A gas-accepting ion source for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry: Progress and applications

The National Ocean Sciences Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (NOSAMS) facility at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has developed an Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) system designed specifically for the analysis of 14C in a continuously flowing stream of carrier gas. A key part of the system is a gas-accepting microwave ion source. Recently, substantial progress has been made in the development of this source, having achieved ion currents rivaling that of a traditional graphite source (albeit at relatively low efficiency). Details and present performance of the gas source are given. Additionally, representative results obtained from coupling the source to both a gas chromatograph and gas bench are presented.