FEASIBILITY STUDY OF A NEW TARGET SYSTEM FOR HIGH POWER RADIOISOTOPES PRODUCTION

The use of emerging radionuclides in nuclear medicine, like copper-67, is hindered by their low production efficiency. The yield of accelerator produced radioisotopes is strictly related to the efficiency of the cooling system used for the targets’ thermal management. In this regard, water flow boiling can effectively enhance the heat transfer effectiveness if the proper thermo-fluid dynamic regime is adopted. In this work a feasibility study for copper-67 production by proton irradiation of Zn metal targets is presented. The study illustrates how it would be possible to perform irradiations up to 30 kW of beam power impinging on the target when optimal cooling conditions are employed. The fluid dynamic regime of interest is thus experimentally investigated with a dedicated testing apparatus developed for the purpose.