New frontiers in accelerator mass spectrometry: isobar separation methods at low energy

Abstract

Accelerator mass spectrometry extends the technique of conventional mass spectrometry by adding isobar selection and molecular destruction. Isobar selection can usually be accomplished either in or near the ion source by negative ion instability or at the higher energies, following tandem acceleration, by measurements involving the differences in the rate of energy loss of the ions. Other methods of isobar separation are possible and research is being carried out with static electric fields, coherent and incoherent electromagnetic radiation and the exploitation of various atomic physics phenomena at the lower energies. These methods will be reviewed briefly.