Development of a new 48Ca enrichment method and the CANDLES experiment
Abstract
CANDLES is a project to study double beta decay of 48Ca. CANDLES could become the most competitive experiment if we could have an efficient method to enrich 48Ca. We developed a new method for enrichment of large amount of calcium isotopes. The method is called Multi-Channel Counter-Current Electrophoresis (MCCCE) which can be found elsewhre. Essential point is the increase of the power density in the migration path. In MCCCE, ions migrate in multi-channels on a boron nitride (BN) plate by which substantial increase of the power density was achieved. We made a tiny prototype instrument with a 10 mm thick BN plate and obtained 3 for an enrichment factor for the ratio of abundance of 48Ca to 43Ca over that of natural abundance. It corresponds to 6 for the enrichment factor of 48Ca to 40Ca. Recently we obtained 10 for the enrichment factor by using 20 mm BN plate. This remarkably large enrichment factor demonstrates that the MCCCE is a realistic and promising method for the enrichment of large amount of ions. This method can be applied to many other elements and compounds. I will describe MCCCE and its effect on the study of double beta decay and other fields.
- Publication:
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APS Division of Nuclear Physics Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- October 2015
- Bibcode:
- 2015APS..DNP.JD001K