10Be detection at the new AMS beam line at CEDAD: Performance tests and first results

A new AMS (Accelerator Mass Spectrometry) beam line has been recently installed at CEDAD (Centre for Dating and Diagnostics)-university of Salento, Lecce, Italy for the detection by AMS of rare isotopes such as 10Be, 26Al, 129I and actinides. In this paper the performances of the new line for the measurement of 10Be are presented. Different tests were carried out in order to determine proper operating parameters and experimental conditions such as acceleration voltage, selected charge states and silicon nitride degrader thickness. The obtained results allow to assess the good performances of the new spectrometer in terms of boron suppression and background levels.