Metastable Ion Studies with a ²⁵²Cf Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer

Abstract

Time-of-flight mass spectrometry associated with a MeV ion source is certainly a good combination to investigate high molecular masses. Since the discovery of the ²⁵²Cf desorption method by R. Macfarlane and co-workers [1] several P.D.M.S. systems have been built in a number of different laboratories. At our institute a time-of-flight instrument which was designed for measuring masses of exotic radioactive nuclei [2] has been used for applications in this new field as well as for new instrumental development, another ²⁵²Cf instrument being available for external users. An electrostatic mirror [3] based on the Mamyrin principle [5] has been adapted to improve the mass resolution and to allow for “in flight” metastable decay studies [6] We discuss here briefly the method and present some experimental results.