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Abstract

Method and apparatus for determining small quantities of specific atoms with isotopic selectivity. According to the method described herein, atoms are rapidly released from an atom bank containing the same, and are then converted to ions utilizing resonance ionization as achieved with photon beams having specific wave lengths. These ions are extracted from the ionization region and are accelerated and implanted into a second atom bank. For further selectivity, the atoms are then rapidly released from the second bank, ionized with another photon beam of selected wave length to provide ionization of the desired species, with these ions then being extracted, subjected to acceleration, and implanted into the first atom bank. Typically the number of electrons emitted from the atom banks during implantation is used as a measure of the number of atoms of the selected species. In the preferred embodiments, a combination of mass selectivity by ionization together with a mass separator provides for the most rapid and most sensitive method for determining a small quantity of atoms in the presence of a large quantity of atoms.

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First Claim