Production of Medical Radioisotopes with High Specific Activity in Photonuclear Reactions with $\gamma$ Beams of High Intensity and Large Brilliance

Abstract

We study the production of radioisotopes for nuclear medicine in $(\gamma ,x\mathrm{n}+y\mathrm{p})$ photonuclear reactions or ($\gamma ,{\gamma }^{\prime }$) photoexcitation reactions with high flux [($10^{13}-10^{15}$)$\gamma$/s], small diameter $\sim (100\mu$m${)}^2$ and small band width ($\Delta E/E\approx 10^{-3}-10^{-4}$) $\gamma$ beams produced by Compton back-scattering of laser light from relativistic brilliant electron beams. We compare them to (ion,$x$n$+y$p) reactions with (ion=p,d,$\alpha$) from particle accelerators like cyclotrons and (n,$\gamma$) or (n,f) reactions from nuclear reactors. For photonuclear reactions with a narrow $\gamma$ beam the energy deposition in the target can be managed by using a stack of thin target foils or wires, hence avoiding direct stopping of the Compton and pair electrons (positrons). $(\gamma ,{\gamma }^{\prime })$ isomer production via specially selected $\gamma$ cascades allows to produce high specific activity in multiple excitations, where no back-pumping of the isomer to the ground state occurs. We discuss in detail many specific radioisotopes for diagnostics and therapy applications. Photonuclear reactions with $\gamma$ beams allow to produce certain radioisotopes, e.g. ${}^{47}$Sc, ${}^{44}$Ti, ${}^{67}$Cu, ${}^{103}$Pd, ${}^{117m}$Sn, ${}^{169}$Er, ${}^{195m}$Pt or ${}^{225}$Ac, with higher specific activity and/or more economically than with classical methods. This will open the way for completely new clinical applications of radioisotopes. For example ${}^{195m}$Pt could be used to verify the patient's response to chemotherapy with platinum compounds before a complete treatment is performed. Also innovative isotopes like ${}^{47}$Sc, ${}^{67}$Cu and ${}^{225}$Ac could be produced for the first time in sufficient quantities for large-scale application in targeted radionuclide therapy.

submitted to Appl. Phys. B

References in corpus (1)

• Random Matrices and Chaos in Nuclear Physics: Nuclear Reactions

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