Determination of trace elements by resonant ionization mass spectrometry (RIMS)

A resonant ionization mass spectrometer has been developed as an analytical tool for the detection of trace elements, especially of plutonium and other radionuclides. The sample, deposited on a rhenium filament, is evaporated by electrical heating and the atoms of the element under investigation are selectively ionized by laser light delivered from three dye lasers pumped by a copper vapour laser. The resulting photoions are detected in a time-of-flight spectrometer with a channelplate detector. For plutonium a mass resolution of M/δM=1500 was obtained and an overall detection efficiency of 4×10−6 was determined for stepwise excitation and ionization via autoionizing states. With a laser li…