A fast switching electrostatic deflector system for actinide isotopic ratio measurements

Abstract

We have implemented a fast switching electrostatic system on the actinides beamline on the ANTARES accelerator at ANSTO, to improve the precision of analyses by accelerator mass spectrometry. This high-energy bouncing system is based on a pair of deflector plates, deflecting in the orbit plane, set at the entrance and exit of the analysing magnet. The design of deflector plates is unique, and it was modelled by SIMION in order to minimize field inhomogenity and fringe field effects. The pair of deflector plates are supplied by a high-voltage amplifier driven by an EPICS-enabled control unit, with two 4 W power supplies providing up to ±10 kV modulation. The high-energy bouncing system is synchronized with the existing low-energy bouncing system. To measure the isotopic ratio with the new system, the magnetic fields of the injector and analysing magnets are set to transmit selected isotopes along the beam line with zero voltage applied. The other isotopes of interest are transmitted by keeping the magnetic fields constant and modulating the voltages on the injector magnet chamber and on the high-energy deflector plates. © 2009 Elsevier B.V.