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 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 Mo as precursor of Tc, a radio-tracer used in single photon emission computed tomography. The nuclear reaction involved in the production of Mo is the inelastic reaction Mo(n,2n)Mo. The facility will assess the chain that starts with the irradiation of the natural molybdenum (where 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.