Experiment on the production of medical radioactive substances using a linear accelerator.

Keywords: atomic nucleus, radioactive materials, accelerator, nuclear data, radiation therapy, radiation diagnosis

The atomic nucleus is located at the center of the atom and is composed of numerous neutrons and protons. The interactions between the constituent particles and the overall movement of the nucleus exhibit various properties. Phenomena such as nuclear fission and the emission of gamma rays arise from the individuality of the atomic nucleus. The fission of heavy nuclei, such as uranium, releases a significant amount of energy, which is applied in power generation. In the medical field, radiation is utilized, and medical radioactive materials (RIs) used for cancer treatment and diagnosis are produced domestically using accelerators. The commonly used 99Mo is generated in reactors and has a short half-life (66 hours), and while it is airlifted from overseas, there is always a concern that supply may be interrupted due to disasters or other issues. To secure a domestic supply line for medical RIs, it is essential to establish efficient and pure methods for producing alternative RIs. Using the linear accelerator at the RIKEN research institute, we are investigating practical and efficient incident energies for the production of new medical RIs. By employing activation methods and layered foil techniques, we can examine the energy dependence of the production cross-section all at once.

Other analytical and testing equipment