URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE IS THE WORKING FLUID IN THE GAS CENTRIFUGE.

URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE IS THE WORKING FLUID IN THE GAS CENTRIFUGE. A NEED EXISTS FOR UF6 ASSAY DETERMINATION IN A FULLY AUTOMATED SYSTEM IN REAL-TIME. THIS PROJECT ADDRESSES THE CONCEPTUAL DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW ION TRAP TIME-OF-FLIGHT METHOD FOR MONITORING THE RELATIVE PROPORTIONS OF CLOSELY SPACED ION MASSES. IT IS DIRECTLY APPLICABLE TO THE ASSAY OF U235/U238 RATIOS IN THE UF6 GAS STREAM IN REAL-TIME. THE PROJECT SEEKS TO ESTABLISH THE FEASIBILITY OF THE ION TRAP TIME-OF-FLIGHT METHOD BY MEANS OF COMPUTER CALCULATIONS OF ION PATHS AND TIME-OF-FLIGHT DISTRIBUTIONS FOR A VARIETY OF INJECTION, ORBITING AND EXTRACTION PARAMETERS. IF LONG-TERM ORBIT STABILITY OF SEVERAL HUNDRED ORBITS CAN BE ESTABLISHED, THE METHOD MAY ALSO PERMIT THE SEPARATION OF ORGANIC ISOMERIC COMPOUNDS.