JPS6274441A - Method for separating isotope in gas utilizing sheet plasma - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily separate the isotope in gas with high separation capacity, by separating the isotope in the gas by the resonance vibration of an ion cyclotron by utilizing sheet-like plasma. CONSTITUTION:Sheet plasma 2 containing an isotope to be separated is formed by a plasma source 1 and guided into a uniform parallel magnetic field. High frequency equal to the cyclotron frequency of an ion desired to be separated from the sheet plasma 2 is applied to the parallel flat plate electrodes 3 arranged so as to interpose the sheet plasma 2. By this method, only the ion desired to be separated resonates with said cyclotron frequency to gradually increase the orbital radius of circular motion and issued from the boundary of the plasma region of the sheet plasma 2 and collides with the separation apparatus provided outside the boundary of the plasma region of the sheet plasma 2 in a separated state to be neutralized. This isotope particle is sucked by a pump. As a result, the isotope in gas can be easily separated with high separation capacity.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a method of separating isotopes of isotope using sorting plasma.

[Conventional technology]

Normally, isotopic separation of gases is performed using ionization, magnetic field deflection, and focusing using a quadrupole lens.
In addition, when processing a large amount and requiring high resolution, the difference in diffusivity due to the Ic temperature of 255U a compression is 1y.
Thermal diffusion method using SF or difference in mass? In the case of T3, a cryogenic separation method is used depending on the difference in Fi vapor pressure.

The plasma separation method is also known as an isotope separation method, and the plasma separation method uses ion cyclotron resonance, which utilizes all the principles of an ion cyclotron resonance analyzer, and a rotating plasma with a high rotation speed. There is plasma rotation or plasma centrifugation.

In isotope separation by ion cyclotron resonance, ions placed in a magnetic field with uniform magnetic flux density move circularly at an angular frequency in a plane perpendicular to the magnetic field, and move in a cyclotron box in a direction perpendicular to the ffl field. When an alternating current electric field with a nine-frequency wave matching the wave number is applied, the ions are accelerated by the alternating electric field and their radius of rotation becomes narrower. So, for example, AC 1 where only 265U+ resonates! If you apply the field, 255U+ becomes 258
Can be separated from U+.

[Problems that the invention attempts to solve]

By the way, the separation method that makes full use of the focusing ability of the quadrupole lens VCX, which uses ionization and deflection of the magnetic field, cannot be processed with large currents, and the thermal diffusion method, centrifugation method, or cryogenic separation method cannot be used in minutes.
The performance is small, and the same process has to be repeated many times, which is very costly and time consuming.

In the ion cyclotron resonance method, in order to completely separate each body, a very uniform and large magnetic field with a maximum resonance radius is required. A low-density plasma is required because collisions with other non-resonant ions must be avoided.Thus, the process is of poor quality, despite the requirement of high energizing power.

Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional isotope separation method by fully utilizing sheet-like plasma to perform isotope separation of gases using both ion and cyclotron vibrations. An object of the present invention is to provide a method for isotope separation of gases using sheet plasma.

[Elaborate means to solve all problems] In order to achieve all of the above objectives, the gas isotope separation method according to the present invention applies direct wave sound equal to the cyclotron frequency of the ions to be separated to the sheet plasma, and The isotope, which has a large cyclotron radius due to mechanical resonance, collides with a separation device to remove the electric charge, and then the isotope is separated by suction as neutral particles.

[For production]

In the gas isotope separation method according to the present invention, a sheet plasma containing the isotopes to be separated is collected by a plasma source and guided into a uniform parallel magnetic field. A high frequency equal to the cyclotron frequency of the ions desired to be separated from the sheet plasma is applied to the parallel poles of the sheet plasma. Only the ions to be separated resonate with the cyclotron frequency and increase the orbital radius of circular motion, leaving the boundary of the plasma region of the sheet plasma, and then moving outside the boundary of the plasma region of the sheet plasma. It is neutralized by being sent to a separate separation device. These isotope particles are sucked out by a pump. In this case, since the sheet plasma has a sharp boundary between the plasma regions, it can be easily separated with high resolution.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
I will clarify.

FIG. 1 schematically shows an embodiment of the present invention 7, l is an improved plasma source of the TPD type, for example, and generates a sheet plasma 2 containing isotopes to be separated; 53 is a plasma source l; The sheet plasma generated from the sheet plasma 2 is placed across the entire plate and connected to a high frequency power source using parallel plate electrodes, and a high frequency V equal to the cyclotron frequency of the isotope to be separated contained in the sheet plasma 2 is applied. has been done. A limiter j, which serves as a separation device for selecting isotopes to be separated, is placed behind the parallel plate crown t3. It acts to remove. Also, the limitator is a pump (
The limiter! The isotope particles that have become neutral are sucked out by the pump. Further, a uniform parallel magnetic field is applied to the whole along the direction of the sheet plasma by a magnetic field generator (not shown).

Now, when a high frequency wave equal to the cyclotron frequency of the isotope to be separated is applied to the parallel plate electrode 3 using a high frequency power source, the ions of the isotope to be separated in the sheet plasma λ resonate with the applied high frequency f′. As shown by reference numeral 7, the total radius of the orbit of the circular motion increases, and it exits from the boundary of the plasma region of the Zied Platsma λ, collides with the IJ Mitata located at a distance outside of it, and is neutralized. Ru. The remaining ions exit while moving circularly within the plasma region of the sheet plasma λ. In this way, only isotope ions that resonate with the applied high frequency collide with the limiter 5, are sucked in by the pump, and are efficiently separated with high resolution.

FIG. 2 shows a variant embodiment implementing the method of the invention, in which a cryo-nozzle is used as the separation means. This cry first panel ♂ is placed outside the boundary of the plasma region of the sheet plasma λ, and is connected to the ground potential in the same way as the limiter j in FIG.

Naturally, the apparatuses shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are placed in a vacuum atmosphere, and the limiter shown in FIG. 7 is used as a means for separation.
Alternatively, an adsorbent such as Molecular Zorbs can be used in the cryo-nominel fl shown in FIG. It should be noted that the configurations shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are simply the basic configurations for carrying out the entire method of the present invention. This is merely an illustration, and the specific configuration of each part can be designed in many ways.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, if the present invention is applied, sheet plasma with clear plasma region boundaries can be obtained. use,
A high frequency equal to the cyclotron frequency of the friendly ions to be separated is applied to the sheet plasma generated by the plasma source and containing the isotopes to be separated, and this is modified so that only the ions to be separated resonate with the cyclotron frequency. The orbital radius of the circular motion is increased completely, and the sheet plasma is ejected from the boundary of the plasma region.
Since the isotope particles are collided with a miter and converted into neutral particles, which are sucked up by the pump, gaseous isotopes can be easily separated with high separation efficiency.

As a result, by applying the method of the present invention, it becomes possible to separate a large amount of gaseous isotopes in a short period of time and at low cost.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the basic configuration of an apparatus for carrying out the gas isotope separation method of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a modification of the apparatus. In the figure, l: ion source, λ: zotoplasma, 3: parallel plate electrode, Hiroshi: high frequency power source %j: Bunga divider device: vacuum vessel, 7: ion orbit, g: cryo-nominel.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A high frequency equal to the cyclotron frequency of the ion to be separated is applied to the sheet plasma, and the isotope, which resonates and has a large cyclotron radius, collides with a separation device to remove the charge, and then the isotope is sucked and separated as neutral particles. A gas isotope separation method using sheet plasma.