Laser Separation

Isotope photoseparation techniques for actinides probably will include only gaseous systems, hexafluorides and metal vapors. Hence, aqueous actinide photochemistry is not likely to influence isotope separations. However, the intense interest in laser separation techniques for the gaseous systems promotes interest in the aqueous systems. 

Laser separation method for and (reproduced with permission from S.A. Cotton,... 

S. A. Cotton, Lanthanides and Actinides, Macmillan, 1991, p.95 (laser separation). 

Kompa KL (1979) Laser Separation of Isotopes. In SIPRI Year Book, Taylor Francis, London. p73... 

Laser separation of isotopes for enrichment of is in development and is not yet ripe for industrial exploitation... 

Vegors, S.H. Nieschmidt, E.B. (2001) Laser Separation of Isotopes, 43rd Meeting Idaho Acadamy of Science March 29-31. Albertson College of Idaho. 

For laser separation of heavy water, the working material must be cheap, nontoxic, volatile, and easily redeuterable. It must have acceptable photon utilization and high optical selectivity for multiphoton absorption. Photoproducts must be stable and separable. 

Letokhov, V.S. Laser separation of isotopes. Annu. Rev. Phys. Chem. 1977, 28, 133. 

Bohm, H-D.V. Michaelis, W. and Weitkamp, C., "Hyperfine Structure and Isotope Shift Measurements on 235jj anUranium Isotopes by Two-Step Photoionization," Opt. Commun., 1978, 26, 177-182. 

This text can describe only briefly the incomplete information publicly available on laser separation of uranium isotopes. For a more detailed discussion of the history and principles of laser isotope separation, reference may be made to the review articles of Letokhov and Moore [LI] and Aldridge et al. [A2], and to Farrar and Smith s report on uranium [FI]. 

Laser machining by short and ultrashort pulses, state of the art and new opportunities in the age of the photons. Ann CIRP 51(2) 531-550 O Neill W (2004) Laser separating. In Poprawe R, Weber H, Herziger G (eds) Laser physics and applications - laser applications. Springer, Berlin... 

C.D. Cantrell, S.M. Freund, J.L. Lyman, Laser induced chemical reactions and isotope separation, in Laser Handbook, vol. 3, ed. by M.L. Stitch (North-HoUand, Amsterdam, 1979) R.N. Zare, Laser separation of isotopes. Sci. Am. 236, 86 (1977) ... 

These considerations led the European community to elect gas centrifuge production for enriched uranium to be used in its power production facilities. The United States also turned away firom gaseous diffusion because of its high cost. Its diffusion plants have been retired. After extensive development a large gas centrifuge facility was constructed, but that in turn was abandoned in favor of even more economical laser separation processes (see below). In around 2002, the laser separation plants have also been closed, presumably due to present day oversupply of enriched uranium. 

In 1978, the US Congress clamped a secrecy label on laser separation of uranium retroactive to 1976 due to concerns that, because of costs of construction and operations being much lower for a laser separation plant than for diffusion and centrifuge plants, eruich-ment plants could be available to small nations and lead to proliferation. Fimds were cut from the Federal energy budget for laser enrichment. 

The Energy Research and Development Agency (ERDA), the forerunner to the DOE, through the late 1970s to 1981 supported the study of three new experimental processes for uranium enrichment. Two were based upon laser separation, and one on plasma separation. Jersey Nuclear-Avco Isotopes Incorporated (subsidiary of Exxon) and the LLNL worked on atomic uranium vapor. LLNL referred to it as AVUS. The LANL and a group at Exxon Research Laboratories (not connected with Jersey-Avco) worked on molecular UFg. TRW Incorporated pursued research work on a plasma separation process. Union Carbide Nuclear Division (UCC-ND) supported each in their efforts. In 1981, the AVLIS process at LLNL was selected as the process to be developed further and the other processes were subsequently phased out. 

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