Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS)

Abstract Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) is a mass spectrometry technique making use of tandem accelerators and high-charge states for determination of very small isotopic ratios (10 −10 to 10 −15 ). The technique takes advantage of the high ion energies achieved and negative ion interferential instabilities to enable extremely low backgrounds to be achieved. AMS developments, instrumentation, and applications are reviewed.