SEPARATION OF ISOTOPE BY LASER LIGHT

• Main Authors: TSUCHIDA KAZUTERU, KOTANI KOICHI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 11.01.1990
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION; ELECTRICITY; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; SEPARATION; TRANSPORTING

PURPOSE:To efficiently recover a selectively ionized isotope even under the high-vapor-density conditions by exciting the selectively ionized isotope to a metastable level having a small charge-exchange reaction cross section with the vapor electron. CONSTITUTION:An isotopic metal is heated to obtain the vapor atom, then a specified isotope is selectively ionized by the laser light, and the selectively ionized isotope is recovered by an electric field or an electromagnetic field. The selectively ionized isotope is excited to a metastable level having a small charge-exchange reaction cross section with the vapor atom, for example, by the drawing up effect caused by laser light. As a result, the cross section of the charge-exchange reaction causing a decrease in selectivity is reduced, the selectively ionized isotope can be efficiently recovered even under the high- vapor-density conditions, and the isotopes can be separated with high efficiency.