[math-fun] Isotope separation via bosons/fermions
I just listened to a lecture regarding supercold (micro/nano Kelvin) atoms. I hadn't realized it before, but two different isotopes of the same element can have vastly different properties at extremely low temperatures if one is a boson and the other is a fermion. Apparently, someone showed this happening with two different isotopes of lithium. Can these properties be utilized to _separate_/_sort_ isotopes into the part containing the bosonic isotopes and the part containing the fermionic isotopes?
For the same reason, superfluid helium-3 is not miscible with superfluid helium-4. Liquids of the same element but don't mix, amazing? Warut On Thu, Feb 7, 2013 at 7:25 AM, Henry Baker <hbaker1@pipeline.com> wrote:
I just listened to a lecture regarding supercold (micro/nano Kelvin) atoms.
I hadn't realized it before, but two different isotopes of the same element can have vastly different properties at extremely low temperatures if one is a boson and the other is a fermion.
Apparently, someone showed this happening with two different isotopes of lithium.
Can these properties be utilized to _separate_/_sort_ isotopes into the part containing the bosonic isotopes and the part containing the fermionic isotopes?
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On Feb 6, 2013, at 8:21 PM, Warut Roonguthai <warut822@gmail.com> wrote:
For the same reason, superfluid helium-3 is not miscible with superfluid helium-4. Liquids of the same element but don't mix, amazing?
Warut
Yes, it is amazing. However, the isotope separation is not perfect, even in the limit of zero temperature. While the He3-rich phase is pure in that limit, about 7% He3 is dissolved in the He4-rich phase. Now you know the origin of the phrase "7-percent solution". -Veit
participants (4)
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Dan Asimov -
Henry Baker -
Veit Elser -
Warut Roonguthai