TY - JOUR

T1 - New technique of ion identification in Accelerator Mass Spectrometry using low-pressure TPC with GEM readout

AU - Bondar, A.

AU - Buzulutskov, A.

AU - Parkhomchuk, V.

AU - Petrozhitsky, A.

AU - Shakirova, T.

AU - Sokolov, A.

PY - 2023/5/1

Y1 - 2023/5/1

N2 - We have developed and successfully tested a low-pressure Time Projection Chamber (TPC) with Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) readout for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS). AMS facility in Novosibirsk has a problem of separating isobar ions of different chemical elements that have the same atomic mass. The typical example is radioactive isotopes 10Be and 10B that are used to date geological objects at a time scale of ten million years. To solve this problem, a new ion identification technique, namely that based on measuring both ion track ranges and ion energies in low-pressure TPCs with GEM readout, has been developed. This technique is proposed to be applied in AMS for dating geological objects, namely for geochronology of Cenozoic era. In this work, we developed a new larger version of the TPC with a dedicated thin silicon nitride window for an efficient passage of ions. The TPC characteristics were studied in isobutane at low pressures using alpha particle sources. In addition, the use of GEM instead of THGEM has been shown to substantially improve the energy resolution at a nominal pressure (50 torr). Using these results and SRIM code simulations, it is shown that isobaric boron and beryllium ions can be effectively separated at AMS, providing efficient dating on a scale of ten million years. This technique will be applied in the AMS facility in Novosibirsk in the near future.

AB - We have developed and successfully tested a low-pressure Time Projection Chamber (TPC) with Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) readout for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS). AMS facility in Novosibirsk has a problem of separating isobar ions of different chemical elements that have the same atomic mass. The typical example is radioactive isotopes 10Be and 10B that are used to date geological objects at a time scale of ten million years. To solve this problem, a new ion identification technique, namely that based on measuring both ion track ranges and ion energies in low-pressure TPCs with GEM readout, has been developed. This technique is proposed to be applied in AMS for dating geological objects, namely for geochronology of Cenozoic era. In this work, we developed a new larger version of the TPC with a dedicated thin silicon nitride window for an efficient passage of ions. The TPC characteristics were studied in isobutane at low pressures using alpha particle sources. In addition, the use of GEM instead of THGEM has been shown to substantially improve the energy resolution at a nominal pressure (50 torr). Using these results and SRIM code simulations, it is shown that isobaric boron and beryllium ions can be effectively separated at AMS, providing efficient dating on a scale of ten million years. This technique will be applied in the AMS facility in Novosibirsk in the near future.

KW - Accelerator mass spectroscopy (AMS)

KW - Micropattern gaseous detectors (MSGC, GEM, THGEM, RETHGEM, MHSP, MICROPIC, MICROMEGAS, InGrid, etc)

KW - Particle identification methods

KW - Time projection Chambers (TPC)

UR - https://www.scopus.com/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85159765916&origin=inward&txGid=77771d9f6ea8d5e214f007ae3eea296b

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/4d9f403b-71e5-3289-9168-3841f00d0b88/

U2 - 10.1088/1748-0221/18/05/C05015

DO - 10.1088/1748-0221/18/05/C05015

M3 - Article

VL - 18

JO - Journal of Instrumentation

JF - Journal of Instrumentation

SN - 1748-0221

IS - 5

M1 - C05015

ER -