Work

Photochemical isotope separation

Year: 2023

Type: article

Abstract: A process for separating isotopes by selective excitation of isotopic species of a volatile compound by tuned laser light. A highly cooled gas of the volatile compound is produced in which the isotopic shift is sharpened and defined. Before substantial condensation occurs, the cooled gas is irradiated with laser light precisely tuned to a desired wavelength to selectively excite a particular isotopic species in the cooled gas. The laser light may impart sufficient energy to the excited species to cause it to undergo photochemical reaction or even to photoionize. Alternatively, a two-photon irradiation may be applied to the cooled gas to induce photochemical reaction or photoionization. The process is particularly applicable to the separation of isotopes of uranium and plutonium.

Source: OSTI OAI (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information)

Author: Robinson, C. Paul (Los Alamos, NM); Jensen, Reed J. (Los Alamos, NM); Cotter, Theodore P. (Los Alamos, NM); Greiner, Norman R. (Los Alamos, NM); Boyer, Keith (Los Alamos, NM)

Language: English

Topic: Radioactive element chemistry and processing

Subfield: Inorganic Chemistry

Field: Chemistry

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W4307574474

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