AMS Laboratory in Poznań is equipped with the 1.5 SDH-Pelletron Model “Compact Carbon AMS” ser. no. 003, produced in 2001 by the National Electrostatics Corporation , Middleton, USA, and purchased by the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (Poland).
To determine carbon isotopic ratios (14C/12C and 14C/13C), the AMS machine simultaneously measures number of 12C, 13C and 14C atoms released from cathode earlier produced from the sample .
The AMS machine produces carbon ions in the ion source, and injects them into accelerator. To avoid interference with other elements, ions of desired mass are separated in the injection magnet. The injected ions (12C–, 13C– and 14C–) are pulled into the accelerator terminal (charged to potential of +500,000V), there transform into 12C+, 13C+ and 14C+, and are pushed away, towards analysing magnet. This magnet directs 12C+ and 13C+ ions into specified spots in the drift chamber, which measure electric current of both types of ions. The rare ions of 14C+, after passing electrostatic analyser, hit the detector sensitive to count them.
All essential parts and parameters of the spectrometer, during maintenance and measurements are computer controlled and may be set from the console.
Other pages on the AMS spectrometer:
General | Ion source | Injection magnet | Accelerator | Analysing magnet | Drift tube | Electrostatic analyser | 14C detector