Study of lithium isotope separation in plasma by isotope-selective ion cyclotron heating

摘要

An experimental study was made of isotope-selective ion cyclotron heating of a lithium plasma. An arc plasma source was used with an ion density of n(sub i) = 10(sup 12) to 10(sup 13) cm(sup (minus)3). Selective heating of the isotope components was accomplished by a rotating electromagnetic field, created by a helical four-phase antenna. Water-cooled probes and separators were used for plasma diagnosis and collection of the heated component. The lithium-6 isotope concentration in the original material was 7.5 percent, whereas it reached 88% in the collected samples.