Possibility of Using Dense Plasma Focus Devices to Produce Short-Lived Radioisotopes Used in PET—Numerical Study

Abstract

In this paper, a numerical study was conducted of the possibility of using dense plasma focus devices in the production of short-lived radioisotopes (SLRs) by taking advantage of the deuterium ion beams resulting from the collapse of the plasma pinch. The study was done on the two isotopes C^11 and O^15, where the number of ions interacting with the target was found and then the radioactivity was calculated. Comparing the resulting values with the values of the radioactivity when produced by the cyclotron, the values were very low, and by taking advantage of the possibility of changing the pressure of deuterium gas. The radioactivity was calculated when changing the pressure, as the activity value increased to 0.002 GBq for carbon and 0.013 GBq for oxygen with increasing pressure, but we could not reach the required value. The radioactivity was calculated at different frequencies and operating times. We obtained the required value for carbon at 275 Hz, 1000 s, and for oxygen at 75 Hz, 1000 s