Isotope separation in a sheet plasma using ion cyclotron resonance heating.

Abstract

Separationof ionic or isotopic species in a magnetized sheet plasma has been studied by using the ion cyclotron resonance heating. The sheet plasma was used instead of a cylindrical plasma in which many unfavorable collisions take place.The rf electric field is applied to the plasma through two parallel electrodes. The resonance spectra of H+, D+, H2+, and He+ are clearly observed for the Ar or He plasma in which hydrogen or deuterium gas fed. It is found that the resonance peak shifts to the higher frequency than the calculated cyclotron frequency due to the plasma space potential of sheet plasma.