The evolution of 252Cf - plasma desorption mass spectroscopy

The ²⁵²Cf Time-of-Flight/Plasma Desorption Mass Spectroscopy method (²⁵²Cf TOF/PDMS) is an example of how technology transfer from one discipline to another can stimulate new approaches to the solutions of important problems. The ²⁵²Cf TOF/PDMS technique evolved from three technologies originally developed by Macfarlane and his co-workers to study nuclear processes: the electrostatic particle guide, the helium-jet recoil transport method, and the on-line β-recoil mass spectrometer. In this paper, these techniques are reviewed, and their contributions to the ultimate development of ²⁵²Cf TOF/PDMS are discussed.