SELECTIVE ENRICHMENT OF CALCIUM STABLE ISOTOPES USING LASER TECHNIQUES

LOSS OF CALCIUM BONE MASS IN HUMANS DURING MICROGRAVITY EXPOSURE IS A SERIOUS CONCERN FOR NASA AND THE ASTRONAUT PROGRAM. PROLONGED EXPOSURES IN THE IMPENDING SPACE STATIONACCENTUATE THIS CONCERN. SCIENTIFIC EFFICACY AND LACK OF RADIATION EXPOSURE PREFERENTIALLY COMMEND STABLE CALCIUM ISOTOPES TO STUDY CALCIUM METABOLISM. HOWEVER, THEIR COST AND AVAILABILITY ARE A SIGNIFICANT BARRIER TO WIDESPREAD APPLICABILITY. SELECTIVE ENRICHMENT OF CALCIUM ISOTOPES USING LASER TECHNIQUES OFFERS THE POTENTIAL TO ELIMINATE THE COST/AVAILABILITY BARRIER. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE APPLICATION OF LASERS TO ATOMIC PHYSICS PROBLEMS INDICATE THAT MODERN LASER TECHNOLOGY MAY BE USED TO SELECTIVELY ENRICH CALCIUM ISOTOPES THROUGH ONE OR ALL OF SEVERAL MECHANISMS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO USE SELECTIVE LASER RESONANCE IONIZATION MASS SPECTROMETRY TO DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY AND EVALUATE THE POTENTIAL FOR THE LASER ENRICHMENT OF STABLE CALCIUM ISOTOPES. TECHNICAL OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT INCLUDE: 1) DETERMINE EFFICIENCIES OF TWO-PHOTON RESONANCE IONIZATION PROCESSES; 2) EVALUATE IONIZATION SELECTIVITIES AND OVERALL ENRICHMENT SYSTEM THROUGHPUT; 3) THEORETICALLY AND EXPERIMENTALLY EVALUATE HIGHLY SELECTIVE ISOTOPIC IONIZATION.