Exotic Radionuclides – What are they good for?

Abstract

Accelerator waste contains a number of rare isotopes that are urgently needed in various fields of scientific research. Activated components from the surroundings of high-power accelerators like the HIPA cyclotron at PSI are valuable sources for such 'isotope mining' . While the isotope production itself is practically 'for free' , because the irradiation takes place anyway, the challenge is the chemical extraction of the required isotopes from the activated matrix material. The article presents an overview on the attempts and achievements of more than 15 years research and development in the research group 'Isotope and Target Chemistry' at PSI and presents some of the highlights in scientific applications.

Radionuclide Chemistry in Nuclear Facilities Based on Heavy Liquid Metal Coolants: Past, Present and Future

“…The results of radiochemical analyses can be used as benchmark for nuclear physics codes for the quantitative prediction of radionuclide production. [24] For most of the radionuclides, the results of the analyses agreed well with theoretical predictions of the radionuclide inventory performed by colleagues from CEA/ Saclay and ESSS Lund, using calculation codes and models such as INCL/ABLA, MCNPX or FLUKA. Cases where significant discrepancies were found can be used to detect flaws in the codes and models and improve them.…”

Concentración de radionucleidos en algunos hongos basidiomicetos silvestres del Monumento Natural Loma Isabel de Torres

“…Los radionucleidos son átomos de un determinado elemento con exceso de energía nuclear, esa energía es liberada en forma ionizante y no ionizante a medida que se van desintegrando y decayendo para estabilizarse (Schumann et al, 2020). La mayor cantidad de la radioactividad que recibe el ser humano es debido a la radioactividad natural al estar en interacción con el ambiente, como consecuencia de la actividad de los radionucleidos naturales presentes en el suelo, el agua y el aire, también en los alimentos y bebidas (Pourimani & Rahimi, 2016;Shaposhnikova & Rachkova, 2022).…”