Eur. Phys. J. Plus (2021) 136: 1140
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-021-02111-6

Regular Article

SORGENTINA-RF project: fusion neutrons for ${}^{99}$Mo medical radioisotope

SORGENTINA-RF

¹ ENEA - Department of Fusion and Technologies for Nuclear Safety and Security, Rome, Italy
² ENEA - Management of Infrastructures and Services, Rome, Italy
³ ENEA - Department Energy Technologies and Renewable Sources, Rome, Italy
⁴ Politecnico di Torino, Rome, Italy
⁵ ENEA - Italian National Institute of Ionizing Radiation Metrology, Rome, Italy
⁶ ENEA - Radiation Protection Institute, Rome, Italy
⁷ ENEA - Department for Sustainability, Rome, Italy
⁸ ASL Roma 6, Borgo Garibaldi, 12, 00041, Albano Laziale (RM), Italy

^ay antonino.pietropaolo@enea.it

Received: 2 July 2021
Accepted: 23 October 2021
Published online: 13 November 2021

Abstract

The SORGENTINA-RF project is presented in terms of general structure and description of the main tasks and activities to be carried out. It is devoted to the design and development of a medium power 14 MeV fusion neutron source relying on a rotating target and a deuterium/tritium ion accelerator. The main focus of the neutron facility is the production of radiopharmaceutical precursors, in particular ${}^{99}$Mo as precursor of ${}^{99m}$Tc, a radio-tracer used in single photon emission computed tomography. The nuclear reaction involved in the production of ${}^{99}$Mo is the inelastic reaction ${}^{100}$Mo(n,2n)${}^{99}$Mo. The facility will assess the chain that starts with the irradiation of the natural molybdenum (where ${}^{100}$Mo has an isotopic abundance of about 10%) up to the production of the so-called mother solution, a liquid solution named sodium molybdate. The facility will also make available fast and thermal neutrons beams for studies on innovative medical radioisotopes as well as materials.