Isotope R&D Facility

A proposed addition to the HRIBF driver upgrade

Mike Saltmarsh

HRIBF Users’ Meeting

Nov 13th 2009

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Proposed Isotope Production R&D FacilityNational Context

• There is a national need for a reinvigorated DOE isotope program – selected recommendations from NSAC report

– “Support a sustained research program…. In the production and supply of isotopes….”

– “Investment in new production capabilities”

– “Investment in workforce development”

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Shared use of the C70 is unusually attractive

• A substantial allocation of beam time to the isotope program would be available ( ~ 4500h/yr)

• Little or no impact on the HRIBF mission or flexibility would be incurred

• Concurrent construction of the isotope facility would not significantly impact the C70 upgrade construction

• ORNL already has all the required isotope infrastructure from production through transportation

• The incremental capital cost to the isotope program would be modest (7-10M$)

• The opportunity to share operations costs would benefit both programs

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Elements of the proposed facility

• Dedicated isotope target vault

• Two beamlines from the C70 to the isotope vault

• Two target stations, one a commercially available standard, the other compatible with the BNL/LANL target systems

• Systems for remote transfer of the target modules from target station to transfer cell.

• A transfer cell to package irradiated modules for transfer to the ORNL hot cells

Currently estimated total incremental cost is 7-10 M$

Items in red are part of the isotope facility

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IBA Solid Target System Specifications

• Maximum power dissipation of target assembly (on blank copper target): 12 kW

• Beam profile on target: Gaussian 6 mm FWHM, rotated to uniform flat beam

• Angle of target face to beam: 6 degrees

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Beams available from the C70

Ion Extraction Emin

MeV

Emax

MeV

Imax

A

H- stripping 30 70 750

D- stripping 15 35 50

H2+ ESD - 35 50

α ESD - 70 50

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Important Characteristics of the C70 and it’s anticipated operating regimes

• Very high reliability (~ 95% for commercial C30)– Expectations for the HRIBF operating environment ~ 6600h/yr

of extracted beam availability. 42 weeks, 156 h/week, 7 day operation.

• Dual extraction capability for negative ion beams– HRIBF needs for RIB production ~ 4000 h/yr

– Most RIB production (3000h/yr) requires the full energy proton beam at intensities 50 A and higher

– Allows simultaneous use of 70 MeV protons by isotope program. Independent intensity control (within limits)

• HRIBF operation includes periods of days-weeks when C70 beams not required– 1500-2000 h/yr of dedicated beams (including alphas)

available for the isotope program

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Elements of the Proposed Isotope Program would address many of the needs identified in the NSAC report

• Radioisotope production R&D– New production regimes, eg for 225Ac

– Excitation functions, thick target yields

– Nuclear and radiochemistry

– High power target design

• Radioisotope Production– Research isotopes, eg 211At, 68Ge, 7Be

– Commercial Isotopes, eg 82Sr, 68Ge

• Education and Training

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Production R&D example

• Short-lived (46 m) alpha emitter 213Bi offer great promise for radioimmunotherapy– Attach radionuclide to suitable antibody

– Antibody preferentially attaches to tumor cell

– Radiation delivered within ~100 of tumor cell, not elsewhere

• Supplies are limited, hindering clinical trials– Currently source is 233U - 229 Th (7880y) - 225Ac (10d) as a

generator for 213Bi

– R&D required to investigate other possible production methods

– Funded proposal to look at excitation functions and thick target yields for protons on 230Th and 232Th targets* at HRIBF

– * garlandma@ornl.gov , stracenerdw@ornl.gov

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ORNL Infrastructure Available for Education and Training

• Production R&D– Seek University partnerships

• Training programs using ORNL facilities– Production facilities

– Hot cells for target processing

– Radiochemistry labs

– Animal facilities

– Transportation

• Workshops– Workshop on next generation

of radiochemists planned for spring 2010

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Shared use of the C70 is unusually attractive

• A substantial allocation of beam time to the isotope program would be available ( ~ 4500h/yr)

• Little or no impact on the HRIBF mission or flexibility would be incurred

• Concurrent construction of the isotope facility would not significantly impact the C70 upgrade construction

• ORNL already has all the required isotope infrastructure from production through transportation

• The incremental capital cost to the isotope program would be modest (7-10M$)

• The opportunity to share operations costs would benefit both programs