Facility

Small (up to 1 MV) machine

• Spatial, financial and operation costs limitations
• Multipurpose device

The new accelerator for AMS method is the most important component of the new infrastructure and its acquirement is a prerequisite for establishment of this, in CR still missing, most sensitive method of determination of ultratrace concentrations or extremely small amounts of long-lived radionuclides. Purchase of an accelerator with the terminal voltage of 1MV is planned. Such an accelerator is a good compromise for sufficiently sensitive determination of cosmogenic radionuclides ¹⁰Be, ²⁶Al, radiocarbon ¹⁴C, actinides, namely isotopes of Pa, U, Pu, and selected fission products, especially ⁹⁹Tc and ¹²⁹I, at reasonable operational costs. The determination of the above radionuclides will enable numerous applications. Accelerators with a higher terminal voltage 3–14 MV are suitable for determination of additional long-lived radioisotopes, namely ³²Si, ³⁶Cl, ³⁹Ar, ⁴¹Ca, ⁵⁹Ni, ⁶⁰Fe, ⁷⁹Se, ¹⁴⁶Sm, ¹⁸²Hf, etc., with an array of further important applications, however, on the account of much higher operational costs. Thus, the selection of an accelerator with the terminal voltage of 1 MV is in accordance of world-wide trend in AMS, which consists in development, improvement and optimizing of accelerators with the terminal voltage of 1 MV or less, which still maintain favourable parameters for determination of selected radionuclides with acceptable operational costs.

The new infrastructure will also contain a number of accessories for sample treatment and target preparation to achieve optimal conditions for determination of selected radionuclides by AMS and for auxiliary methods of determination of stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen. The main accessories involve an automated device for graphitization for determination of ¹⁴C, an interface for measurement of gaseous samples for determination of ¹⁴C, an elemental and isotope analyzer, and clean laboratories, which are described in detail in next paragraphs. The purpose of these devices is to optimize the quality of sample and target preparation procedures in order to utilize the potential of the AMS method and selected accelerator in the maximal possible extent.

The integral part of the new infrastructure is also the reconstruction and extension of building No. 231 for the new accelerator, laboratories and offices for new employees. The reconstruction and extension are designed with the aim of achievement of plausible construction costs and favourable operational costs of the new object.

Key parameters of new accelerator for AMS:

The capability of determination of ¹⁰Be, ¹⁴C, ²⁶Al, selected fission products and actinides with terminal voltage not exceeding 1 MV, high stability of operation, friendly software for determination of the above nuclides, low operation costs.