Aplikace iontového svazku
Nuclear astrophysics
In the field of the nuclear astrophysics the experiments at the isochronous cyclotron U-120M are focused on the study of nuclear reactions of synthesis in particular reaction cycles taking place in stellar environment. The research program is accomplished in broad and long lasting collaboration of the Department of Nuclear Reactions with renowned foreign research organizations Texas A&M University (USA), INFN-LNS Catania (Italy), University Sao Paulo (Brazil), ATOMKI Debrecen (Hungary), JINR Dubna (Russia), GANIL (France) etc. Prestigious position of the laboratory is manifested by even increasing interest of foreign institutes on collaboration in nuclear astrophysics. Using newly developed technique of the indirect measurement of intensities of important reactions new information on the processes in stellar p-p, CNO a NeNa cycles are obtained. The collaborative works are accomplished not only at the cyclotron U-120M laboratory but also at partner’s laboratories using local technical infrastructure – tandem accelerator at INFN-LNS Catania (Italy), cyclotrons at Texas A&M University (USA), JINR Dubna (Russia) and at GANIL laboratory (France).
Nuclear data measurement
The cyclotron has been extensively used for measurement of excitation functions and thick target yields of various nuclear reactions induced by protons, deuterons and 3He, particularly in the last seven years [1–8]. For that purpose, a target holder was designed and constructed in our workshop that is suitable for irradiation of single thin and thick targets or stacks of foils with low currents. Several carefully calibrated gamma spectrometers equipped with HPGe detectors are located in the cyclotron building in order to allow for rapid measurement of short-lived activities induced in the targets.
Radionuclides for research
The cyclotron is particularly suitable for production of almost all medically relevant cyclotron radionuclides, many calibration sources and tracers. Laboratory of cyclotrons has developed, often in collaboration with the department of radiopharmaceuticals, several solid, liquid and gas target systems for that purpose, some of them being relatively universal. Of them, we should mention two unique internal tangential solid target systems suitable for production of e.g. 64Cu, 67Ga, 111In, 201Tl and 211At, external tangential solid target system used for production of e.g. 124I and external perpendicular solid target system with 4π water cooling, universal niobium liquid target for routine production of 18F and for irradiation of solution targets used for pilot production of e.g. 68Ga and 86Y, and finally gas target systems used for routine production of 81Rb and also for production of 83Rb and 123I. Production of low activities of calibration radionuclides and tracers can be also performed on the external solid target system used for measurements of excitation functions.
Other ion beam applications
Accelerated ion beams can be also provided for sample irradiation setups with broad application in different fields such as material modification with ion beams, material modification studies, irradiations of biological samples, semicontrolled device testing under specific irradiation conditions, etc.
For that reason sample holders or sample chambers can be adapted or newly designed according to technical specifications and irradiation requirements.