2011年3月9日，我室原子分子科学研究部胡水明教授研究组与美合作在PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS上发表题为Ar-39 Detection at the 10(-16) Isotopic Abundance Level with Atom Trap Trace Analysis的论文。

Source: PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS Volume: 106 Issue: 10 Article Number: 103001 Published: MAR 9 2011

Jiang W (Jiang, W.)1, Williams W (Williams, W.)1, Bailey K (Bailey, K.)1, Davis AM (Davis, A. M.)2,3, Hu SM (Hu, S. -M.)4, Lu ZT (Lu, Z. -T.)1,2,5, O'Connor TP (O'Connor, T. P.)1, Purtschert R (Purtschert, R.)6, Sturchio NC (Sturchio, N. C.)7, Sun YR (Sun, Y. R.)4, Mueller P (Mueller, P.)1
Addresses:
1. Argonne Natl Lab, Div Phys, Argonne, IL 60439 USA
2. Univ Chicago, Enrico Fermi Inst, Chicago, IL 60637 USA
3. Univ Chicago, Dept Geophys Sci, Chicago, IL 60637 USA
4. Univ Sci & Technol China, Hefei Natl Lab Phys Sci Microscale, Hefei 230026, Anhui Peoples R China
5. Univ Chicago, Dept Phys, Chicago, IL 60637 USA
6. Univ Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
7. Univ Illinois, Dept Earth & Environm Sci, Chicago, IL 60607 USA

Reprint Address: Jiang, W (reprint author), Argonne Natl Lab, Div Phys, Argonne, IL 60439 USA

Abstract:
Atom trap trace analysis, a laser-based atom counting method, has been applied to analyze atmospheric Ar-39 (half-life = 269 yr), a cosmogenic isotope with an isotopic abundance of 8 x 10(-16). In addition to the superior selectivity demonstrated in this work, the counting rate and efficiency of atom trap trace analysis have been improved by 2 orders of magnitude over prior results. The significant applications of this new analytical capability lie in radioisotope dating of ice and water samples and in the development of dark matter detectors.