Determination of the detection limit of Ni-59 at the Lund AMS facility by using characteristic projectile X-rays

Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) is an ultra-sensitive method for counti ng atoms, both radionuclides and stable nuclides. When using small tandem a ccelerators to measure heavy isotopes, interfering isobars are often troubl esome. One way to reduce this interference is to combine AMS with the detec tion of characteristic X-rays of the projectile. After analysis in the AMS system it is possible to identify ions of different atomic number by their characteristic X-rays, by slowing down the ions in a suitable target. In th is paper, the detection limit of Ni-59 at the Land AMS facility is reported . A method for the chemical extraction of nickel from stainless steel, comb ined with a purification step to reduce the cobalt content in the sample by several orders of magnitude, is also described. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.