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Characterization of an improved thermal ionization cavity source for mass spectrometry

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Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

A new thermal ionization source for use with a quadrupole mass spectrometer has been designed and characterized. The new source provides significant advantages over the previously reported prototype source and traditional filament-type thermal ionization sources. The operational interface between the source and the quadrupole mass spectrometer has been redesigned. A vacuum interlock, a translational stage, and an adjustable insertion probe are added to improve the source performance. With these modifications, the source is easier to operate while maximizing sample throughput. In this work, the performance of the newly developed source is examined. The ionization efficiencies are measured with a quadrupole mass spectrometer. The efficiency values obtained with this system are comparable to those obtained from a large scale isotope separator. The relationships among the ionization potential, vapor pressure, and measured ionization efficiency results are discussed. The crucible lifetime has been quantitatively estimated by measuring the crucible sputtering rate. Diagnostic studies of the new source show that the crucible position is a crucial parameter for sensitivity and performance. Stability tests demonstrate that the source can be run several weeks at a fixed emission current without significant degradation.

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Author notes

  1. Ray E. Danen

    Present address: Intel Corp., Albuquerque, NM

  2. Xiaomei Yan

    Present address: the Cytometry Group, LS-5, Life Sciences Division, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Inorganic Trace Analysis Group, CST-9, Chemical Science and Technology Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, 87545, Los Alamos, NM

    Yixiang Duan, Ray E. Danen, Xiaomei Yan, Robert Steiner, Juan Cuadrado, David Wayne, Vahid Majidi & José A. Olivares

  2. Analytical Chemistry Group, NMT-1, Nuclear Materials Technology Division, USA

    Robert Steiner & David Wayne

Authors
  1. Yixiang Duan
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  2. Ray E. Danen
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  3. Xiaomei Yan
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  4. Robert Steiner
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  5. Juan Cuadrado
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  6. David Wayne
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  7. Vahid Majidi
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  8. José A. Olivares
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Duan, Y., Danen, R.E., Yan, X. et al. Characterization of an improved thermal ionization cavity source for mass spectrometry. J Am Soc Mass Spectrom 10, 1008–1015 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1016/S1044-0305(99)00065-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1044-0305(99)00065-3

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