Multi-nuclide AMS system at the University of Tsukuba

Abstract

A multi‐nuclide AMS system on the 12UD Pelletron tandem accelerator at the University of Tsukuba (Tsukuba AMS system) can measure environmental levels of long‐lived radioisotopes of 14C, 26Al, 36Cl and 129I by employing a molecular pilot beam. AMS is an ultrasensitive technique for the study of long‐lived radioisotopes, and stable isotopes at very low abundances. The high terminal voltage has an advantage in the detection of heavy radioisotopes. Much progress has been made in the development of new AMS techniques. For example, a standard deviation of the fluctuation for the 36Cl/Cl ratio is ± 2%, and the effective detection limit is better than 1×10−15. In recent years, the main research field of the 12UD Pelletron tandem accelerator has shifted to accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) research from nuclear physics. This report presents an overview of the Tsukuba AMS system.