chanelink logo
CHANELINK
Nederlands

Accurate measurement of neptunium ionization potential using new laser technology

163
2024-05-11 16:42:14
Bekijk vertaling

Neptunium is the main radioactive component of nuclear waste, with a complex atomic structure that can be explored through mass spectrometry. This analysis is crucial for understanding its inherent characteristics and determining the isotopic composition of neptunium waste. Magdalena Kaja and her team from Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany have developed a novel laser spectroscopy technique that can more accurately measure the ionization potential of neptunium compared to previous methods.

Neptunium is an actinide metal in the periodic table adjacent to uranium, with an atomic number of 93. The inspiration for its name comes from Neptune, located outside of Uranus in the solar system, which is a recognition of its position. Among the 25 known isotopes, most have extremely short lifetimes. However, the most stable isotope, neptunium 237 (237 Np), has a half-life of over 2 million years, making it a particularly dangerous nuclear pollutant.

The neptunium isotope samples available for this type of analysis are very small: they typically only contain a few atoms of the isotope.


Magdalena Kaja and her colleagues utilized a cutting-edge device that includes solid-state titanium: sapphire laser systems, enhanced laser ion sources, and high transmittance mass separators. This advanced equipment has played an important role in their research on neptunium.

The research team used this technique to measure the first ionization energy of neptunium, which is the energy required to remove the first electron from the outermost electron shell to form a positive ion. They accurately determined the value to be 6.265608 (19) eV. This measurement is not only consistent with the values previously reported in scientific literature, but also achieves an accuracy level more than ten times higher than any previous measurement.

This method can also be applied to the analysis and detection of trace amounts of neptunium in radioactive waste.

Source: Laser Net

Gerelateerde aanbevelingen

  • ABB will add optical sensors to four greenhouse gas monitoring satellites

    ABB has signed a third contract with the global leader in high-resolution space greenhouse gas monitoring, GHGSat, to manufacture optical sensors for its C12, C13, C14, and C15 satellites. It is reported that C12, C13, C14, and C15 satellites are scheduled to be launched into orbit in 2024.These new satellites will join GHGSat's expanding constellation for detecting and quantifying industrial gas ...

    2023-12-06
    Bekijk vertaling

  • Progress in Research on Intervalley Scattering and Rabi Oscillation Driven by Coherent Phonons

    Two dimensional transition metal chalcogenides have multi valley structures in their energy bands, giving them electron valley degrees of freedom, making them an ideal platform for studying multi body interactions. As the main mechanism of valley depolarization, the valley scattering process of free electrons or bound excitons is crucial for exploring excited state electron phonon interactions and...

    2023-10-10
    Bekijk vertaling

  • Lameditech of South Korea was listed on the KOSDAQ exchange on the 17th

    On June 11, 2024, Korean laser medical equipment manufacturer Lameditech successfully completed its initial public offering and was listed on the KOSDAQ exchange on the 17th.Last month, its public offering price was fixed at 16000 Korean won. In this public offering, Lameditech issued a total of 1298000 shares, raising approximately 20.8 billion Korean won. Since Lameditech's debut on KOSDAQ, as o...

    2024-06-26
    Bekijk vertaling

  • Artificial intelligence accelerates the process design of 3D printing of metal alloys

    In order to successfully 3D print metal parts to meet the strict specifications required by many industries, it is necessary to optimize process parameters, including printing speed, laser power, and layer thickness of deposited materials.However, in order to develop additive manufacturing process diagrams that ensure these optimal results, researchers have to rely on traditional methods, such as ...

    2024-02-27
    Bekijk vertaling

  • Shanghai Optical Machinery Institute has made progress in high-efficiency optical parametric amplification technology

    Recently, a joint research team composed of Sun Meizhi, associate researcher of the High Power Laser Physics Joint Laboratory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics, and Tu Xiaoniu, associate researcher of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai Institute of Silicate, proposed a new configuration of cross Fabry Perot intracavity optical parametric ...

    2024-07-11
    Bekijk vertaling