Method and apparatus for isotope-selective photoionization of mercury

摘要

Described is a four-step isotope-selective photoionization process for selectively ionizing isotope 196 of mercury. Mercury is brought into atomic vapor form, and irradiated with photons whose wavelength is set such that the isotope reaches from the ground state, in succession a first excitation level 5d<10> 6s6p <3>P1 (A), a second excitation level 5d<10> 6s7s <3>S1 (B), a third excitation level 5d<9> 6s<2>6p <3>P2 (C1) or 5d<10> 6s7p <3>P2 (C2), and finally an autoionization level 5d<9)<<2>D5/2) 6s<2>nl (D). <IMAGE>