Operational experience with 1.5SDH Pelletron accelerator for AMS applications at IUAC, Delhi

The NEC make 0.5MV tandem accelerator (Model 1.5SDH) based compact ¹⁴C Accelerator Mass Spectrometer eXtended for ¹⁰Be and ²⁶Al (XCAMS), has been installed at IUAC, Delhi in March 2015. This system is routinely utilized for AMS measurements of ¹⁴C, ¹⁰Be and ²⁶Al. More than 1500 measurements have been performed for ¹⁴C, ¹⁰Be and ²⁶Al radionuclides. Main components of this system are: two MC-SNICS ion sources having 40 and 134 cathode positions, injector magnet having bouncing system for sequential injection of different masses, 0.5MV Pelletron accelerator, analysing magnet, offset faraday cups, electrostatic spherical analyser, 45 degree analysing magnet and gas ionization detector. 40 Cathode source has provision for upgradation to inject CO₂ directly for ¹⁴C measurements. This paper presents a detailed description of the XCAMS system and operational experience with it. (author)