HAMSTER – a new universal 1-MV AMS facility at HZDR with ion cooler and SIMS capabilities

HAMSTER (Helmholtz Accelerator Mass Spectrometer Tracing Environmental Radionuclides) at HZDR is a dedicated AMS facility, designed to allow for measurements of AMS nuclides across the whole chart of nuclides via three independent injection lines. The first injector provides state-of-the art capabilities for routine AMS including actinides. A second beamline incorporates a new ion cooler ILTIS (Ion Linear Trap for Isobar Suppression) to utilise and explore the potential of ion-laser interaction for additional AMS nuclides. The third injector connects a SIMS ion source to the AMS system. Centered around a 1-MV Pelletron accelerator, one focus of this facility is to study and incorporate new technical developments. Additional features include fast switching capabilities also at the high-energy side and a Wienfilter for additional background suppression. Attenuated beams, useful in particular in combination with the ion cooler, are provided via a fast beam chopper and can be diagnosed with a set of highly-sensitive beam profile monitors and dynode detectors along the beam lines. ILTIS is presently in the testing phase and HAMSTER should become operational by the end of 2025. HAMSTER, operated also as a user facility, will offer beamtime for external users, both national and international, with 2026 through HZDR’s GATE proposal system.