Ion source development for ultratrace detection of uranium and thorium

Y. Liu; J. C. Batchelder; A. Galindo-Uribarri; R. Chu; S. Fan; E. Romero-Romero; D. W. Stracener

doi:10.1016/j.nimb.2015.04.081

Ion source development for ultratrace detection of uranium and thorium

Y. Liu
, J. C. Batchelder
, A. Galindo-Uribarri
, R. Chu
, S. Fan
, E. Romero-Romero
, D. W. Stracener

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

Efficient ion sources are needed for detecting ultratrace U and Th impurities in a copper matrix by mass spectrometry techniques such as accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). Two positive ion sources, a hot-cavity surface ionization source and a resonant ionization laser ion source, are evaluated in terms of ionization efficiencies for generating ion beams of U and Th. The performances of the ion sources are characterized using uranyl nitrate and thorium nitrate sample materials with sample sizes between 20 and 40 μg of U or Th. For the surface ion source, the dominant ion beams observed are UO⁺ or ThO⁺ and ionization efficiencies of 2-4% have been obtained with W and Re cavities. With the laser ion source, three-step resonant photoionization of U atoms has been studied and only atomic U ions are observed. An ionization efficiency of about 9% has been demonstrated. The performances of both ion sources are expected to be further improved.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	267-272
Number of pages	6
Journal	Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms
Volume	361
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2015.04.081
State	Published - Oct 15 2015

Funding

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy , Office of Science , Office of Nuclear Physics and by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory , managed by UT-Battelle, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy.

Keywords

Ion source
Laser ionization
Surface ionization
Thorium
Uranium

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10.1016/j.nimb.2015.04.081

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title = "Ion source development for ultratrace detection of uranium and thorium",

abstract = "Efficient ion sources are needed for detecting ultratrace U and Th impurities in a copper matrix by mass spectrometry techniques such as accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). Two positive ion sources, a hot-cavity surface ionization source and a resonant ionization laser ion source, are evaluated in terms of ionization efficiencies for generating ion beams of U and Th. The performances of the ion sources are characterized using uranyl nitrate and thorium nitrate sample materials with sample sizes between 20 and 40 μg of U or Th. For the surface ion source, the dominant ion beams observed are UO+ or ThO+ and ionization efficiencies of 2-4\% have been obtained with W and Re cavities. With the laser ion source, three-step resonant photoionization of U atoms has been studied and only atomic U ions are observed. An ionization efficiency of about 9\% has been demonstrated. The performances of both ion sources are expected to be further improved.",

keywords = "Ion source, Laser ionization, Surface ionization, Thorium, Uranium",

author = "Y. Liu and Batchelder, \{J. C.\} and A. Galindo-Uribarri and R. Chu and S. Fan and E. Romero-Romero and Stracener, \{D. W.\}",

year = "2015",

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day = "15",

doi = "10.1016/j.nimb.2015.04.081",

language = "English",

volume = "361",

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journal = "Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Ion source development for ultratrace detection of uranium and thorium

AU - Liu, Y.

AU - Batchelder, J. C.

AU - Galindo-Uribarri, A.

AU - Chu, R.

AU - Fan, S.

AU - Romero-Romero, E.

AU - Stracener, D. W.

PY - 2015/10/15

Y1 - 2015/10/15

N2 - Efficient ion sources are needed for detecting ultratrace U and Th impurities in a copper matrix by mass spectrometry techniques such as accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). Two positive ion sources, a hot-cavity surface ionization source and a resonant ionization laser ion source, are evaluated in terms of ionization efficiencies for generating ion beams of U and Th. The performances of the ion sources are characterized using uranyl nitrate and thorium nitrate sample materials with sample sizes between 20 and 40 μg of U or Th. For the surface ion source, the dominant ion beams observed are UO+ or ThO+ and ionization efficiencies of 2-4% have been obtained with W and Re cavities. With the laser ion source, three-step resonant photoionization of U atoms has been studied and only atomic U ions are observed. An ionization efficiency of about 9% has been demonstrated. The performances of both ion sources are expected to be further improved.

AB - Efficient ion sources are needed for detecting ultratrace U and Th impurities in a copper matrix by mass spectrometry techniques such as accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). Two positive ion sources, a hot-cavity surface ionization source and a resonant ionization laser ion source, are evaluated in terms of ionization efficiencies for generating ion beams of U and Th. The performances of the ion sources are characterized using uranyl nitrate and thorium nitrate sample materials with sample sizes between 20 and 40 μg of U or Th. For the surface ion source, the dominant ion beams observed are UO+ or ThO+ and ionization efficiencies of 2-4% have been obtained with W and Re cavities. With the laser ion source, three-step resonant photoionization of U atoms has been studied and only atomic U ions are observed. An ionization efficiency of about 9% has been demonstrated. The performances of both ion sources are expected to be further improved.

KW - Ion source

KW - Laser ionization

KW - Surface ionization

KW - Thorium

KW - Uranium

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84943585552

U2 - 10.1016/j.nimb.2015.04.081

DO - 10.1016/j.nimb.2015.04.081

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84943585552

SN - 0168-583X

VL - 361

SP - 267

EP - 272

JO - Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms

JF - Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms

ER -

Ion source development for ultratrace detection of uranium and thorium

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Keywords

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