Researchers Find A Quicker, Cheaper Way To Sort Isotopes
Sunday, July 12, 2009 - 23:14
in Physics & Chemistry
Chemists have taken a novel approach to building a new device to determine the isotope ratios within a certain substance. It's a new twist on a old procedure used to solve crimes, identify chemicals and date ancient artifacts (think carbon-14 dating). In a newly developed device, magnets are replaced with mirrors, and a laser is pointed into the gas produced by burning a sample of the substance.