| 摘要 |
A method for separating charged particles according to their mass requires providing a multi-species plasma in a chamber. The plasma includes both relatively low-mass charged particles (M1) and relatively high-mass charged particles (M2) which are influenced by crossed electric and magnetic fields (E x B) in the chamber. Specifically, the crossed fields (E x B) rota te the particles M1 and M2 in respective orbits that are characteristic of the mass of the particular particle. Inside the chamber, each charged particle has a respective cyclotron frequency (.OMEGA.), and the plasma is maintained with a density wherein the collisional frequency (v) of particles in the chamber relates to the cyclotron frequency such that their ratio is greater than approximately one .OMEGA./v ~ 1). Additionally, a collector is positioned to intercept the particles (M2) in their orbits and to thereby separate the particles (M2 ) from the particles (M1). |
