Radiocarbon detection by ion charge exchange mass spectrometry

A method for detection of radiocarbon at low levels is described and the results of tests are presented. We refer to this method as ion charge exchange mass spectrometry (ICE-MS). The ICE-MS instrument is a two stage mass spectrometer. In the first stage, molecular interferences which would otherwise affect radiocarbon detection at mass 14 are eliminated by producing high charge state ions directly in the ion source (charge state ⩾2). 14N interference is eliminated in the second stage by converting the beam to negative ions in a charge exchange cell. The beam is mass-analysed at each stage. We have built a test apparatus consisting of an electron cyclotron resonance ion source and a pair of analysing magnets with a charge exchange cell in between, followed by an electrostatic analyser to improve the signal to background ratio. With this apparatus we have measured charge exchange probabilities for (Cn+ → C−) from 4.5 to 40.5 keV (n = 1–3). We have studied the sources of background including assessment of limits for nitrogen interference by searching for negative ions from charge exchange of 14N ions. Our system has been used to detect 14C in enriched samples of CO2 gas with 14C/12C isotopic ratio down to the 10−9 level. Combined with a measured sample consumption rate of 4 ng/s, this corresponds to a capability to detect transient signals containing only a few μBq of 14C activity, such as may be obtained from chromatographic separation. The method will require further development to match the sensitivity of AMS with a gas ion source; however, even in its present state its sensitivity is well suited to tracer studies in biomedical research and drug development.