AMS Machine – Analysing Magnet

Analysing magnet separates beams of different masses from one another. Carbon ions 14C+13C+, and 12C+, coming from the accelerator, are sent to different directions into the drift tube.

AMS Machine - Analysing Magnet
Analysing magnet. At the right-hand edge, note the high energy end of the accelerator

Magnetic field acts on charged particle with a force perpendicular to the particle velocity. This bends the particle trajectory. The bending radius depends on particle mass – it is larger for heavier particles. The bending radius also depends on particle kinetic energy – it is larger for faster particles. That rule was utilised in the mechanism of sequenced injection.

Animation below: beam paths of carbon ions in the analysing magnet.

AMS Machine - Analysing Magnet animation
Hover to see animation
AMS Machine - Analysing Magnet
Three stages of the analysing magnet assembly. Left: upper shoe, upper coil and vacuum chamber removed, to adjust the magnet position. Center: vacuum chamber assembled. Right: whole magnet assembled.

Other pages on the AMS spectrometer:
General | Ion source | Injection magnet | Accelerator | Analysing magnet | Drift tube | Electrostatic analyser | 14C detector