ENRICHED URANIUM PRODUCED AT LLNL PLANT WAS COLLECTED AS NUGGETS THE SIZE AND THICKNESS OF SEVERAL QUARTERS.

A DESIRED ISOTOPE OF A CHEMICAL ELEMENT MUST BE SEPARATED FROM THE REMAINING ISOTOPES, FOR USES RANGING FROM MEDICINE TO ENERGY TO WEAPONS APPLICATIONS. LLNL DEVELOPED AN EFFICIENT TECHNIQUE CALLED ATOMIC VAPOR LASER ISOTOPE SEPARATION (AVLIS), BASED ON THE FACT THAT DIFFERENT ISOTOPES OF THE SAME ELEMENT, WHILE ELECTRONICALLY IDENTICAL, HAVE DIFFERENT ELECTRONIC ENERGIES AND THEREFORE ABSORB DIFFERENT COLORS OF LASER LIGHT.