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Comparison of Resonance Ionization Mass Spectrometry Systems for the Determination of 135Cs/137Cs Ratios

Published

Author(s)

Leticia Pibida, C A. McMahon, W Nortershauser, B A. Bushaw

Abstract

The performance of the Resonance Ionization Mass Spectrometry (RIMS) system at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been compared to a similar system at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). Efficiency and selectivity measurements were performed with both systems and compared to conventional thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS). Determination of the 135Cs/ 137Cs ratio was performed using single-resonance excitation 6s 2S1/2(F=4)-> 6p 2P3/2(F' = 5) with an extended cavity diode laser followed by photoionization with the 488 nm line of an argon ion laser. Optical selectivity of more than 2 orders of magnitude against stable 133Cs was attained for 135Cs and 137Cs for both systems with an overall selectivity of 109 for the PNNL system and 108 for the NIST system. Over all efficiencies of 2x10-7 were measured for the PNNL and NIST systems respectively. Measurements to determine the chronological age of a nuclear burn-up sample have been performed using both RIMS systems as well as TIMS.
Citation
SPIE Meeting

Keywords

<sup>135</sup>Cs/<sup>137</sup>Cs isotope ratios, cesium, mass spectrometry, resonance ionization, trace analysis

Citation

Pibida, L. , McMahon, C. , Nortershauser, W. and Bushaw, B. (2008), Comparison of Resonance Ionization Mass Spectrometry Systems for the Determination of <sup>135</sup>Cs/<sup>137</sup>Cs Ratios, SPIE Meeting (Accessed March 29, 2024)
Created October 16, 2008