Speaker
Description
Much like at ISOLDE, the unused primary beam at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) will retain a majority of its isotope-producing capability even after passing through the main target. In the spirit of MEDICIS, we are planning to make use of that unused capacity to access valuable radioisotopes for applications such as theranostics. This secondary isotope production will occur mainly in a water-filled beamdump, and the induced radioisotopes will be “harvested” chemically via the beamdump’s water and gas cooling streams. Owing to the relative isotopic impurity of harvested elements, generator schemes will be used to achieve high specific activity and high radionuclidic purity. Preliminary testing of harvesting techniques are underway at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL), where the theranostic 47Sc has been isolated cleanly from its parent 47Ca, which was produced during 48Ca bombardment of a low-power prototype beamdump. The results are promising so far, but the complexity is sure to increase as FRIB is commissioned and ramps up to full power over the coming years.
