Production of Iodine Isotopes via Ultra-intense Laser Driven Photonuclear Reactions

Abstract

The investigation and production of proton-rich iodine isotopes predominantly rely on conventional accelerator-based methods, typically requiring prolonged irradiation periods to measure or achieve quantifiable yields for isotopic isolation. Bremsstrahlung radiation sources generated by high-power laser-plasma-accelerated electron beams with ultrahigh charge (tens of nanocoulombs) bombarding high-Z targets demonstrate extraordinary photon flux characteristics. An electron beam with a total charge of approximately 47.7 nC (E${}_e$ $>$ 10.4 MeV) was generated in our experiment by focusing a ultra-intense laser pulse onto a deuterium gas jet. Laser-driven bremsstrahlung was employed to induce ${}^{127}I$$({\hat{I}}^3,xn)$ ($x$ = 1,3,4,6-8), and the product yields and the corresponding flux-weighted average cross sections are reported. Our results demonstrate production of medical isotopes, with average yields of ${}^{124}$I and ${}^{123}$I at approximately $9.83\pm 0.45\times 10^5$/shot and $2.81\pm 0.11\times 10^5$/shot, respectively. This method, utilizing high-power lasers to generate bremsstrahlung radiation, shows significant potential for medical applications and opens new avenues for studying photonuclear processes in astrophysical contexts.

13 pages, 8 figures, submitted to PRC