Tc-99m production with ultrashort intense laser pulses. (9th October 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bychenkov, V. Yu.; Brantov, A. V.; Mourou, G.
• Is Part Of: Laser and particle beams. Volume 32:Number 4(2014)
• Page Start: 605
• Page End: 611
• Publication Date: 2014-10-09
• Subjects: ICAN, -- PIC simulation, -- Proton acceleration by laser, -- Tc-99m production; Laser beams -- Periodicals; Particle beams -- Periodicals; 535.5
• DOI: 10.1017/S0263034614000615
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0263-0346

Abstract

Abstract: The interaction of a relativistic short laser pulse with thin foil is studied using 3D PIC simulations in the context of optimized high-energy proton generation for nuclear medicine and pharmacy. As an example, we analyze the Tc-99m yield from the Mo-100(p, 2n)Tc-99m reaction with the International Coherent Amplification Network (ICAN) concept defined by a 10 J pulse energy and 10 kHz repetition rate. Based on 3D PIC simulation it has been demonstrated that normally incident 100 fs laser pulse with maximum intensity of 5 × 10 21 W/cm 2 is able to generate 10 11 protons with energy upto 45 MeV from thin semi-transparent CH2 target. Such laser-produced proton beam after 6 hours bombardment of the thick metallic Mo-100 target gives around 300 Gbq activities of Tc-99m isotope. This gives reason to believe that laser technology for producing technetium is possible with ICAN concept to replace the traditional scheme through the fission of weapons-grade uranium.