chanelink logo
CHANELINK
English

Accurate measurement of neptunium ionization potential using new laser technology

1122
2024-05-11 16:42:14
See translation

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

Related Recommendations

  • The output power of high power femtosecond laser breaking through the key bottleneck of average power can reach the order of 100 watts

    High energy, high average power femtosecond laser due to the attosecond high order harmonic generation, precision processing and manufacturing, biomedical and national defense and other fields of extensive application needs, is the forefront of ultrafast super laser technology research in the past decade.Especially fiber laser due to stable and reliable operation characteristics, compact structure...

    2023-09-04
    See translation

  • The Innovation Road of Laser Welding Automation Production Line for New Energy Vehicle Motor stators

    With the increasing global attention to environmental protection and sustainability, new energy vehicles have become an important trend in the automotive industry. In this context, the production method of the core component of new energy vehicles - the motor stator - has also undergone profound changes. Welding, as a key manufacturing process, has brought disruptive innovation to the manufacturin...

    2024-02-28
    See translation

  • Innovating Photonics: Lithium Tantalate Provides Power for the Next Generation of Optoelectronic Circuits

    The new photonic integrated circuit technology based on lithium tantalate has improved cost efficiency and scalability, making significant progress in the fields of optical communication and computing.The rapid development of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) has revolutionized optical communication and computing systems, combining multiple optical devices and functions on a single chip.For deca...

    2024-05-14
    See translation

  • Photovoltaic converters for power transmission systems

    Scientists from the University of Hahn in Spain and the University of Santiago de Compostela conducted research to determine the most suitable semiconductor materials for high-power light transmission in terrestrial and underwater environments.HPOT, also known as laser power transfer, is a method of transmitting continuous power to a remote system using a monochromatic light source through an opti...

    2023-12-29
    See translation

  • 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
    See translation