Experimental evaluation of the measurement of isotope ratios by time of flight mass spectrometry with laser ablation

Time of flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS) in combination with laser ablatio n (LA) applied for low isotope composition measurements is limited by energ y and spatial dispersion of ions, spatial charge density, and some other fa ctors. In order to reduce these factors that make the extraction of the pla sma ions difficult, we used a second laser to create ions by non-isotope-se lective photoionization of neutral particles. The photoionization was carri ed out in uranium vapor beam by the third harmonic of a pulsed Nd:YAG laser . This work presents the results of tentative experiments to estimate the c haracteristics of the LA-TOF-MS method with non-selective photoionization.