An Experimental Technique for Separating Lithium Isotopes in Plasma Using the Ion Cyclotron Resonance Method

Abstract

An experimental facility designed for separating lithium isotopes in plasma using the ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) method is described. High values of the lithium-isotope separation factor (α > 50) are attainable at the facility. A lithium-plasma source, the layout of cyclotron ion heating, and a collector system for lithium enriched and depleted with the ⁶Li isotope are described in detail. The methods used for measuring the parameters of the lithium plasma and the separation characteristics of the facility are also presented. The use of a “shadow,” i.e., a strip from the enriched-lithium collector without the lithium deposit on the depleted-lithium collector, for diagnostics of the plasma column rotation is noted. The projects for ICR facilities developed with our participation for separating isotopes of other chemical elements are briefly reported.