisotope Detection at the Argonne FN Tandem Facility, article, 1980; Illinois. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1212472/m1/4/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.