Innovative lasers for uranium isotope separation

Copper vapor lasers have important applications to uranium atomic vapor laser isotope separation (AVLIS). The authors have spent the first year of the 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. Highlights of some of the first year results as well as plans for the future include the following: Microwave resonant cavity produced copper vapor plasmas at 2.45 GHz, both pulsed (5 kW, 5kHz) and CW (0--500 Watts) have been investigated using heated copper chloride as the copper source. The visible emitted light has been observed and intense lines at 510.6 nm and 578.2 nm have been observed. Initial measurements of the electric field strengths have been taken with probes, the plasma volume has been measured with optical techniques, and the power has been measured with power meters. A self-consistent electromagnetic model of the cavity/plasma system which uses the above data as input shows that the copper plasma has skin depths around 100 cm, densities around 1012 number-sign/cc, collisional frequencies around 1011/sec., conductivities around 0.15 (Ohm-meter)-1. A simple model of the heat transfer predicts temperatures of ∼900 K. All of these parameters indicate that microwave discharges may be well suited as a pump source for copper lasers. These preliminary studies will be continued during the second year with additional diagnostics added to the system to verify the model results. Chemical kinetics of the system will also be added to the model