Generation of an atomic beam by using laser ablation for isotope separation purposes

Abstract

Atomic vapor laser isotope separation has been studied at the Institute for Advanced Studies for nuclear purposes since 1982, and recently it has been questioned about its potentialities for the aerospace area. Many applications from nuclear propulsion to electricity generation and space navigation have been found, which justify the study of isotope separation for aerospace applications. ne of the ey process, and the rst step for atomic vapor laser isotope separation, is the production of a neutral vapor jet. This paper discussed the potentiality of using laser ablation as a tool to generate neutral metal vapor jet for isotope separation purposes. The basis for the discussion is a set of experimental results obtained at the Institute for Advanced Studies. The experiments were described, the results were analyzed using basic theoretical treatment found in the literature, and it was concluded that laser ablation is a potential tool for the generation of a neutral vapor jet for atomic vapor laser isotope separation purposes.

Measurement of Dysprosium Stark Width and the Electron Impact Width Parameter

“…Laser ablation is a powerful tool for many different applications including thin film deposition, 3,4 ion sources 5 (for ion implantation and particle accelerators), analytical purposes, 6 and as already mentioned, isotope separation. 7–9 Plume formation is very complex and depends on the laser, material, and surrounding media parameters. 10 Furthermore, any laser ablation application can benefit from a better understanding and tracking of the plasma plume properties.…”

Neutral atomic jet generation by laser ablation of copper targets

“…6 The first key step for AVLIS is the generation of a neutral vapor but the plume ejected by laser ablation is made of neutrals and ions.…”

Untitled

“…The problem is that a few aging reactors are working for attending world's needs of 99 Mo, besides the fact that these processes involve highly enriched uranium (HEU) [1][2][3].…”