Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) runs a High Intensity Proton Accelerator (HIPA) facility, where a maximum of 100 μA protons is gleaned from high intensity 72 MeV protons from Injector 2, a separated sector cyclotron, into the IP2 target station. These protons irradiate various targets towards the production of exotic radionuclides intended for medical purposes.
Many radiometals in use today are for the diagnosis of disease, with the most popular means of detection being Positron Emission Tomography. These positron emitters are easily produced at low proton energies using medical cyclotrons, however, developments at these facilities are lacking. The fixed 72 MeV proton beam is degraded at IP2 using niobium to provide the desired energy to irradiate targets to produce the likes of ⁴⁴Sc, ⁴³Sc, ⁶⁴Cu and ¹⁶⁵Er. Once developed, these proofs-of-principle are then put into practice at partner facilities.
Target holders and degraders require development to optimize irradiation conditions and target cooling. Various options are explored, with pros and cons taken into consideration based on calculations and simulations.