SAMOP 2021 – scientific programme

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MS: Fachverband Massenspektrometrie

MS 8: Accelerator Mass Spectrometry II

MS 8.3: Talk

Thursday, September 23, 2021, 14:30–14:45, H3

Relative Formation Probabilities for Fluoride and Oxyfluoride Anions of U, Np, Pu and Am in Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Measurements at VERA — •Andreas Wiederin¹, Robin Golser¹, Karin Hain¹, Michael Kern¹, Aya Sakaguchi², and Peter Steier¹ — ¹University of Vienna, Faculty of Physics - Isotope Physics — ²University of Tsukuba, Faculty of Pure and Applied Science

The relative formation probabilities for a range of (oxy-)fluoride molecular anions of uranium, neptunium, plutonium, and americium during the sputtering process in an AMS ion source from an iron oxide matrix mixed with PbF₂ have been systematically investigated at VERA. Identifying this distribution is an important step towards the separation of U and Np isobars via element selective photodetachment and reactive gases in the ILIAMS ion-cooler. A suitable choice of extracted molecular anions can be used to suppress U by an order of magnitude compared to Np. Finally, the distribution and in particular the AF₄⁻ to AF₅⁻ ratio can help to identify isobaric contaminations for the mentioned actinides. This method was used to estimate the co-production of ²³⁶U during Th irradiation which is considered for the production of ²³⁶Np, a potential isotopic spike for ²³⁷Np.