Ultra sensitive mass spectrometry using a tandem accelerator

Techniques for ultra sensitive mass spectrometry have been developed using a tandem accelerator, the properties of negative ions and atom counting. When used in conjunction with mass spectrometry, these additional capabilities remove the limitations of molecular interference and the presence of many isobars. In addition the effects of ion scattering and charge changing are drastically reduced. A significant reduction in sample size and increased detection sensitivity, compared to beta ray counting, have been demonstrated for the radioisotopes 10Be, 14C, 26Al, 36Cl, and 129I. The potential for accurate isotopic ratio determination using accelerator based mass attained with this technique was typically 3 to 10% for most measurements. The detection of other isotopes and their applications is discussed. 185 refs