LBNL Image Library -- Collection BERKELEY-LAB/ACCELERATORS/CALUTRONS

Schematic of uranium isotope separation

Image File

pg36_diagram

Title

Schematic of uranium isotope separation

Description

Schematic diagram of uranium isotope separation in the calutron. The world did not lack methods for separating when it discovered the possible utility of a kilogram of uranium-235 (U-235). Known techniques, pursued simultaneously in Germany and the United States, included ultra-centrifugation, diffusion across thermal or osmotic pressure barriers, and deflection in electric and magnetic fields. The last method appealed to Lawrence, who had made his reputation on the precise control of beams of charged particles. In principle the technique is simple. When passing between the poles of a magnet, a monoenergetic beam of ions of naturally occurring uranium splits into several streams according to their momentum, one per isotope, each characterized by a particular radius of curvature. Collecting cups at the ends of the semicircular trajectories catch the homogenous streams. (The preceding information was excerpted from the text of the Fall 1981 issue of LBL Newsmagazine.)

Citation Caption

LBL News, Vol.6, No.3, Fall 1981 | Schematic diagram of uranium isotope separation in the calutron.

Date

Spring 1981