Innovative lasers for uranium isotope separation. [Progress report]
Copper vapor lasers have important applications to uranium atomic vapor laser isotope separation (AVLIS). The authors have spent the first two years of their project investigating two innovative methods of exciting/pumping copper vapor lasers which have the potential to improve the efficiency and scaling of large laser systems used in uranium isotope separation. Experimental research has focused on the laser discharge kinetics of (1) microwave, and (2) electron beam excitation/pumping of large-volume copper vapor lasers. During the first year, the experiments have been designed and constructed and initial data has been taken. During the second year these experiments have been diagnosed. Highlights of some of the second year results as well as plans for the future include the following: Microwave resonant cavity produced copper vapor plasmas at 2.45 GHz, have been investigated. A CW (0--500 W) signal heats and vaporizes the copper chloride to provide the atomic copper vapor. A pulsed (5 kW, 0.5--5kHz) signal is added to the incoming CW signal via a hybrid mixer to excite the copper states to the laser levels. An enhancement of the visible radiation has been observed during the pulsed pardon of the signal. Electrical probe measurements have been implemented on the system to verify the results of the electromagnetic model formulated last year. Laser gain measurements have been initiated with the use of a commercial copper vapor laser. Measurements of the spatial profile of the emission are also currently being made. The authors plan to increase the amount of pulsed microwave power to the system by implementing a high power magnetron. A laser cavity will be designed and added to this system.
- Research Organization:
- Michigan Univ., Ann Arbor, MI (United States). Dept. of Nuclear Engineering
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG02-89ER12891
- OSTI ID:
- 10112136
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ER/12891-2; ON: DE94004843; TRN: 94:002096
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Jun 1991
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Innovative lasers for uranium isotope separation. Final report, September 1, 1989--April 1, 1993
A combined continuous-wave and pulsed microwave copper chloride discharge