Publications

Interlaboratory study of the ion source memory effect in <sup>36</sup>Cl accelerator mass spectrometry

Author(s)
Stefan Pavetich, Shavkat Akhmadaliev, Maurice Arnold, Georges Aumaitre, Didier Bourles, Josef Buchriegler, Robin Golser, Karim Keddadouche, Martin Martschini, Silke Merchel, Georg Rugel, Peter Steier
Abstract

Understanding and minimization of contaminations in the ion source due to cross-contamination and long-term memory effect is one of the key issues for accurate accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) measurements of volatile elements. The focus of this work is on the investigation of the long-term memory effect for the volatile element chlorine, and the minimization of this effect in the ion source of the Dresden accelerator mass spectrometry facility (DREAMS). For this purpose, one of the two original HVE ion sources at the DREAMS facility was modified, allowing the use of larger sample holders having individual target apertures. Additionally, a more open geometry was used to improve the vacuum level. To evaluate this improvement in comparison to other up-to-date ion sources, an interlaboratory comparison had been initiated. The long-term memory effect of the four Cs sputter ion sources at DREAMS (two sources: original and modified), ASTER (Accélérateur pour les Sciences de la Terre, Environnement, Risques) and VERA (Vienna Environmental Research Accelerator) had been investigated by measuring samples of natural 35Cl/37Cl-ratio and samples highly-enriched in 35Cl (35Cl/37Cl ∼ 999). Besides investigating and comparing the individual levels of long-term memory, recovery time constants could be calculated. The tests show that all four sources suffer from long-term memory, but the modified DREAMS ion source showed the lowest level of contamination. The recovery times of the four ion sources were widely spread between 61 and 1390 s, where the modified DREAMS ion source with values between 156 and 262 s showed the fastest recovery in 80% of the measurements.

Organisation(s)
Isotope Physics
External organisation(s)
Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Aix-Marseille Université
Journal
Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research. Section B. Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms
Volume
329
Pages
22-29
No. of pages
8
ISSN
0168-583X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2014.02.130
Publication date
06-2014
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
103013 Ion physics, 103014 Nuclear physics
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Nuclear and High Energy Physics, Instrumentation
Portal url
https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/interlaboratory-study-of-the-ion-source-memory-effect-in-36cl-accelerator-mass-spectrometry(d121a7b1-677c-4988-b535-d06aade67c69).html