METHOD OF OBTAINING YTTERBIUM ISOTOPES AND APPARATUS FOR REALISING SAID METHOD Russian patent published in 2012 - IPC B01D59/34 

FIELD: physics.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to laser isotope separation and can be used in industrial production of ytterbium isotopes, as well as in radiation medicine. The method of obtaining ytterbium isotopes involves heating ytterbium metal to evaporation temperature thereof, ionising the obtained atomic vapour, off-axis input of a composite laser beam at three wavelengths into the zone of the beam of atomic vapour, separation of ytterbium isotopes and extraction of the desired isotopes from plasma, where the photoionisation zone is exposed to laser radiation multiple times. The apparatus for obtaining ytterbium isotopes has a laser system and a separation chamber optically connected to said laser system, where the separation chamber houses two modules, each having a ytterbium atomic vapour beam former in form of an evaporator with a collimator, an electrostatic extractor and a multi-passage optical system in form of a two-mirror resonator. The electrostatic extractor is in form of a housing with an inlet slit which accommodates a cathode and a removable collector of ions of the desired isotope, where the housing is an anode.

EFFECT: invention increases efficiency of accumulation of ions of the desired isotope and selectivity of isotope separation, as well as efficiency of the apparatus and service life of the apparatus.

7 cl, 7 dwg