Lk. Fifield et al., ACCELERATOR MASS-SPECTROMETRY OF THE PLANETARY ELEMENTS, Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section B, Beam interactions with materials and atoms, 123(1-4), 1997, pp. 400-404
Accelerator mass spectrometry has been applied for the first time to t
he detection of Np-237. Sensitivity approaches 10(5) atoms. A first me
asurement of the mobility of Np-237 in a marine environment is reporte
d, and lends support to the prediction that neptunium should be substa
ntially more mobile than plutonium. Measurements of backgrounds and tr
ansmissions for plutonium and neptunium in different charge states are
also reported. In addition, the relative negative ion formation proba
bilities for the monoxide ions of Th, U, Np and Pu have been measured.