Ultratrace analysis of long-lived radionuclides by resonance ionization mass spectrometry (RIMS)

Abstract

Radioisotope mass spectrometry for the determination of long-lived nuclides can be several orders of magnitude more sensitive than the conventional radiometric methods. The principle of RIMS consists of the vaporization of the radionuclide to be determined and to perform a multiple resonant excitation and ionization of the atoms by laser light. This is followed by mass selective detection of the ions by a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Several applications are presented.

Determination, Separation and Application of 137Cs: A Review

“…For example, adjusting the wavelength of Cs atomic radiation by a laser will result in higher sensitivity. The detection limit is about 10 6 atoms [ 60 ]. The main limitation of RIMS is the high cost of complex instruments.…”