Radioisotope production o-18 water target having improved cooling performance

Abstract

A target apparatus for producing a radioisotope having improved cooling performance including a cavity member including a cavity accommodating H 2 18 O concentrate and producing 18 F through a nuclear reaction between the H 2 18 O concentrate and protons irradiated onto the H 2 18 O concentrate, wherein the cavity member includes a front aperture and a rear aperture disposed in opposite directions on a path in which the protons are irradiated and connected to the cavity so that the cavity has openings. wherein a thermo-chemically stable layer plated with titanium or niobium is formed in an inner circumference of the cavity.

1 . A radioisotope production target apparatus having improved cooling performance comprising a cavity member including a cavity accommodating an O-18 water and producing F-18 through a nuclear reaction between the O-18 water and protons irradiated onto the O-18 water, wherein the cavity member includes a front aperture and a rear aperture disposed in opposite directions on a path in which the protons are irradiated and connected to the cavity so that the cavity has openings, the target apparatus comprising:
 a front membrane disposed to cover the front aperture;   a rear cover disposed to cover the rear aperture;   a front cooling member coupled to the cavity member to support the front membrane so as to prevent the front membrane from swelling due to an pressure increases in the cavity during the nuclear reaction, disposed on the path in which the protons are irradiated, and including a plurality of through holes extending in a direction the protons are irradiated;   a central cooling member including a space for supplying cooling water around the cavity and coupled to the cavity member; and   a rear cooling member coupled to the rear cover and allowing the cooling water to be supplied,   wherein a thermo-chemically stable layer plated with titanium or niobium is formed in an inner circumference of the cavity.   
     
     
         2 . The target apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the thermo-chemically stable layer may be between about 1 μm and 10 μm. 
     
     
         3 . The target apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cavity is between about 5 mm and about 20 mm long along the path in which the protons are irradiated. 
     
     
         4 . The target apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cavity has a truncated cone shape having an inner diameter increasing from an upstream side to a downstream side along the path in which the protons are irradiated. 
     
     
         5 . The target apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cavity member comprises a plurality of first cooling fins that protrude from an exterior surface of the cavity, extend around the circumference of the cavity, and are spaced apart from each other in the direction in which the protons are irradiated. 
     
     
         6 . The target apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the rear cover comprises a plurality of second cooling fins that protrude toward the cavity, extend in a direction perpendicular to a ground, and are spaced apart from each other in a direction perpendicular to the direction perpendicular to the ground. 
     
     
         7 . The target apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising: a plurality of through holes having circular or hexagonal cross sections perpendicular to the path in which the protons are irradiated, and arranged in a honeycomb shape and having cross sections perpendicular to the path in which the protons are irradiated. 
     
     
         8 . The target apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the front membrane is formed of titanium or niobium. 
     
     
         9 . The target apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of second cooling fins are plated with titanium or niobium.