SILEX: Difference between revisions
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Third-generation laser uranium enrichment out of Australia, similar to CRISLA, superseding [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_vapor_laser_isotope_separation AVLIS] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molecular_laser_isotope_separation MLIS]. | Third-generation laser uranium enrichment out of Australia, similar to CRISLA, superseding [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_vapor_laser_isotope_separation AVLIS] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molecular_laser_isotope_separation MLIS]. The third generation is primarily defined by its end-to-end use of UF<sub>6</sub> (uranium hexafluoride). AVLIS used uranium metal; MLIS output UF<sub>5</sub>. | ||
There are two fundamental insights behind SILEX: | There are two fundamental insights behind SILEX: | ||
* UF<sub>6</sub> dimers can be broken up and excited with a single photon | Using hex and a carrier gas G: | ||
* The mass difference between <sup>235</sup>UF<sub>6</sub> and a dimer of <sup>238</sup>UF<sub>6</sub> is | |||
* UF<sub>6</sub>+G dimers can be broken up and excited with a single photon | |||
* The mass difference between <sup>235</sup>UF<sub>6</sub> and a dimer of <sup>238</sup>UF<sub>6</sub>+G is (assuming G is <sup>40</sup>Ar), 43, much larger than that between | |||
** <sup>235</sup>U and <sup>238</sup>U (3, traditional separation) or | |||
** <sup>235</sup>UF<sub>5</sub> and <sup>238</sup>UF<sub>6</sub> (22, MLIS) | |||