Ines Günther-Leopold
Paul Scherrer Institute
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Publication
Featured researches published by Ines Günther-Leopold.
Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry | 2007
Marcel Guillong; Peter Heimgartner; Zlatan Kopajtic; Detlef Günther; Ines Günther-Leopold
This work describes the design and function of an α-box integrated laser ablation system coupled to an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer, designed and built at the hotlaboratory of the Paul Scherrer Institut, for the analysis of highly radioactive samples. A 266 nm Nd:YAG laser based ablation system was separated into beam generation and ablation and sample handling to avoid radiation induced defects of the hardware. The optical beam path is delivered through a window within the α-box. The focusing optics and the ablation cell suitable for handling highly radioactive samples are described in detail. The laser ablation system was coupled to a multi-collector ICP-MS and evaluated by applying various laser parameters to ablate uranium dioxide reference materials. Isotope ratios were measured with a precision of 0.3% and a spatial resolution down to 10 μm. The optimized parameters were applied to spent nuclear fuel samples.
Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry | 2015
Niko Kivel; Heiko-Dirk Potthast; Ines Günther-Leopold; Frank Vanhaecke; Detlef Günther
A variable aperture was introduced into a commercially available sector field multicollector inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer. A diameter-variable aperture allows an in situ study of the radial isotopic composition within the ion beam. Additional information on the intensity distribution could be gained. The elements boron, cadmium and lead, covering a wide mass range, were investigated. In contrast to earlier experiments [Kivel et al., Spectrochimica Acta Part B: Atomic Spectroscopy, 2012, 76, 126–132], the current setup allows for lower element concentration levels in the samples and a drastically reduced measurement time. A significant radial dependence of the isotopic composition within the ion beam was observed for cadmium and lead, whereas for boron, such dependence could not be detected. The beam profiles however show a systematic trend towards smaller beam diameters for higher masses. Even though the beam diameter is dependent upon the mass of the ion, the transmission into the mass spectrometer can be considered almost complete. Thus, a contribution to mass discrimination by space-charge induced beam broadening and energy-selective ion transmission, at least within the boundaries studied here, can be excluded.
Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry | 2007
Matthias Horvath; Marcel Guillong; Andrei Izmer; Niko Kivel; Renato Restani; Ines Günther-Leopold; Jörg Opitz Coutureau; Christian Hellwig; Detlef Günther
Analysis of fluid and gaseous inclusions in solids have been a major interest in various fields and have been carried out at different pressures, temperatures, and phase conditions. In nuclear fuel, approximately 20% of the fission products (FPs) are gaseous with isotopes of Xe contributing up to 90% to the product gases. However, previous to this work quantitative analysis of Xe inclusions in nuclear fuel samples have not been performed systematically. The method used must incorporate simple sample handling procedures in a shielded environment. This study is the development of a method for the direct determination of the fission gas (FG) products in micro inclusions contained in nuclear fuels using LA-ICP-MS. To determine the concentration of Xe in nuclear fuel, two calibration strategies were investigated. The first strategy was based on the direct injection of a known quantity of a reference gas into the LA-ICP-MS carrier gas system. Further, the ablation of a ‘matrix-matched’ standard of a non-irradiated UO2 sample, implanted with a known amount of 129Xe was also applied. Using these quantification methods, quantitative LA-ICP-MS measurements were performed on high burnup nuclear fuel. This study demonstrates that direct gas injection is most suitable for the quantification of fission gas in micron-sized inclusions. The direct gas addition is simple and linear calibration curves were obtained. Good reproducibility was obtained and matrix effects were within the uncertainty of the measurements. For the quantification of fission gases in nuclear fuel, aerosol particles were filtered before entering the ICP to remove interferences on the Xe isotopes from the solid FP matrix. The first quantitative determinations of the amount of gas in nuclear fuel using the direct injection method for calibration led to sample pressure calculations which were in good agreement with pressures estimated from computer simulations.
Analytical Chemistry | 2014
D. Schumann; Tanja Stowasser; Benjamin Volmert; Ines Günther-Leopold; Hanspeter Linder; Erich. Wieland
The (14)C content in activated steel components from the Swiss Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) Gösgen and the Spallation Neutron Source SINQ at the Paul Scherrer Institute is determined using a wet chemistry digestion technique and liquid scintillation counting for (14)C activity measurements. The (14)C activity of an activated fuel assembly steel nut from the NPP is further compared with theoretical predictions made on the basis of a Monte Carlo reactor model for this NPP. Knowledge of the (14)C inventory in these activated steel materials is important in conjunction with future corrosion studies on these materials aimed at identifying the (14)C containing organic compounds possibly formed in the cement-based near field of a repository for radioactive waste.
Radiochimica Acta | 2008
D. Schumann; Jörg Neuhausen; Susanne Horn; P. W. Kubik; Ines Günther-Leopold
High-concentration samples of carrier-free 10Be (up to 1 μg 10Be per gram graphite) were separated from proton-irradiated graphite targets used at the meson production unit of the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI). 10Be concentrations were determined both with accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The analytical results from both methods are in good agreement. The highly enriched 10Be-samples will be used in scientific experiments relating to basic nuclear research and nuclear astrophysics in the framework of an international collaboration aimed to exploit accelerator waste material for scientific applications.
Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry | 2013
Niko Kivel; D. Schumann; Ines Günther-Leopold
In many scientific fields, the half-life of radionuclides plays an important role. The accurate knowledge of this parameter has direct impact on, e.g., age determination of archeological artifacts and of the elemental synthesis in the universe. In order to derive the half-life of a long-lived radionuclide, the activity and the absolute number of atoms have to be analyzed. Whereas conventional radiation measurement methods are typically applied for activity determinations, the latter can be determined with high accuracy by mass spectrometric techniques. Over the past years, the half-lives of several radionuclides have been specified by means of multiple-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) complementary to the earlier reported values mainly derived by accelerator mass spectrometry. The present paper discusses all critical aspects (amount of material, radiochemical sample preparation, interference correction, isotope dilution mass spectrometry, calculation of measurement uncertainty) for a precise analysis of the number of atoms by MC-ICP-MS exemplified for the recently published half-life determination of
International Journal of Mass Spectrometry | 2005
Ines Günther-Leopold; J. Kobler Waldis; Beat Wernli; Z. Kopajtic
^{60}
Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry | 2004
Ines Günther-Leopold; Beat Wernli; Zlatko Kopajtic; Detlef Günther
Fe (Rugel et al, Phys Rev Lett 103:072502, 2009).
Journal of Nuclear Materials | 2012
L. Johnson; Ines Günther-Leopold; J. Kobler Waldis; H.P. Linder; J. Low; D. Cui; E. Ekeroth; Kastriot Spahiu; L.Z. Evins
Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry | 2008
Ines Günther-Leopold; Niko Kivel; Judith Kobler Waldis; Beat Wernli