LEA
Low Energy AMS
Based on the concepts of the well-established MICADAS, Ionplus has developed a new AMS system around the patented helium stripping technology with an accelerator voltage of just 50 kV – LEA. LEA’s lower accelerator voltage led to a significant reduction in footprint without compromising its performance. With its dimensions of just 2.6 m x 1.8 m and a height of 1.5 m, LEA is less than half the size of MICADAS. And by that the new, most compact ¹⁴C-AMS system in the world.
By using much of the same concepts and components found in MICADAS, the new LEA system also offers the same features like: a hybrid Cs sputter ion source for measuring gas and solid samples, random access samples changer with air lock, allowing continuous measurement and the maintenance-free, vacuum insulated tandem accelerator. The helium stripping at low voltages offers an even higher transmission of over 50 % and unparalleled measurement stability.
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Just like its predecessor MICADAS, LEA is compatible with all other Ionplus products, such as the Gas Interface System GIS to perform fully automated gas measurements or the Lab Management Package LMP for data collection, reduction and evaluation. Ionplus’ new Accelerator Control Software ACS allows you to take full advantage of the ease of use of LEA: From fast autotuning and task engine based work flows to new maintenance and diagnostics features – running an AMS instrument has never been easier.
KEY FEATURES
• Lowest space requirements through very compact design
• Simple and fast tuning
• Controlled by new ACS software for ease of use
• Fully automated gas measurement with GIS and HTI
• Fast magazine changes for continuous measurement without breaking the vacuum or cooling down any part of the ion source
• Extremely low power consumption of less than 2.5 kW
• Fully air-cooled system, no cooling water needed
• Hybrid cesium negative sputter ion source for solid and gas cathodes
• Vacuum insulated accelerator terminal without any moving parts, no SF₆ needed
• Minimal maintenance
SPECIFICATIONS
• Helium stripping, more than 50 % ¹⁴C-transmission
• Negative ion currents of 50 to 150 μA on full-sized graphite
samples and 10 to 20 µA on gas samples (10 µg carbon or more)
• 50 kV accelerator on a vacuum insulated high voltage platform
with a low-maintenance solid-state power supply
• Precision with a modern reference material: 0.2 % or better for
¹⁴C/¹²C and ¹³C/¹²C ratios
• Dating of samples back to more than 50’000 radiocarbon years
• Random access samples changer with 40 positions
• Dimensions and weight: 2.6 m x 1.8 m x 1.5 m, 3’000 kg
• 2.5 kW average power consumption
• No cooling water or SF₆ needed
