Speaker
Description
Molecular ion production from the TRIUMF FEBIAD ion source was systematically studied as a function of source operating parameters. During an opportunistic beamtime shift, the FEBIAD was optimized while isobaric species were measured using TITAN’s MR-TOF mass spectrometer. Exploring parameter "islands" revealed how each region corresponds to distinct molecular species. This approach was particularly relevant with CF₄ injection into an unirradiated UCx target, where molecular fragments such as 19F and CF3 were mapped in the FEBIAD operational space. UF+, the molecule of interest, and WOF₃+, the dominant isobaric contaminant, were studied, with optimization resulting in an inversion of their ratio. This allowed for a cleaner UF+ signal while maintaining the same overall rate. Initially, the ratio of the target molecule to the isobaric contaminant was 4% which could be increased to 97% by selecting optimal FEBIAD operating parameters, highlighting the critical importance of careful FEBIAD operation parameter selection, as well as the need to have a diagnostic that allows to separate target molecules from isobaric contamination.
| Email address | maldonado@triumf.ca |
|---|---|
| Classification | Isotope production, target, and ion source techniques |
