Vacuum-arc plasma centrifuge applied to stable isotope separation

This work describes the results of a vacuum-arc plasma centrifuge experiment. A plasma centrifuge is an apparatus where a plasma column is produced due to the interaction of an electric current with an externally applied magnetic field, sup(→)J x sup(→)B. Among the applications of a rotating plasma, this work deals particularly with its utilization in an isotope enrichment device. The main characteristics of the plasma produced in this experiment are presented, with special attention to the plasma column rotation and the isotope enrichment. The analysis of the results is performed using a fluid model for a completely ionized rigid body rotating plasma column in steady state equilibrium. The main results are: a) rotation frequency of the plasma column in the range 2 x 10 sup(4) to 3 x 10 sup(5) rad/s; b) enrichment of 10 to 30% for the magnesium isotopes, and of 290 to 490% for the carbon 13 isotope; c) rigid body rotation of the plasma column only for radii smaller than the characteristic radius of the plasma column. re; d) linear dependence of the rotation frequency upon the magnetic field strength only for r < re; e) existence of an optimum value of the magnetic field for maximum enrichment; and f) dependence of the rotation frequency upon the inverse of the atomic mass. (author)