Molybdenum-99 production via lead and bismuth moderators and milli-structure-Mo-98 samples by the indirect production technique using the Monte Carlo method

摘要

We describe the design of a neutron activator that contains a beryllium target, a lead/bismuth moderator, graphite/PbF2 reflectors, and a boron absorber. Production of the Mo-99 isotope using millimeter-sized Mo-98 samples located in various regions of the activator was simulated using the MCNPX code. If the Mo-98 samples are placed in the reflector region, the yield increases due to a larger flux of epithermal neutrons.