[extropy-chat] Hazard a guess?

[Hara Ra]

Years ago worked as lab tech on free electron laser at Stanford, intent 
U235 isotope separation. Main problem is most laseers have very low 
efficiency. The FEL got around that by using the superconducting linear 
accelerator. If you forgot the refrigeration costs, 75% Pg&E to E beam 
power. Not exactly tabletop device.

Now, here's a nano fantasy:

Make oscillating arm with hole that attracts uranium. Put forest of arms on 
a rotating wheel. Note osc frequency. As wheel turns, change hole to repel 
Uranium, or hit with a few properly tuned photons. Voila, tabletop 
efficient device for separation.

Maybe use ionized UFl6...

 > Example: There are new ways to create lasers that are tuned to extremely
> > precise
> > frequencies (google femtosecond comb) and ways to amplify such lasers to
> > moderate
> > power (google EDFA.) A sufficiently precise laser will ionize one
> > isotope preferentially,
> > and ionized molecules are trivially easy to separate from un-ionized
> > molecules. None of this
> > has the "big industrial footprint" of centrifuges or a diffusion plant.
> >
>
>The laser stuff is interesting, and I agree that it underscores the point
>that we cannot be confident that we can monitor (emerging) technologies by
>the size of their industrial footprint.

==================================
=   Hara Ra (aka Gregory Yob)    =
=     harara at sbcglobal.net       =
=   Alcor North Cryomanagement   =
=   Alcor Advisor to Board       =
=       831 429 8637             =
==================================