Jersey Nuclear-avco Isotopes, Inc.

Other

Richard H Levy

George Sargent Janes

Charles T Pike

Harold K Forsen

Lawrence A Levin

Paul M Mockett

A plurality of detectors (12) are disposed within a bore hole (14) for ascertaining the frequency and trajectory of high energy muons which penetrate through the earth. This information is converted by data processor (42) into an integrated density value of the earth for incremental angular lines of sight extending through spaced apart elevations along the detectors (12). The data processor (42) uses a tomographic analysis process to combine together all of these integrated density values for all of the elevations of interest to calculate the densities of discrete spatial volumes composing the underground region being investigated. Detectors (12) produce electrical signals indicative of the trajectory of the passing muon. The signals are recorded by time-to-digital convertor ('TDC') units (30). If the signals appear to have possibly originated from a high energy muon, a microprocessor (38) retrieves the information collected by TDC units (30) and transmits it to a data logger (40) located at the earth's surface. The data processor (42) then utilizes tomographic analysis to make the localized density determinations discussed above.

Method and apparatus for determining the density characteristics of

Method and apparatus for isotope separation by selective ionization of a desired isotope in an environment of plural isotopes without corresponding ionization of the other isotopes in the environment. The selective ionization is achieved through a three step excitation of atoms of the desired isotope in response to laser radiations applied to the environment. The transition for each step is selected to be less than one half the ionization potential for the isotopes to avoid two step nonselective ionization.

Isotope separation with improved selective ionization

Method and apparatus for impact ionization of particles excited with isotopic selectivity, particularly for use in a system of uranium isotope separation and enrichment. Efficient impact ionization is achieved by first selectively exciting vaporized particles of the desired isotope in a beam of finely tuned laser radiant energy. The energies of the interacting photons are selected to produce a total energy shift during excitation which is slightly less than the ionization energy for the selected isotope. The excited isotope will thus be raised to an excitation level only slightly below the ionization level. This level is selected to permit efficient ionization, particle collisional ionization, between energetic particles in the uranium vapor environment and the highly excited particles of the desired isotope type.

Multiple particle type interaction isotopically selective ionization

In a technique for isotope enrichment a system for selectively exciting increased amounts of one isotope type in an environment of plural isotope types by the application of excitation energy at a plurality of frequencies which selectively excite the one isotope from its ground energy level and one or more typically low-lying excited levels.

Isotopically selective excitation from plural excited states

Frequency selective means, particularly for use in uranium enrichment by laser induced isotopically selective ionization to suppress unwanted lasing of the excited uranium medium. The frequency selective means, such as filters, are placed at intervals in a column of laser illuminated uranium vapor and are transmissive to the illuminating laser frequencies but nontransmissive to frequencies at which population inversions exist in the excited uranium. The filters limit the path length and correspondingly the gain in the excited uranium to prevent high intensity lasing by the uranium itself.

Suppression of unwanted lasing in laser isotope separation

A laser amplifier system having plural parallel paths for amplification of laser radiation from a single, stable laser oscillator. The plural paths of laser amplification are excited to produce sequential pulses of amplified output radiation that are interleaved by an optical combining system to produce a single path of amplified, pulsed radiation of increased repetition rate.

Laser amplifier system

In a system for isotope enrichment, method and apparatus for separating particles of one isotope type from an environment containing particles of plural isotope types by ionizing the particles of said one isotope type and imparting to the electrons released from the ionized particles an energy substantially in excess of the thermal or background energy of the environment whereby these super energetic electrons expand away from the environment in the company of the corresponding ionized particles or trajectories substantially different from those of the remaining particles in the environment to permit separate collection of the particles of the one isotope type.

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Boston, MA, United States of America

Richard H Levy