Gaseous uranium hexafluride isotope measurement by diode laser spectroscopy

摘要

A device and method for measuring the relative amounts of ²³⁵U and ²³⁸U in the gaseous phase of UF₆ using tunable diode laser spectroscopy (TDLS). The invention is a faster, more accurate method for making such measurement. The improved method involves using methane (CH₄) or acetylene (C₂H₂) as a calibration gas, and using a Fabry-Perot interferometer to calibrate the laser frequency, to determine the relative amounts of ²³⁵U and ²³⁸U in UF₆ gas within ±0.27% accuracy, for example 7.00%±0.27%. The sample time required for such measurement is about one second.