A linear mass spectrometer by induced Hall potential for electromagnetic isotopic separation working at high pressures

Highlights: •A mass spectrometer calutron-like working at higher pressure. •Higher throughput with small size. •Method for hug purity isotopic septation and relevant quantities. -- Abstract: In this paper a novel alternative for bulk electromagnetic separation working at high pressures is proposed. It is shown that if a self-induced Hall potential is stimulated in the boundaries, the system will be able to take advantage of the collisions process, boosting the isotopic separation and resulting in a linear-spectrometer with a higher spatial separation per unit length than a traditional calutron. Although originally the concept was devised for the production of medical isotopes where the minority isotope to be separated is produced by neutron capture and is the heavier isotope, if the Hall potential is replaced by an external electrical field, the concept is equally applicable for situations where the minority isotope is the lighter one, as for example in the enrichment of uranium. Additional R&D is required to explore further the possibilities of this concept and to identify optimal values for several of the system design variables.