[Triumf-seminars] TRIUMF Special Seminar today at 12:30

[TRIUMF Seminars]

Date/Time: Wed 2023-03-29 at 12:30

Location:  Remote              

Speaker:   Steve Howe (Nu Planet Pharmaceutical Radioisotopes)

Title:     Laser driven pathways to isotope generation and enrichment

Abstract: Modern advances in laser science (for example the advent of "chirped pulse amplification" technology) have brought about an industry where commercially available lasers are now capable of power intensities upwards of 1e15 W/cm2, at high (multi-Hz) repetition rates and across a range of light wavelengths. At the same time, laser diode costs have come down over 90% in the last 20 years, resulting in low-cost, high-performance capabilities. Nu Planet Pharmaceutical Radioisotopes (NPPR) has been researching applications of high-power laser systems in nuclear physics as applied to isotope production, separation and enrichment.

In 2022, NPPR demonstrated a method to induce and accelerate decay of radioactive material using high-power laser systems. In the process, NPPR creates intense, very large electric fields over small volumes of target radioisotope material. Through optimizing laser operations and developing appropriate target design, we now have a pathway to producing valuable radioisotopes at commercial scales through this induced decay method. NPPR aims to select long-lived radioisotopes as
targets, accelerating their natural decay path to enable direct production of valuable daughters or production and collection of radioisotope "cow" material which can be aggregated and used for generation of valuable isotopes through natural decay. At scale, this process could become a much faster and cheaper source of pharmaceutical isotopes than the currently known natural decay or
spallation methods. During experimentation with this method for accelerated decay, it was
found that the probability to decay was increased by a shorter half-life and that beta emitters more readily induced to decay than alpha emitters. Leading on from this, a further application of the process allows for purification of Ac-225 through selective "burn" or accelerated decay of the beta-emitting contaminant Ac-227. The NPPR method of accelerating isotopic decay has been demonstrated using daughter products of Th-232 and U-238.

---
Remote Link:
https://sfu.zoom.us/j/85807964880?pwd=VmFVRDF1YWZxVlVydnk3cFF5N01lZz09

Meeting ID: 858 0796 4880
Password: 688954



______________________________

General TRIUMF seminar information available at http://www.triumf.ca/home/upcoming-events/about-seminars-lectures