Prof.
Gregory W. Severin
(Michigan State University)
Accelerator facilities inevitably amass a small collection of activated components like beamstops and collimators. Depending on the chemical composition of the component and the properties of the accelerated particles, transmuted inventories will potentially include valuable radioisotopes for applied and basic science research. For example, at PSI’s proton accelerator, a copper beamdump accumulated 60Fe, 53Mn, and 44Ti over many years, and researchers involved in the ERAWAST campaign successfully retrieved those nuclides for astrophysics-related research. At the upcoming Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) in the US, a new circulating-water beamstop will allow almost real-time collection of fragmented heavy ions, meaning that isotopes with shorter half-lives can be withdrawn, or “harvested”, from the beamstop. This will allow a multitude of applied research projects ranging from medical imaging and therapy to hyperfine studies in metallo-enzymes. The development of FRIB continues a trend in nuclear physics research: as the basic science progresses, the generated nuclear data, techniques, and by-products are fruitfully applied to solving problems outside of the field.
Summary
Accelerator facilities inevitably amass a small collection of activated components like beamstops and collimators. Depending on the chemical composition of the component and the properties of the accelerated particles, transmuted inventories will potentially include valuable radioisotopes for applied and basic science research. For example, at PSI’s proton accelerator, a copper beamdump accumulated 60Fe, 53Mn, and 44Ti over many years, and researchers involved in the ERAWAST campaign successfully retrieved those nuclides for astrophysics-related research. At the upcoming Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) in the US, a new circulating-water beamstop will allow almost real-time collection of fragmented heavy ions, meaning that isotopes with shorter half-lives can be withdrawn, or “harvested”, from the beamstop. This will allow a multitude of applied research projects ranging from medical imaging and therapy to hyperfine studies in metallo-enzymes. The development of FRIB continues a trend in nuclear physics research: as the basic science progresses, the generated nuclear data, techniques, and by-products are fruitfully applied to solving problems outside of the field.
