Radioactive ion beams of ¹¹¹In using ECR plasma sputtering method

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Physics
• Radiochemistry
• Accelerator Science

Background:

• Radioactive ion beams are essential for research in nuclear physics and medicine.
• Efficient production of specific isotopes, like indium-111, is a key challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and demonstrate a method for producing radioactive indium-111 ion beams.
• To optimize the production process using plasma sputtering in an ECR ion source.

Main Methods:

• Indium isotopes were produced by bombarding a silver target with alpha particles.
• Radio-chemical separation was performed to isolate indium-111.
• Plasma sputtering in an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source was used for ion beam generation.
• Isotopic separation was employed to obtain a pure 111In beam.

Main Results:

• A pure 111In beam was successfully produced and measured.
• The measured beam intensity was 2.67 × 10^5 particles/s at 5 keV.
• The plasma sputtering method in an ECR ion source proved effective for 111In production.

Conclusions:

• The study demonstrates a viable method for producing radioactive 111In ion beams.
• This technique has potential for applications requiring high-purity radioactive isotopes.
• Further optimization could lead to higher beam intensities for 111In.