Present and Prospective Situation in Laser Isotope Separation: Will the Free Electron Laser Be Needed

摘要

The need for enriched isotopes, as it appears to day will be recalled for the foreseeable future, this need, in quantitative terms, will be confined to isotopes for nuclear energy. The interest of laser isotope separation will finally depend on our ability to fulfil a number of requirements as to the laser output light characteristics. These will be recalled for the most common laser processes (molecular photodissociation and atomic photoionisation). At this point a comparison with expectations from the FEL can already be attempted. Less common laser isotope separation schemes can gain interest from the possibilities opened by the FEL, especially by access to new wavelengths ranges. Some schemes implying UV or VUV photons will be discussed, as well as some possibilities involving IR photons. Attention will be paid to the problems that arise when considering scaled-up isotope separation installations. A large scale process results in more constraints on the laser parameters. Estimation of FEL capacity in this respect will be attempted. (ERA citation 10:046159)