Isotopologue or isotope enrichment via preferential condensation of isotopologues or isotopes under non-equilibrium gas-surface collision conditions
AssigneeThe University of Chicago
InventorsSteven J. Sibener, Michelle R. Brann, Stephen P. Hansknecht
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Abstract
Provided are apparatus and methods for enriching and separating isotopologues or isotopes. The apparatus and methods enrich and/or separate isotopes or isotopologues present in a substantially monovelocity supersonic beam incident upon a solid surface comprising condensed forms of the isotopologues or the isotopes via the differential condensation of the different isotopologues or isotopes on the surface or the differential reflection of the different isotopologues or isotopes from the surface.
Claims11
A method for enriching isotopologues or isotopes or for separating isotopologues or isotopes, the method comprising:
- forming a supersonic beam comprising:
- a mixture of a first isotopologue of a first molecule and a second, heavier isotopologue of the first molecule;
- or a first isotope of a first element and a second, heavier isotope of the first element;
- directing the supersonic beam onto the surface of a substrate to form a multilayered condensed film having a steady-state composition of the first and second isotopologues or the first and second isotopes, wherein the incident velocity of the supersonic beam and the ratio of the first and second isotopologues, or the ratio of the first and second isotopes, in the supersonic beam are selected such that the condensed film has a phonon density of states that results in preferential condensation of the second isotopologue or the second isotope, relative to the first isotopologue or the first isotope;
- and
- collecting the condensed isotopologues or the condensed isotopes from the condensed film.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.