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Accelerator Mass Spectrometry
Types of Techniques
- Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS)
- Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS)
- High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
- Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS)
- Combustion Ion Chromatography (CIC)
- Ion Chromatography
- Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) / Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC)
- Multi-Column Chromatography (MCC)
- LC-Orbitrap
- Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS)
- Nano scale Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy
- Secondary-ion mass spectrometry (SIMS)
- SEC-MALS
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS)
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) is an ultra-sensitive analytical technique that utilizes a particle accelerator to measure the ratio of rare isotopes to their stable counterparts in a sample. This technique is particularly useful for detecting and quantifying long-lived radioisotopes at extremely low concentrations, making it invaluable for applications such as radiocarbon dating, isotopic tracing, and environmental monitoring.
In AMS, the sample is first ionized, typically by a cesium sputter ion source or a similar method. The negative ions produced are then pre-accelerated and passed through a magnetic and electrostatic analyzer, which separates the ions based on their mass-to-charge ratio. The ions of interest are then injected into a tandem accelerator, where they are accelerated to high kinetic energies, typically in the range of millions of electron volts (MeV).
During the acceleration process, the negative ions pass through a thin foil or gas, where they undergo a charge reversal, becoming positively charged. This process, known as “stripping,” also destroys any molecular isobars present, leaving only the atomic ions of interest. The high kinetic energy imparted by the accelerator allows further separation of isobars using techniques such as degrader foils or gas-filled magnets.
Finally, the individual ions are detected and counted using highly sensitive particle detectors, allowing for the precise determination of the isotopic ratios in the sample.
- Analysis of cosmic radiation exposure in aircraft components
- Radiocarbon dating of aerospace materials and components
- Isotopic tracing in aerospace research and development
- Radiocarbon analysis for biofuel content determination
- Isotopic tracing in automotive emission studies
- Dating of automotive materials and components
- Radiocarbon analysis for biobased content determination
- Isotopic tracing in chemical processes
- Environmental monitoring of chemical plants
- Radiocarbon dating of electronic components and materials
- Isotopic tracing in electronic device manufacturing
- Environmental monitoring of manufacturing facilities
- Analysis of nuclear materials and radioactive tracers
- Dating of materials and components in military applications
- Isotopic tracing in defence research and development
- Radiocarbon analysis for biofuel content determination
- Isotopic tracing in energy production processes
- Environmental monitoring of energy facilities
- Radiocarbon dating of forensic evidence
- Isotopic tracing in criminal investigations
- Environmental monitoring in legal cases
- Radiocarbon dating of lighting materials and components
- Isotopic tracing in lighting device manufacturing
- Environmental monitoring of manufacturing facilities
- Radiocarbon dating of medical device materials
- Isotopic tracing in biomedical research
- Environmental monitoring of medical facilities
- Radiocarbon analysis for bio-based content determination
- Isotopic tracing in drug development and testing
- Environmental monitoring of pharmaceutical plants
- Radiocarbon dating of raw materials
- Isotopic tracing in raw material processing
- Environmental monitoring of raw material facilities
- Radiocarbon dating of semiconductor materials
- Isotopic tracing in semiconductor manufacturing
- Environmental monitoring of semiconductor facilities
- Radiocarbon dating of telecom and data storage components
- Isotopic tracing in telecom and data storage manufacturing
- Environmental monitoring of manufacturing facilities
- Exceptional sensitivity, allowing the detection of isotopes at concentrations as low as one part per quadrillion (10-15).
- Small sample size requirements, typically in the milligram range.
- Ability to analyze a wide range of long-lived radioisotopes, such as 14C, 10Be, 26Al, 36Cl, and others.
- Elimination of molecular isobars, ensuring highly accurate and precise measurements.
- Rapid analysis times, often within a few hours or less.
- AMS can analyze solid, liquid, and gaseous samples, with only a small amount of material required.
- For solid samples, a few milligrams are typically sufficient.
- The sample preparation process involves isolating and purifying the element of interest (e.g., carbon, beryllium, aluminum, iodine, uranium, or plutonium) from the sample matrix using chemical methods. The purified element is then converted into a suitable target material for the AMS analysis.