Residual gas analysis in the TOF vacuum system

Abstract

The residual gas composition in the time-of-flight (TOF) spectrometer vacuum system has been measured with a quadrupole mass spectrometer. All residual gases except hydrogen and helium are condensed and freezed on the windows of the liquid hydrogen target. As a result it increases the background during the reaction between the cooler synchrotron (COSY) beam and the target. These condensates have to be cleaned from the target windows by fast heating the target cell from 16 K up to room temperature. The partial pressure spectrums of the condensed gases on the liquid hydrogen target are also measured. The residual gas analysis shows that the majority of the condensates on the target windows are nitrogen, oxygen and water vapor. The target area has to be in a high vacuum <1×10 −6 mbar in order to minimize the condensate. The target windows have to be cleaned with the fast heating cycle every 48 h.