How did Jesse W. Beams use a gas centrifuge to separate chlorine isotopes in 1936?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

tubular centrifuge — centrifuge Figure 1: Tubular centrifuge

In 1936, American physicist Jesse W. Beams successfully demonstrated the use of a gas centrifuge to separate chlorine isotopes for the first time.1

The process relies on the principles of gas centrifugation: when a mixture of gaseous molecules is spun at high speeds within a specialized, closed container, the heavier isotopes concentrate near the outer walls of the vessel, while the lighter isotopes collect near the central axis. By utilizing this centrifugal force, Beams was able to achieve the separation of the different isotopic species. This foundational work paved the way for later applications, most notably the enrichment of uranium isotopes, where the method offers significant energy efficiency compared to other separation techniques.1