DESIGN AND SIMULATION OF A SMALL DENSE PLASMA FOCUS DEVICE FOR PRODUCTION OF SHORT-LIVED RADIOISOTOPES FOR POSITIRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY

摘要

To produce short-lived radioisotopes for cancer therapy and clinical diagnoses cyclotrons are normally used in proximity of treatment or diagnostic facilities. An alternative method to produce radioisotopes is to utilize a dense plasma focus (DPF) which has been demonstrated in a few DPF devices. The purpose of the present research is to design and optimize a small DPF device as a compact and cost-effective high energy ion beam source to produce ~(13)N radioisotope through the nuclear reaction ~(12)C(d,n)~(13)N. The characteristics of the deuteron ion beam have been simulated and the radioactivity of ~(13)N produced by the DPF has been estimated.