SOVIET OPTICAL RESEARCH IN SUPPORT OF ISOTOPE SEPARATION BY LASERS
AND CONCLUSIONS
laser isotope separation programs havcllnd are of high quality The Soviets are actively pursuing development eflnrU in tunable lasers, laser photochemistry, and high resolution optical spectioscops which either are or could be applied to the separation ol isotope. None of these programs has been identified with separation of Isotopes of military or economic significance, such as uranium, but al) could support inch an effort. The Soviets appear to be aware of various candidate approaches to separating uranium, as well as problems and efficiencies involved They have successfully and efficiently separated nitrogen Isotopes using lasers withstep molecular photodissociation and also have worked on iodine and rubidium using similar techniques Tbe lasers required (or these efforts urc readily available. For most isotopes having mililary or economic significance, tunable lasers must be developed.
The development of appropriate tunable lasers is the pacing technology for laser isotope separation. Tunable dye Users ,ne most applicable to production of visible and near infrared wavelengths andflip Raman lasers are most applicable at infrared, wavelengths. The Soviets hav^cMlJicienlists engaged
produced dye lasers having greater energy outputsHowrver,
and.
somewhat hampered. particulaHy in Ihe development of continuous wave dye lasers,eneral unavailability of argon lasers for pumping, of good optica) coalings, and of dyes of sufficient purity. While the Soviet work currently appears to
|in quality, there is no inherent reason why this [should continue. The Soviet effort on spin ip riaman lasers appears smallindered by the unavailability of good crystals. This, too, could be quickly overcome with proper allocation of assets
The Soviets
frequency stabilized lasers, another area important in laser isotope separation While this work has nol been_ identified with tunable (oilier than COif lasers, ill
t|nX"lro-ct>pv
The Soviet effort inpholochemislrs does inarge, set ihe workas it ofiuhun VXTHnicntiltfi with : NWMhl
DISCUSSION
Laser-indnicd isotope separation depend* uponthat atomic -ml molecular rnrrgi Inelsfor the various isolopc* of an elcmrntlevelsmallnspectralof the elemenl oriKenarrow radiationater to eacite one isotoptcOnce
in the ricitfd state the atom oc moleculehemical reaction with anothereaction itnot undergo or would undergouch tlo-er rate if not excited, or be photoiomied or pbolndiuociated through illumination with another light source The separation ol the specie, olhen made chemically or electrically
The three most important optical rescirvh areas relating to User uotope separation are (at high resolution optical spectroscopy, lb)m! frequency stable lasers, aniliteil state chemistrs High resolution spectra of ihe atoms ornterest are required in order to choose and esiimlnc Ihr appropriate resonance lines These resonance line, are the principal absorption line* of the material, and the isotope shift, ilery small These spectral lines do not. inoccur at theof available laser.ber wme means must be developed to tune available lasers to theh or atunable laser muvt he developed
5pm flip Raman Uier. and optical oscillators are fbemportant m*f tur.ini jvuilahlu User. In both ol iheseser Is used In "pump ix crystal; tuning iv accomplished byagnetic field around the iiyvitil in the first instance and ehangni! thermprialure In the scondhe tunable User, the most important are the dye User and the carbon dioode lawr Dye. have broad fluorescentO nanometers- in the vwble or neat visible port-in ol the spectrum depending on theand by careful cavitytbey can be tuned cuniinunuilv over the band Carbon dioooV User, can be nude to operate on any of several rotational lines in the spectral ref ionm Ifseroperated at high pictures, tbereby broadening these rotational linn, continuous tunabihty over this spectral region can be obtained
Once an atom oricitcdaser several processes may occur, including radiative deetcitation. collision deeidtation. chemic.il reaction. photoiuni?ation. or pholodissudation. Spi viiw knowledge ol the rate constants or hum lecliom of lliese often competing processes must h* oblalnrd in order to design an effective separation process
Original document.
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