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Precise measurement of trace actinides
using Phoenix TIMSZenon Palacz, Shaun Yardley, Matt Hockley, Steve Guilfoyle What is this study about? The performance characteristics of an Isotopx Phoenix equipped with 10 conversion dynode ion counters with newly developed MICX electronics is evaluated. This design allows the simultaneous measurement of actinides at unit mass spacing. The ion counters are independently movable allowing the study…
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Introducing ATONA for TIMS – A paradigm shift in signal amplifier technology
Technical Note T30182 Isotopx Ltd, Dalton House, Dalton Way, Middlewich, Cheshire, CW10 0HU, UK. Introduction Over the past 20 years improvements in resistor amplification technology have slowed. The marginal gains that have been made are largely offset by the practical limitations. The newly developed ATONA (aA to nA) amplification technology from Isotopx has eliminated the…
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Ultra Low Noise and Baseline Drift Zeptona Faraday Detector
Technical Note 2102 Matt Hockley, Zenon Palacz, Shaun Yardley and Tony Jones, Isotopx Ltd, Middlewich, Cheshire, UK. Introduction The recently developed Isotopx ATONA® Faraday amplifier represents the benchmark in ion beam signal measurement using Faraday collectors1. A further advance; the Zeptona detector system is presented in this technical note. The Zeptona system comprises a custom…
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Ultra Low Noise Multiple Isotopx Ion Counting (IIC) and Faraday Detectors on Phoenix TIMS
Technical Note 2101 Matt Hockley, Zenon Palacz, Shaun Yardley and Tony Jones, Isotopx Ltd, Middlewich, Cheshire, UK. Introduction When measuring very small ion signals (<10,000cps), in sub picogram samples of actinides, ion counting detectors are necessary due to their low noise compared to that of a Faraday detector. Ion counters however, still have a nonzero…
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An assessment of the linearity of the ion-counting Daly detector and Hamamatsu photomultiplier using NBS U500
The Daly detector was designed by N.R Daly in the 1960’s . The design uses a conversion dynode to convert incident ions into electrons. It also separates the multiplication electronics away from the ion beam preventing secondary ion production on the multiplication dynodes. The conversion surface is a highly polished, aluminised metal surface that is…
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High precision isotope ratio measurements of Sr and Nd at the nanogram level using the Phoenix TIMS with next generation Faraday detectors
Zenon Palacz What are the parameters required for high precision measurements of small samples? (on Faraday collectors) High Sensitivity Instrument sensitivity Use of activators Low noise Close to theoretical Johnson noise Baseline stability Gain stability between detectors Required for static analyses Multidynamic measurements: Eliminates gain and efficiencies But can it be used on small samples?…
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Abundance Sensitivity of the Phoenix and Phoenix X62 TIMS
Zenon Palacz, IsotopX Ltd, Middlewich, Cheshire, UK. Introduction Abundance sensitivity is a measure of the contribution of the peak ‘tail’ of a major isotope on an adjacent minor isotope. The tailing is due to the collision of ions with residual gas molecules in the mass spectrometer causing a loss of ion energy. This is manifest…
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Evaluation of the stability of multiple ion counting detectors on Phoenix TIMS
Zenon Palacz, Isotopx Ltd, Middlewich, Cheshire, UK Introduction For the measurement of isotope ratios in nanogram to picogram sized samples of uranium and plutonium, an ion counting detector is used. However, when measuring a series of isotopes, any individual isotope may only be detected for a fraction of an individual analysis cycle. This will reduce…
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Measurement of 2ng Nd (NdO+) using Xact Faraday collectors on a Phoenix TIMS equipped with 1e11 Ω and 1T Ω resistors.
Zenon Palacz, Davydd Wanless, Ian Turner & Tony Jones. Isotopx Ltd. UK Introduction We have shown that very small ion beams of Nd+ (5 to 50mv) can be measured accurately and precisely using the Phoenix TIMS equipped with either 1e11 Ω or 1T Ω resistors1 . For small sample sizes measurement of Nd as Nd+…
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Comparative analytical performance of 1e11 Ω and 1T (1e12 Ω) resistors on Phoenix TIMS demonstrated using NBS U500 uranium standard.
Zenon Palacz, Davydd Wanless, Ian Turner & Tony Jones. Isotopx Ltd. UK Introduction We have analysed CRM U500 on the Phoenix TIMS using Faraday collectors equipped with Xact amplifier boards carrying 1e11 Ω resistors and 1e12 Ω (1T Ω) resistors. The 1T Ω resistors should in theory offer three times less noise than the 1e11…
