more efficiency. This engine uses lithium, the third lightest atom known, so the operating principles must benefit from light atoms in this technology. Smaller atoms are faster-moving at the same temperature compared to heavier atoms, and faster-moving ions would create larger currents and larger magnetic fields. Would be nice to see the math breakdown on this.
If that's correct, use of Li-6 enriched fuel could give a significant performance boost over natural isotopic abundance lithium. DOE currently separates lithium isotopes on a huge scale to use Li-6 in hydrogen bombs. Surely we could spare some that to power a space probe, thereby increasing its acceleration and chances of mission success.
(The IUPAC reports the gradual slow increase in the atomic weight of commercial lithium as the lighter isotope, Li-6, is withdrawn from circulation.)
Nuclear weapons manufacture and other nuclear physics applications are a major source of artificial lithium fractionation, with the light isotope 6Li being retained by industry and military stockpiles to such an extent that it has caused slight but measurable change in the 6Li to 7Li ratios in natural sources, such as rivers. This has led to unusual uncertainty in the standardized atomic weight of lithium, since this quantity depends on the natural abundance ratios of these naturally occurring stable lithium isotopes, as they are available in commercial lithium mineral sources.[29]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium
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