Fusor like source for activation

[Larry Upjohn]

Good morning from the left coast. Just got this email link and thought I would pass it along. This is an area of personal concern since the source reactors are old and have been unreliable sources of medical isotopes for some time. I have not had time yet to research this thread for an tech information however some of you will possibly know more and be able to share on applicable technology for the fusor community. More later, Larry Upjohn.

Link follows: http://www.rdmag.com/news/2012/10/affor ... l-isotopes

[Dennis P Brown]

Don't really seen what this has to do with fusors?

[Larry Upjohn]

Dennis;
I often see reports such as this as clues to activities that might provide useful insight here. Here is a link to the paper that I was thinking about when I posted my link this morning:

http://fti.neep.wisc.edu/pdf/fdm1216.pdf

(Univ. of Wisc. efforts at IEC have been often discussed and referenced here)

I am still searching for more detail on this am's article and I will pass along anything that I find. Larry Upjohn.

[Carl Willis]

Although photonuclear production of isotopes with high-energy electrons is pretty far removed from DD fusion, it happens to be recreationally accessible (see this thread: viewtopic.php?f=13&t=6266#p34710). Basically, if you can "borrow" a few minutes of beam on your local cancer radiotherapy center's linac, you can cook up a smidgen of Tc-99m in a molybdenum coin or other target, in an amount that is easily detectable.

All of the alternative (non-reactor) approaches to the Mo-99/Tc-99m demand pretty much run aground on two issues right now: meeting the requirement for high specific activity, and (at least in the US) delivering a product that is compatible with existing radiopharmacy practices. Each method also has to contend with the contaminating activities that are specific to the mode of production; using the electron linac method, Robert and I observed Nb-91m, Nb-95, Nb-95m, Nb-96, as well as a Y-89m surprise owing to impure metal.

-Carl

[Larry Upjohn]

Carl;
I do remember your adventure with the Linac. I forwarded the link looking more at the article title rather than the content which basically outlines a method that you had demonstrated here already. I should not forward links until a.) I have had more morning caffiene and b:) I have accessed the actual content sited in the email broadcast summaries. The attached picture is a nice(read expensive) chamber with fine interior finish. It probably totally diverted my attention to the above details. Thanks again and I will chalk this one up to morning oversight. Larry Upjohn.

[Richard Hull]

I am rather stunned that so much time and effort is spent on accelerators to do the technicium radio isotope production rather that construct a single, modern, centrally located standard fission reactor specifically tasked to turn out the medical isotope needs for this country, at least.

Constructing a good high flux reactor dedicated for this purpose rather that having issues associated with out of country, ancient designs that are starting to give problems in the supply line seems like a no brainer to me. Its waist power could be used to augment outside power to the facility.

We are just totally freaked out about building fission reactors...period.

I realize the lure of turn-on/turn-off neutron sources is a siren's song to the hopeful, but build a modern fission reactor for this purpose while you play "accelerator games".

Same goes for power plants.......Make modern fission plants and take the older ones that pose risks off line while dabbling and piddling around with fusion for the next 50-100 years.

Richard Hull