Laser isotope separation by combining isotopically selective condensation with infrared vibrational predissociation

The feasibility of a new, 2-laser, isotope sepn. scheme was tested. The 1st laser induces isotopically selective condensation in the collisional region of a free jet of SF6 dild. in Ar. Thus, a mol. beam contg. non-clustered 32SF6 and clustered 34SF6{m}Ar{n} is produced. The 2nd laser, which acts in a 2nd chamber in the collision-free part of the mol. beam, then seps. the SF6 isotopomers in space by IR vibrational predissocn. of the clusters, which is followed by the recoil of the fragments contg. 34SF6 away from the beam centroid. The magnitude of the fragment recoil is measured, as well as the effect of SF6 diln. on the vibrational predissocn. spectrum in the 9-11 mm region.