Nuclear targets, methods for inducing nuclear reactions, and devices suitable for carrying out such methods.

Abstract

The present invention relates to a nuclear target (1), a method for inducing a nuclear reaction and a device capable of inducing a nuclear reaction. According to the present invention, the nuclear target (1) comprises a cavity (12) in which incident nuclear particles (3) are deposited. In the cavity (12), the incident nuclear particles (3) interact with precursors (21 and / or 22 and / or 23) or the incident nuclear particles (3) are elastically scattered in isotopes (4). Thus, the nuclear target (1), method or device provides a more efficient induction of nuclear reactions and provides a higher yield of radioisotope production. In another embodiment, the nuclear target (1) can be used as a means used for nuclear waste transmutation or as a means for sustainable exothermic nuclear reactions.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to nuclear targets, methods for inducing nuclear reactions by nuclear targets, and controlled nuclear reactions. In preferred embodiments, the method for producing isotopes is carried out using a laser-driven accelerator.

[0002] In another embodiment, the present invention relates to exothermic nuclear reactions and methods for converting nuclear energy into heat, methods for producing radioisotopes, particularly radiopharmaceuticals, and methods for processing burning nuclear fuel, more specifically, methods for transforming fission products.

[0003] In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a device capable of carrying out the methods disclosed herein. [Background technology]

[0004] Several radioisotopes are currently used in medical, energy, or diagnostic methods that utilize ionizing radiation. Many of these radioisotopes, particularly those used in medicine, have relatively short half-lives. Therefore, methods for producing these radioisotopes are generally needed, either at the specific location where they are intended to be used or at a relatively nearby location. On the other hand, 235 The half-life of the products of the nuclear fission reaction of uranium is several decades. Therefore, there is a need for a method to transform the radioactive material (waste) that is the final product of nuclear fission reactions, preferably a method to process the waste at the site where it will be used or relatively close to it.

[0005] Furthermore, there is a continuing need to provide clean energy sources. One way to achieve such clean energy sources is to use exothermic nuclear reactions. According to the latest technology, there are two technical approaches to achieving energy generation from exothermic nuclear reactions: one is nuclear fission, and the other is nuclear fusion.

[0006] Lasers are commonly used in industrial, scientific, and engineering applications. However, they are still a new technology with respect to controlled nuclear reactions, and there are numerous technical gaps that need to be addressed.

[0007] Patent Document 1 discloses a nuclear target, a system, and a method for generating its isotopes. The target includes a cavity, and the laser beam is focused into the cavity to generate a plasma on the surface of the nuclear target. Next, while the target remains in the plasma state, it is irradiated with a beam of incident nuclear particles such as protons. The target material and the type of particles are selected according to the requirements of the nuclear reaction. The disclosed examples are, for example, 14 N(p,α) 11 C, 11 B(p,n) 11 C, 18 O(p,n) 18 F, 20 Ne(d,n) 18 [[ID=2A]]F, and as disclosed by the patent application 16 O(p,α) 13 N, 13 C(p,n) 13 N, 14 N(d,n) 15 O, 15 N(p,n) 15 O.

[0008] According to Patent Document 1, the system comprises 1) means configured to convert the target into a plasma state, such as a laser or a z-pinch, 2) a particle source set to irradiate the target in the plasma state with particles that induce the above-described nuclear reaction, 3) isotope recovery means configured to recover the isotopes generated by the nuclear reaction and.

[0009] The use of the system according to Patent Document 1 is disclosed only for the generation of radioactive isotopes. Also, the solution requires a very large amount of energy, and lossless energy generation is impossible with the current state of the art.

[0010] Patent Document 2 is another disclosed solution for generating high-energy particles for controlled nuclear reactions using a high-intensity laser. The apparatus includes two planar targets. A laser beam is shone onto a primary target containing a thin Mylar® film. Upon laser impact, the first target emits energy particles such as protons or deuterons that are emitted toward the secondary target. 10 It contains B, which thereby induces a nuclear reaction caused by proton or deuteron radiation emitted from the primary target.

[0011] Patent Document 3 describes an example of a disclosed nuclear target, apparatus, and method for controlling a fusion nuclear reaction. The target is planar and comprises two layers. The first layer contains hydrogen-enriched silicon such that protons are emitted into the second layer upon laser pulse irradiation. The second layer contains boron and, in certain embodiments, induces an exothermic nuclear reaction.

[0012] Furthermore, there are capsule-shaped targets, such as those disclosed in Patent Document 4, in which case compression of the nuclear target envelope occurs as a result of the laser radiation mechanism. When the atomic nuclei reach a certain distance, they fuse within the given target. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0013] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016 / 0172065 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002 / 0172317 [Patent Document 3] European Patent No. 2833365 [Patent Document 4] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012 / 0114088 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0014] However, the solutions described above result in low efficiency in the production of radioisotopes because a substantial portion of the energy must always be supplied to the target, for example, by laser radiation and / or external heating. When the device induces nuclear fusion, achieving the desired density of the resulting plasma is technically difficult. As the applications of radioisotopes expand in various technological fields, the need for producing radioisotopes using controlled nuclear reactions is increasing. The technical problem that this invention solves to some extent lies in a method for producing radioisotopes more efficiently or a more effective method for inducing nuclear reactions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] A first embodiment of the present invention relates to a nuclear target suitable for increasing the efficiency of inducing nuclear reactions, and moreover, to a nuclear target suitable for the production of radioisotopes, particularly radiopharmaceuticals, or for the conversion of burning nuclear fuel, and / or to a nuclear target as a means that can effectively induce exothermic nuclear reactions accompanied by significant thermal energy generation.

[0016] The nuclear target according to claim 1 has the characteristics of a bulk material including a cavity, the shape of which is preferably optimized with respect to the intent of a secondary nuclear reaction. The nuclear target is fabricated from a material including a precursor. In certain embodiments, the precursor may be embedded within the solid material of the target, while in other embodiments, the precursor may be placed in the cavity of the target in solid (e.g., powder), liquid, or gaseous form. In another embodiment, at least a portion of the nuclear target consists of the precursor. In another preferred embodiment, it is possible to combine the precursor positioning as described above, i.e., providing a powder precursor within the cavity of the nuclear target, while at least a portion of the nuclear target surrounding the cavity consists of the same or further precursors. The precursor is formed by a specific predetermined isotope that, upon collision with an incident nuclear particle, forms a desired product of the nuclear reaction, such as a radioactive isotope. The material of the nuclear target, more specifically the precursor, or a plurality of precursors is selected to obtain a final product, most often a radioactive isotope, through a nuclear reaction between the precursor and the incident nuclear particle. The nuclear target further comprises at least one opening for the passage of a beam of incident nuclear particles. The nuclear target further comprises a cavity within the bulk material located behind the opening, used for the injection of incident nuclear particles. The incident nuclear particles, having passed through the opening and entered the cavity in the bulk material, are elastically scattered at at least one / more isotopic nuclei within the cavity, or a desired nuclear reaction with the isotope occurs depending on the energy of the incident nuclear particles. Some incident nuclear particles may be reflected and exit the cavity, resulting in a loss. The shape of the cavity, particularly its geometry based on the position of the opening and cavity, can minimize this loss. The elastic scattering of incident nuclear particles at isotopes / nuclei within the cavity provides at least two technical effects. The first technical effect is the dissipation of energy within the cavity, thereby resulting in heating of the nuclear target material. The second technical effect concerns the transfer of kinetic energy to the target / isotopic nuclei, which can exceed the threshold energy for the desired reaction.

[0017] Subsequently, the aforementioned technical effects provide synergistic technical effects related to increasing the efficiency of radioisotope production or the yield of another desired nuclear reaction, such as an increase in the frequency of exothermic reactions or nuclear transmutation.

[0018] As described above, the nuclear target is formed by a bulk of material, and the cavity shape is optimized with respect to the progress of the desired nuclear reaction. In certain embodiments, the bulk of material may be a single bulk. In other embodiments, a single bulk can be divided into multiple segments. In another embodiment, the opening of the target facing the cavity may be slightly curved and / or may contain texture, particularly on the inside of the cavity. However, the nuclear target must always contain at least one opening, preferably just one, to allow the incident nuclear particle to enter the cavity of the nuclear target. Thus, the cavity of the nuclear target is not completely surrounded by material containing precursors and isotopes from which the incident nuclear particle is elastically scattered. The preferred embodiment described above, with only one opening, offers the advantage of effectively trapping scattered incident nuclear particles, secondary particles, and precursor particles accelerated by both. The probability of the incident nuclear particle escaping from the cavity by backscattering can be minimized by the appropriate geometry of the cavity shape.

[0019] The cavity may have any shape. In certain embodiments, the cavity may be part of an ellipsoid or a sphere. Optimized shapes of the cavity, preferably more complex shapes, can be generated by segments that form a single bulk when connected. In a preferred embodiment, the cavity comprises at least two parts. The first part consists of a narrower passage, and the second part consists of a wider and larger space. The first part may be cylindrical, block, or polyhedron in shape, and the second part seamlessly continues in the shape of an ellipsoid, sphere, or, for example, part of a polyhedron. The geometric shape of the cavity divided into at least two parts offers the technical advantage of effectively trapping incident nuclear particles within the cavity while significantly limiting backscattering. In a more preferred embodiment, the cross-sectional size of the first part of the cavity corresponds to the lateral size of the beam of incident nuclear particles.

[0020] In the context of the present invention, the precursor refers to an atomic nucleus that interacts with an incident nuclear particle, and more particularly, there is a collision between the incident nuclear particle and the atomic nucleus, and the interaction leads to the induction of a nuclear reaction. The final product or intermediate product may be a radioactive isotope that decays further by, for example, alpha decay, beta decay and / or gamma decay, the decay of which is further utilized in specific industrial applications. The intermediate may be a neutron necessary to achieve the desired nuclear reaction. In certain embodiments, the precursor may be mounted on the material by, for example, ion atom mounting by atomic deposition on a substrate or by CVD or PVD. In another embodiment, the nuclear target may consist of a precursor material surrounding a cavity, and at least one isotope from which the projected particle is scattered is present in the nuclear target material. In another embodiment, the precursor may form part of the cavity to fill the precursor to a certain volume. In another embodiment, the precursor may be contained in both the material and the cavity filler. In this case, the precursor does not necessarily have to be one specific one, and the first precursor may be mounted on the wall of the cavity or form the cavity, and the second precursor may be part of the filler. The precursor is, for example, 10 B, 11 B. Natural mixture of boron, 13 C, 14 N, 15 N, 16 O, 18 O, 20 Ne, 99 Radiopharmaceuticals in Mo 186 W, nuclear fission reaction product, 233 U, 235 U, 239 It may also be Pu. In certain embodiments, the bulk material of the nuclear target can be manufactured from the respective precursor materials.

[0021] Incident nuclear particles are particles that collide with a nuclear target. Examples of incident nuclear particles include protons, neutrons, deuterons, alpha particles, light ions, etc. 14 C, 16 O, mesophytes (for example, 27 Al), or, if used, depending on the material of the laser target, 197The incident nuclear particles may be heavy nuclei such as Au. The incident nuclear particles may be produced by a state-of-the-art accelerator, emitted by a radioactive isotope, such as AmBe or PuBe, or produced by a laser-driven accelerator.

[0022] Isotopes that undergo elastic scattering with incident nuclear particles can be the nuclei of the nuclear target, precursor nuclei, and nuclei of secondary products of already occurring reactions, provided that the energy of the incident nuclear particle does not correspond to the resonance width of the allowed channel. If precursors are not introduced into the nuclear target material, it is desirable that possible reactions between the incident and secondary particles and the nuclear target nuclei be elastic scattering. Thus, these particles can be partially reflected back and interact with the precursor nuclei. For example, a tungsten nuclear target, 180 W, 182 W, 183 W, 184 W and 186 It contains isotopes of W and has a voltage of 6 MeV (approximately 9.6 × 10⁻¹⁶). -19 For protons as incident nuclei particles with proton energies up to MJ, only elastic scattering actually occurs. The proton's energy can be dissipated by multiple elastic scattering until it reaches the resonance energy of some possible reaction with the precursor.

[0023] In the context of the present invention, the induced nuclear reaction may be a transmutation, spallation or fission reaction, a fusion reaction, or a complex nuclear reaction. Examples of appropriately induced nuclear reactions are given below.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment, the nuclear target further includes a laser target that emits incident nuclear particles upon laser irradiation. The laser target can preferably be positioned in the nuclear target aperture. In another embodiment, the laser target can be positioned in front of the aperture of the nuclear target, creating a space between the laser target that emits incident nuclear particles and the nuclear target aperture. The space can preferably be used to remove other particles formed by the laser irradiation of the laser target. In another embodiment, the aperture between the laser target and the nuclear target may be closed and filled with a fluid, such as a fluid containing precursor nuclei. The above-described embodiments having a laser target offer further advantages in the case of nuclear target materials including conductive materials. For example, laser pulses emitted by a high-power pulsed laser can generate an electric current inside the conductive nuclear target. In this case, the insert of the laser target preferably relates to specific isolation of electromagnetic radiation affecting the conductive nuclear target. In one embodiment, the parameters of the laser pulse can be obtained from European Patent No. 2833365.

[0025] In certain embodiments, the material of the nuclear target can be appropriately selected so as to consist only of a material containing exactly two isotopes. The first isotope is the precursor, and the second isotope is the isotope upon which the incident nuclear particle is elastically scattered. The technical advantage of this embodiment is that only two interactions occur within the cavity of the nuclear target immediately after irradiation. The first interaction induces a nuclear reaction between the precursor and the incident nuclear particle. The second interaction represents the elastic scattering of the incident nucleus on the isotope. Thus, the efficiency of inducing nuclear reactions or generating radioactive isotopes is increased. However, after some time, products appear due to the nuclear interaction with the precursor and join the ongoing interaction.

[0026] In another embodiment, the laser target material may preferably be selected to contain multiple isotopes. When the laser target consists of multiple isotopes, the emitted ions that form the incident nuclear particles interact with the nuclear target in a specific order. This can be used to influence the dynamics of the reaction in progress. The above order of incident nuclear particles that provides the order of nuclear reactions induced within the cavity of the nuclear target can be ensured by fabricating a nuclear target with an inserted laser target. The size of the insert can be advantageously selected according to the reaction kinetics.

[0027] Following IAEA convention, the so-called abbreviated notation for nuclear reactions, namely, T(P,X)R for the reaction injector nucleus P + target T → emitted particle X + residual nucleus R, will be used below. Therefore, isotopes 1 H, 2 H, 3 H and 4 He is labeled when it acts as a target, i.e., a precursor or residual nucleus, in a reaction. 2 H and 3 H is sometimes labeled as D and T, respectively, according to convention. 1 H, 2 H, 3 H and 4 When He appears as an incident nucleus or emitted particle, they are indicated according to the conventions of p, d, t, and α, respectively. Other isotopes are labeled by default in all their roles in the reaction.

[0028] In another preferred embodiment, the inner wall of the cavity is provided with a layer containing a material that emits secondary incident nuclei particles, which are emitted from this layer upon interaction with primary incident nuclei particles or other particles having sufficient momentum. In another embodiment, the cavity may contain within its volume a material capable of emitting secondary incident nuclei particles upon interaction with incident nuclei and / or other particles. The above methods can also be combined. Examples of such materials are: 1 H, 2These are H, and for practical reasons, they may exist in the form of compounds, such as polyethylene or HDPE (high-density polyethylene). The inner wall of the cavity does not need to be completely covered by this layer; it is sufficient if only the covered portion is present. The advantage of this embodiment is the chain growth of incident nuclei particles within the cavity. The primary and secondary incident nuclei particles do not need to be the same. For example, the primary incident nuclei particle may be a proton, and the secondary incident nuclei particle may be, for example, an alpha particle or a neutron.

[0029] In another preferred embodiment, the nuclear target may have multiple openings leading to a plurality of corresponding cavities. This preferred embodiment represents an advantage in the continuous operation of induced exothermic nuclear reactions and / or the production of radioactive isotopes. The nuclear target may be mounted on an electrically operated holder that moves and / or rotates with the nuclear target in any direction. As soon as a sufficient amount of radioactive isotopes is produced by the corresponding induced nuclear reaction or all of the precursors in the cavities of the nuclear target are consumed, the nuclear target is moved so that the incident nuclear particle is directed into one or more subsequent cavities containing precursors that have not yet been consumed.

[0030] In another preferred embodiment, the material of the nuclear target or precursor can be selected according to its respective industrial application. In a particular embodiment advantageous for the production of radioactive isotopes, the following precursors are used. 11 B, 98 Mo, 186 W, or precursor 98 Mo and 2 A mixture of H can be selected. In another embodiment advantageous for the production of isotopes suitable for diagnostic methods using ionizing radiation, the precursor is 185 Re, 187 Re or Nat A group of natural mixtures of Re can be selected. In another embodiment advantageous for industrial applications of spent nuclear waste conversion, a nuclear target precursor is selected, or the nuclear target material is formed with isotopes having longer half-lives. Such isotopes include, 233 U, 235 U, 239It contains fission products of Pu. In this case, as an additional precursor, neutrons (for example, protons) are irradiated after the incident nuclear particle is irradiated. 2 When irradiated with H or deuterons 3 It is also suitable to use materials that H) also provides. In another preferred embodiment for converting nuclear energy into heat, 2 H, 6 Li, 7 Li, 10 B, 11 B, 15 N or a mixture thereof is selected as the precursor.

[0031] In another preferred embodiment, a fluorescent material or scintillator can be applied to the opening and / or a portion of the cavity. The fluorescent material or scintillator provides a dual technical function. The first function is to control the emission of radioactive particles from the cavity of the nuclear target. The emission of radioactive particles does not necessarily have to be subatomic or atomic particles, and may form a macroscopic portion of the cavity that has emitted some of the material from the cavity due to the reaction mechanism. The second technical function is to control the focusing of the beam of incident nuclear particles and their deposition within the cavity of the nuclear target, or to control its optimal shape.

[0032] A second embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for inducing a nuclear reaction as described in claim 12. The method according to the present invention is entirely universal and can be applied to many of the industrial problems described above.

[0033] This method includes the step of providing a beam of incident nuclear particles from a precursor-containing material bulk to be incident on a nuclear target. The essence of the present invention for carrying out this method is that the beam of incident nuclear particles is focused into a cavity of the nuclear target, and the incident nuclear particles are elastically scattered within the cavity at the nucleus of at least one isotopic, the elastic scattering preferably occurring on isotopes contained in the cavity filler and / or on isotopes of the walls of the nuclear target. The incident nuclear particles are elastically scattered until they induce a nuclear reaction on the precursor or until they cause an interaction between the incident nuclear particles and the precursor.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment, the incident nuclear particles are generated by a laser-controlled accelerator. The laser-controlled accelerator is generally considered to be a more compact and less expensive option compared to commonly used accelerators.

[0035] In another preferred embodiment, radiopharmaceuticals can be produced by the method of the present invention, and the incident nuclear particles and precursors are selected according to the following nuclear reactions 11 B(p,n) 11 C, 98 Mo(p,n) 99m Tc, 186 W(p,n) 186 Re, or a precursor 98 Mo and 2 H mixture, and when using incident nuclear d, 2 H(d,n+p) 2 H and / or 2 H(d,n) 3 He simultaneous reaction, and then 98 Mo(p,n) 99m Tc and 98 Mo(n,γ) 99m Tc reaction are induced. 185 Re(n,γ) 186 Re, 187 Re(n,γ) 188 Re reaction is also possible, and in a preferred embodiment, deuterium, more preferably deuterium generated from a laser target and / or deuterium present in the cavity of the nuclear target and activated by elastic collision with any incident nuclear particles, is used as the incident nuclear particle.

[0036] In another preferred embodiment, the nuclei of used nuclear waste are such that the incident nuclear particles and precursors are the following nuclear reactions 233 U(p,fission), 235 U(p,fission), 239 Pu(p,fission), particularly 233 U(n,fission), 235 U(n,fission), <​​​Co can be converted by a method selected according to the Co. During neutron-induced fission, neutrons must be produced by the interaction of a neutron as an incident nuclear particle with a precursor. In certain embodiments, neutron production can be achieved, for example, by an additional incident nuclear particle and a precursor including a deuteron. In the particle interaction of this embodiment, 2 H(d,n) 3 He and / or 2 H(d,n+p) 2 H, or 2 H(d,p) 3 H family continues 2 H(t,n) 4 The reaction of He occurs, or the precursor is tritium. 3 Including H, 3 H(d,n) 4 He reacts.

[0037] In another preferred embodiment, nuclear energy can be converted into heat by this method, and the incident nuclear particle and precursor undergo the following nuclear reaction 3 He(d,p) 4 He, 6 Li(d,α) 4 He, 7 Li(p,α) 4 He, 10 B(p,α) 7 Be, 11 B(p,2α) 4 He, 15 N(p,α) 12 C or 6 Li(p, 3 He) 4 He and the subsequent secondary reaction 6 Li( 3 He, 2α) 1 H and 3 He( 3 He, 2p) 4 He will be chosen according to his own choice. Other possible responses include: 3 H(d,n) 4 He, 2 H(t,n) 4 He, 2 H(n,γ) 3 H,6 Li(n, 3 He) 4 He, 10 B(n,α) 7 Li, 7 Be(n,p) 7 Li, 13 C(n,γ) 14 C, 14 N(n,p) 14 C, 17 O(n,α) 14 C, 21 Ne(n,α) 18 O, 22 Na(n,p) 22 N or 37 Ar(n,α) 34 S is one example. In a more preferred embodiment, heat is conducted from the nuclear target using a heat exchanger.

[0038] A third embodiment of the present invention relates to a device suitable for carrying out the method according to the second embodiment or a preferred embodiment of the present invention, i.e., a device not exclusively used. This device is described in claim 19.

[0039] This device comprises an incident nuclear particle supply source and a nuclear target according to the present invention, wherein the incident nuclear particle supply source is configured to deposit incident nuclear particles into a cavity in the nuclear target according to the present invention.

[0040] In a preferred embodiment, the device comprises a nuclear and a laser target, the nuclear target being a nuclear target according to the present invention, and the laser target being capable of emitting incident nuclear particles upon laser pulse collision. The laser target may be a solid, such as the laser target disclosed in European Patent No. 2833365, or a gas jet target using the laser-wakefield acceleration phenomenon may be used.

[0041] In another preferred embodiment, the device is configured to carry out a method according to the present invention. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0042] [Figure 1a] This is a schematic diagram of a first embodiment of the nuclear target according to the present invention, showing various alternative examples of precursor arrangement within the target. [Figure 1b] This is a schematic diagram of a first embodiment of the nuclear target according to the present invention, showing various alternative examples of precursor arrangement within the target. [Figure 1c] This is a schematic diagram of a first embodiment of the nuclear target according to the present invention, showing various alternative examples of precursor arrangement within the target. [Figure 1d] This is a schematic diagram of a first embodiment of the nuclear target according to the present invention, showing various alternative examples of precursor arrangement within the target. [Figure 1e] This is a schematic diagram of a first embodiment of the nuclear target according to the present invention, showing various alternative examples of precursor arrangement within the target. [Figure 1f] This is a schematic diagram of a first embodiment of the nuclear target according to the present invention, showing various alternative examples of precursor arrangement within the target. [Figure 2a] This is a schematic diagram of a second preferred embodiment of the nuclear target according to the present invention, having first and second portions of a cavity. [Figure 2b] This is a schematic diagram of a second preferred embodiment of the nuclear target according to the present invention, having first and second portions of a cavity. [Figure 3a] This is a schematic diagram of another preferred embodiment of the nuclear target according to the present invention, which includes a laser target capable of generating incident nuclear particles. [Figure 3b] This figure shows a more preferred embodiment having an inserted laser target. [Figure 3c] This figure shows a preferred embodiment comprising a precursor in liquid or gaseous form, which is contained within a cavity of a nuclear target. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a nuclear target cavity according to the present invention, the cavity comprising a layer that emits secondary incident nuclear particles upon interaction with primary incident nuclear particles. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a continuous band equipped with a nuclear target according to the present invention. [Figure 6a]This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a nuclear target equipped with a fluorescent material. [Figure 6b] This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a nuclear target equipped with a fluorescent material. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a nuclear target combined with a heat exchanger. [Figure 8a] This figure shows different embodiments of the geometric shape of the cavity of the nuclear target according to the present invention. [Figure 8b] This figure shows different embodiments of the geometric shape of the cavity of the nuclear target according to the present invention. [Figure 8c] This figure shows different embodiments of the geometric shape of the cavity of the nuclear target according to the present invention. [Figure 8d] This figure shows different embodiments of the geometric shape of the cavity of the nuclear target according to the present invention. [Figure 8e] This figure shows different embodiments of the geometric shape of the cavity of the nuclear target according to the present invention. [Figure 9a] This is a schematic diagram of a device including a laser-controlled accelerator that generates incident nuclear particles containing a nuclear target according to the present invention. [Figure 9b] This is a schematic diagram of a device including a laser-controlled accelerator that generates incident nuclear particles containing a nuclear target according to the present invention. [Figure 10a] This is a schematic diagram of the nuclear target according to the present invention used in the experiment. [Figure 10b] This is a schematic diagram of the nuclear target according to the present invention used in the experiment. [Figure 11] This figure shows the post-experimental analysis of cavities in nuclear targets #1, #2, and #6 according to the present invention. [Figure 12] This figure shows the post-experimental analysis of the height profiles of nuclear targets #1, #2, and #6 according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0043] Radioactive isotopes are produced by impacting or irradiating a nuclear target 1 containing precursors 21 or 22 and / or 23. Precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23 refer to atomic nuclei that interact with the incident nuclear particle 3 to achieve the final product and are commonly known in the art. The final product is often an unstable radioactive isotope that decays further by alpha decay, beta decay and / or gamma decay. The production of the product by the induced nuclear reaction according to the present invention occurs substantially inside the cavity 12 of the nuclear target 1, and at least a portion of the precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23 present in / contained in the cavity 12 interact with the incident nuclear particle 3 and form the final product by nuclear reaction. In most cases, the formed product, often radioactive isotopes, is mixed with other material that consequently forms the nuclear target 1, while the unconverted precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23 remain randomly distributed within the nuclear target 1. Certain portions of precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23 converted into the final product can be separated using chemical methods. One example of a chemical method for separating the converted radioactive isotopes involves dissolving the contents of nuclear target 1 or cavity 12 of target 1 in a strong acid, followed by filtering and precipitating the radioactive isotopes.

[0044] The nuclear target 1 according to the present invention includes at least one nucleus of precursor 21 or 22 and / or precursor 23 inside the cavity 12 within the envelope of the nuclear target 1, which are converted into product nuclei by a nuclear reaction, and an isotope 4 through which the incident nuclear particle 3 is elastically scattered until it interacts with the nuclei of precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23. In the example shown in Figures 1a to 1f, precursors 21 and / or 22 or precursor 23 themselves may be isotopes 4 until the kinetic energy of the incident nuclear particle 3 becomes equal to the energy of the reaction channel. An example of such material is, for example, as the nuclei of precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23 10 B can include p as the incident nuclear particle 3, and the isotope 4 from which the incident nuclear particle 3 is elastically scattered is the stable isotope W (according to Figure 1a, 180 W, 182 W,183 W, 184 W, 186 It is one of W (or a natural mixture thereof), and the resulting nuclear reaction is 10 B(p,α) 7 It is Be. 11 B(p,α) 8 BeSelect can be selected. 8 Be is 8 It further decays according to Be→2α, and isotope 4 of W is used as the nucleus from which the incident nuclear particle 3 is elastically scattered. Another example is, 98 Mo(p,n) 99m The nuclear reaction of Tc may be included, and the isotope 4 from which the incident nuclear particle 3 is elastically scattered is the W isotope 4 that forms the envelope of the nuclear target 1. In another embodiment, the precursor 21 or 22 may be placed within the body of the nuclear target 1, for example, as part of the envelope of the cavity 12 (Figures 1a, 1b, 1d, 1e, and 1f), and / or the precursor 21 or 22 may be placed within the cavity 12 of the nuclear target 1 (Figures 1c, 1d, 1e, and 1f). It is also possible to combine the above arrangements of precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23, as schematically shown in Figures 1d to 1f.

[0045] According to another example of one embodiment, the nuclear target 1 is a natural mixture of boron, i.e., 20% of the precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23, as the nuclei. 10 B and 80% 11B may also be included. Figure 1a schematically shows the ordered distribution of precursors 21 corresponding to circles in cross-section. In this embodiment, each precursor 21 can be implanted into the body of the nuclear target 1 using various chemical-physical processes such as chemical vapor deposition or physical vapor deposition (CVD or PVD, respectively). Figure 1b schematically shows the situation in which precursors 22 are deposited in a defined area to form a bulk of material having a cavity 12. Figure 1c shows one embodiment in which precursor 23 is directly placed in the cavity 12 of the nuclear target 1, i.e., precursor 23 is not embedded in the material of the nuclear target 1 but is placed in a portion of the cavity 12 of the nuclear target 1 and used as a filler for the cavity 12. Precursors 22 can also be directly placed in the cavity 12 of the nuclear target 1 using known methods of PVD, CVD or ion implantation, or as a bulk of material. Figure 1d schematically shows possible combinations of the placement of the two precursors 22 and 23. Similarly, it is possible to provide one embodiment according to Figure 1e in which precursors 21 and 23 are present and the first precursor 21 forms a portion of the bulk of material. The second precursor 23 is placed within the cavity 12. The first and second precursors 21 and / or 22 and 23 according to Figure 1f may be the same isotope. In another embodiment, the isotopic compositions of the first and second precursors 21 and / or 22 or 23 are different according to Figure 1f, respectively. The preferred embodiments according to Figures 1d to 1f can be used particularly in the field of thermogeneration by fission reactions. In this preferred embodiment, the nuclear target 1 has an envelope containing, for example, isotopes 233 U, 235 U and 239 It may contain precursors 21 and / or 22 containing Pu. At the same time, the nuclear target 1 comprises a cavity 12 filled with a precursor 23 that at least partially functions as a filler. The second precursor 23 emits neutrons that, when interacting with the incident nuclear particle 3, can initiate a fission reaction in the precursors 21 and / or 22. 3 It may be H or LiD. Finally, as a result of the interaction between the precursors 21 and / or 22 and 23 selected above and the incident nuclear particle 3, an exothermic nuclear reaction occurs.

[0046] In another embodiment, the nuclear target 1 can be increased in concentration, for example, the target can be increased in concentration up to 90% 10 It contains B, thereby inducing a suitable reaction scheme by the nuclear reaction described above. The distribution of precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23, for example, higher concentrations of precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23 at the edge of nuclear target 1, can also be selected according to its intended use. It is also possible to use two types of precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23, or to use a simultaneous arrangement, for example, the arrangement shown in Figures 1d to 1f.

[0047] The nuclear target 1 may be substantially planar in shape and comprises an opening 11 and a cavity 12 provided in the bulk material located behind the opening 11. The cavity 12 can take any shape. Figures 1a to 1d show schematic cross-sections of the nuclear target 1, where a portion of the cross-section of the cavity 12 corresponds to a substantially circular shape. In another embodiment, for example, according to Figure 8, the cross-sectional shape of the cavity 12 can correspond to an elliptical, square, mushroom-shaped, or polygonal cross-section with a tapered opening 11. However, the nuclear target 1 always has an opening 11 for the incident nuclear particle 3 to enter the cavity 12 of the nuclear target 1.

[0048] In a preferred embodiment schematically shown in Figure 2a, the cavity 12 can be formed from two parts. The first part 121 represents a narrower portion of the cavity 12 through which the incident nuclear particle 3 passes. In the second part 122 of the cavity 12, which has a larger volume than the first part 121, the incident nuclear particle 3 is deposited and either elastically scattered over the nucleus of the isotope 4 or induces a nuclear reaction on specific precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23. The advantage of the narrow portion 121 of the cavity 12 in the nuclear target 1 is that it minimizes backscattered particles 31 emanating from the nuclear target 1 outside the region of the cavity 12. Another advantage of the cavity 12 having parts 121 and 122 is that it does not require the beam 3 of the incident nuclear particle 3 to be focused perpendicular to the nuclear target 1. The beam of the incident nuclear particle 3 can be deposited in the cavity 12 at a specific angle, for example, according to Figure 2b. The elastic scattering of the incident nuclear particles 3 within the cavity 12 ensures that there is a sufficient amount of trapped incident nuclear particles 3 to induce a sufficient number of nuclear reactions on the precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23.

[0049] The aperture 11 of the nuclear target 1 facilitates the entry of incident nuclear particles 3, such as protons, deuterons, and light nuclei, which can be accelerated by commonly used particle accelerators. In another embodiment, a laser-controlled accelerator may be used. In yet another embodiment, a parallel beam of incident nuclear particles 3 from a static emitter such as AmBe, RaBe, or PuBe may also be used. For neutrons used as incident nuclear particles 3, a parallel beam of neutrons arriving from a spallation source or a nuclear fission reactor may also be used. The incident nuclear particles 3 pass through the aperture 11 of the nuclear target 1 and are deposited in its cavity 12. Ideally, exactly two possible interactions occur within the cavity 12. The first interaction consists of induced nuclear reactions between the incident nuclear particles 3 and precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23, where the incident nuclear particles 3 and precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23 are appropriately selected depending on the industrial application. In the other example of the desired interaction, the incident nuclear particle 3 is elastically scattered over the isotope 4, dissipating its kinetic energy, and then the incident nuclear particle 3 interacts with a desired nuclear reaction selected from the possible interaction channels, and the nuclear reaction occurs on precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23.

[0050] The volume of nuclear target 1, the thickness of the walls of nuclear target 1, the size and shape of the cavity 12, the distribution of precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23, and other generally required parameters of nuclear target 1 are appropriately selected according to the desired nuclear reaction and related industrial applications. These parameters can be determined using commonly used computer programs.

[0051] The final product of the reaction between the incident nuclear particle 3 and the nuclei of precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23 may be, for example, a radioisotope used in radiotherapy, or a radioisotope used for imaging and / or material diagnosis in medical applications. In another embodiment, the final product may be a stable isotope 4 having a short half-life and / or a moderate half-life. In yet another embodiment, the final product may be a stable isotope 4 produced by an exothermic nuclear reaction, which can then be converted to heat 9 in a thermal converter 91.

[0052] In the embodiments shown in Figures 3a and 3b, the nuclear target 1 may further comprise a laser target 5 having a layer 50 that emits incident nuclear particles 3 when the back surface 51 of the layer 50 is exposed to a laser beam. Thus, a beam of accelerated incident nuclear particles 3 is emitted from the layer 50 and can be used to induce a nuclear reaction within the cavity 12 of the nuclear target 1 according to the present invention. In the embodiment shown in Figure 3a, the laser target 5 with the layer 50 is fixedly positioned in front of the opening 11 of the nuclear target 1. After the laser pulse 52 strikes, the incident nuclear particles 3 are emitted directly into the cavity 12 of the nuclear target 1, where they either induce a nuclear reaction or are elastically scattered. The emission of the incident nuclear particles 3 can be provided using the TNSA mechanism (M. Roth, M. Schollmeier. Ion Acceleration-Target Normal Sheath Acceleration. Vol. 1 (2016): Proceedings of the 2014 CAS-CERN Accelerator School: Plasma Wake Acceleration, DOI: https: / / doi.org / 10.5170 / CERN-2016-001.231). In another embodiment shown in Figure 3b, the laser target 5 is positioned in the cavity 12 of the nuclear target 1, inserted in front of the aperture 11, allowing the incident nuclear particles 3 to be accelerated into the cavity 12 of the nuclear target 1. The advantage of insertion between the laser target 5 and the aperture 11 of the nuclear target 1 is the possibility of using laser wakefield acceleration by positioning a vacuum pump 6 to suck out impurities emitted from the laser target 5 under the influence of a laser pulse 52. A preferred embodiment also presents an offset of the laser target 5 with the layer 50 when the material of the nuclear target 1 is conductive, thereby providing shielding between the electromagnetic pulse of the laser radiation and the nuclear target 1. When the incident nuclear particle 3 represents a mixture of isotopes 4, the insert makes it possible to configure a time sequence in which the incident nuclear particle 3 collides with and interacts with precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23, or a time sequence in which it interacts with the products of the previous wave interaction of the incident nuclear particle 3 with precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23.Such an exemplary embodiment having a time sequence of incidence of the incident nuclear particles 3 into the cavity 12 is described in Torrisi, Lorenzo & Cavallaro, Stefano & Cutroneo, M. & Krasa, Josef & Klir, Daniel. (2014). DD nuclear fusion induced by laser-generated plasma at 10¹⁶ W cm. -2 The intensity can be obtained from Physica Scripta. 2014. 014026.10.1088 / 0031-8949 / 2014 / T161 / 014026. The sequence of incident nuclear particles 3 and their interactions with precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23 are provided by more complex laser target configurations 5, such as the "catcher-pitcher" configuration reported by D. Margarone, et.al. (2020). Generation of a-Particle Beams With a Multi-kJ, Peta-Watt Class Laser System. Frontiers in Physics, September 2020, Vol B, Article 343.

[0053] A preferred embodiment with the laser target 5 can provide not only high-energy beams of hadron particles such as protons, light nuclei, heavy nuclei (e.g., Au), or neutrons, but also electron beams that do not require complex beam transport. The preferred embodiment shown in Figure 3b, in particular, enables the use of laser-controlled accelerators, which are generally considered a more compact and less expensive alternative to conventional accelerators.

[0054] Figure 3c further schematically illustrates another embodiment comprising a nuclear target 1 and a laser target 5. The region between the laser target 5 and the nuclear target 1 is closed to prevent fluid exchange with the surrounding environment. The closed region can then be filled with a liquid or gas containing the precursor 23.

[0055] In another preferred embodiment, the material, structure, and thickness of the laser target 5 can be selected such that a well-selected focal point of the laser pulse (pulse cross section) using the TNSA mechanism results in the generation of an optimal spectrum of the incident nuclear particle in both the particle intensity and energy spectrum. In a particular example of the embodiment, the isotopic composition of the nuclear target 1 is selected to consist of exactly two isotopes. The first isotopes are precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23, which are located within the envelope and / or cavity 12 of the nuclear target 1. The second isotope is the nucleus from which the incident nuclear particle 3 is elastically scattered. This embodiment offers the advantage that immediately after impact of the incident nuclear particle 3, only interaction with precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23 is permitted, or the incident nuclear particle 3 is elastically scattered over the isotope 4 until it interacts with the nuclei of precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23. In the next step, the products of the ongoing nuclear reaction with the incident nuclear particle 3 can also enter the process. This is for example Torrisi, Lorenzo & Cavallaro, Stefano & Cutroneo, M. & Krasa, Josef & Klir, Daniel. (2014). DD nuclear fusion induced by laser-generated plasma at 1016 W cm -2 As reported by intensity. Physica Scripta. 2014. 014026. 10.1088 / 0031-8949 / 2014 / T161 / 014026, ions with smaller mass numbers may reach cavity 12 with a specific delay. Ultimately, the yield of the nuclear reaction increases.

[0056] In the example shown in Figure 4, a layer 32 is provided inside 123 of the cavity 12 of the nuclear target 1. The layer 32 contains nuclei that can emit secondary incident nuclear particles 320 after interacting with incident nuclear particles 3. Figure 4 shows a particular embodiment with a laser target 5. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the technical function of the layer 32 is completely separable from the technical function of the laser target 5 and can therefore be implemented without further technical difficulty in any embodiment according to Figures 1a-1f and / or Figures 2a, 2b, for example, or can be combined with any of the above examples to provide advantageous technical effects. More specifically, for example, the technical function of the layer 32 according to the embodiment shown in Figure 4 can be used and implemented in the embodiment according to Figure 2a or 3b, i.e., it is possible to configure the cavity 12 of the nuclear target 1 in first part 121 and second part 122 so that backscattered particles 31 collide with the layer 32, or to provide a laser target 5 in the nuclear target 1 having the layer 32. The technical functions remain completely separable, including the advantages provided. Subsequently, layer 32 can emit additional secondary incident nuclear particles 320 as a result of its interaction with the primary incident nuclear particles 3. This preferred embodiment offers the possibility of a chain reaction, i.e., the emission of more incident nuclear particles 3 into the cavity 12 than were initially deposited by the beam of primary incident nuclear particles 3. Similarly, this advantage can be achieved by a suitable combination of precursors 23 in the cavity 12. For example, if the laser target 5 is made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), protons and carbon ions can be present between the incident nuclear particles 3. 12 C will exist. Hydrogen also, for example, 11 If present with precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23 along with B, its nucleus-proton undergoes a second-order reaction with the incident nucleus to reach 150 keV (approximately 240.3 × 10⁻¹⁶). -16 It can be gradually accelerated to an energy of kJ or more, thereby enabling further reactions, for example 11 B(p,2α) 4 He enables the hydrogen nucleus in precursor 23, the previous p 11 It can also be accelerated by the alpha particles formed in the B reaction.

[0057] Figure 5 shows a band having multiple nuclear targets 1 according to the present invention, each comprising multiple openings 11 and cavities 12. This embodiment represents the advantages of moving the nuclear targets 1 in direction 7. When a certain number of precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23 have been consumed within the volume of the first cavity 12, the nuclear target 1 is moved in direction 7 such that the beam of incident nuclear particles 3, along with the unconsumed precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23, is directed into the next cavity 12, thereby allowing for the continuation of the induction of a nuclear reaction. This example can be used, for example, in the case of an exothermic nuclear reaction by a heat exchanger 91 positioned around the nuclear target 1. Another advantage of this embodiment is that the nuclear targets 1 can form an endless band irradiated by a single source of incident nuclear particles 3, and the nuclear targets 1 move in direction 7 as needed.

[0058] Figures 6a and 6b show one embodiment of the nuclear target 1 with a fluorescent material 8 applied to the opening 11. More specifically, the fluorescent material 8 is provided outside 110 of the opening 11. Gd3Ga3Al2O 12Commonly used fluorescent materials 8 such as CeMg can be used. Figure 6 shows a situation in which an incident nuclear particle 3 is generated from the laser target 5 by a laser-controlled accelerator with a laser pulse 52 focused onto the laser target 5. The incident nuclear particle 3 is emitted into the cavity 12 of the nuclear target 1 while interacting with the nuclei of precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23. In one embodiment, the interaction between the incident nuclear particle 3 and the nuclei of precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23 may be an exothermic nuclear reaction. Situations may arise in which an excessive amount of gas 9 is emitted into the cavity 12 of the nuclear target 1 as a secondary product of the interaction, or such situations may occur because the shape of the cavity 12 is not perfectly optimal, causing a large backflow of particles in the opposite direction to the pulse 52. As a result, a portion of the interior of the cavity 12 may peel off and be emitted outward in direction 81. Emissions in direction 81 do not necessarily represent atomic particles and / or subatomic particles, or backscattered incident nuclear particles 31, but may be small particles visible to the naked eye. In the scenario described above, the fluorescent material 8 provides a safety feature that can detect whether a portion of the nuclear target 1 has detached and gone outside the region of the cavity 12. This advantageous embodiment can also be used when handling hazardous isotopes 4, such as fission products. An embodiment in Figure 6a shows the fluorescent material 8, which may be mixed with the precursor 23 in the cavity 12. Similarly, Figure 6b shows an application of the fluorescent material 8 that can help optimize the intensity and energy spectrum of the incident nuclear particle 3. This involves intentionally defocusing the laser beam. If the laser is misaligned, the pulse track 52 may not optimally overlap with the aperture 11. The subsequent distribution of the fluorescent material 8 after irradiation can be used to optimize the internal shape of the cavity 12 according to the intended use, for example, the shape of the cavity 12 can be optimized according to Figure 8. Figure 8e shows a preferred embodiment of the shape of the cavity 12 of the nuclear target 1, where the shape of the cavity 12 is optimized so that backscattered particles are further reflected into the cavity 12. The nuclear target 1 shown in Figure 8e consists of several segments 13 that offer advantages in fabricating essentially arbitrary shapes for the cavity 12 of the nuclear target 1.The individual segments 13 of the nuclear target 1 are assembled to effectively prevent the scattering of incident nuclear particles 3 outside the region of the cavity 12. Thus, the cavity shape is optimized for potential yield losses of nuclear reactions.

[0059] The embodiments described above can be combined with preferred nuclear reactions selected according to the use of the present invention. In one embodiment, for example, according to Torris, L. and Cutroneo, M., “Triple nuclear Reactions (d, n) in laser-generated plasma from deuterated targets”, Physics of Plasmas, vol.24, no. 6. 2017. doi: 10.1063 / 1.4984997, for example, a polymer (CD2) in which hydrogen nuclei are substituted with deuterium nuclei. n -A nuclear target 1 further comprising a laser target 5 consisting of a polyethylene layer 50 can be used. The nuclear target 1 can be made of tungsten. 6 LiD and / or 7 LiD or Nat The LiD is filled with precursors 21 or 22 and 23. The accelerated beam of deuterons, carbon nuclei, and proton mixture forms a beam of incident nuclear particles 3 emitted from the laser target 5 toward the cavity 12 of the nuclear target 1. The incident nuclear particles 3 collide with the nuclei of precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23 contained in the cavity 12 of the nuclear target 1. This induces the respective nuclear reactions inside the cavity 12 of the nuclear target 1, resulting in DD and Li-D ( 7 Li(d,n) 8 In the case of the Be) reaction, a neutron is produced. The incident nuclear particle 3, which does not collide with the nuclei of precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23, is elastically scattered in isotope 4 or in the nuclei of the products of the reaction produced by the incident nuclear particle 3 with precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23 until the respective nuclear reactions occur on precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23.

[0060] In another example, the laser target 5 may consist of a layer 50 of HDPE. In this example, the accelerated incident nuclear particles 3, which are protons, are generated from the laser target 5, for example, in powdered amorphous form. 10 B and / or 11 B or Nat A nuclear reaction is induced with precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23 in form B. In this example, the reaction 11 B(p,n) 11 C and the ongoing 11 B(p,α) 8 Be and 10 B(p,α) 7 A parallel reaction with Be is possible. Then, the resulting radioactive isotopes can be chemically separated, and one of the resulting products, namely, 11 C is a pure positron emitter with a half-life of 20 minutes and can be used for medical diagnostics or for diagnosing defects in materials. In another embodiment, the laser target 5 is a polymer film (CD2) capable of emitting deuterons. n This can be made into layer 50, 185 Re, 187 Re, or Nat Natural mixtures of Re can be used as precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23 within nuclear target 1. Natural rhenium is present in a ratio of 37.4:62.6. 185 Re and 187 It consists of two isotopes of Re. In this example, if the incident nuclear particle 3, a deuteron, is produced from the laser target 5, and the deuteron is contained in precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23 in the cavity 12 of the nuclear target 1, 2 H(d,n) 3 He or 2 H(d,n+p) 2 The nuclear reaction of H results in the production of neutrons, and then, 185 Re(n,γ) 186 Re, 187 Re(n,γ) 188 Re's response was, 99m Tc, used in medicine, has half-lives of 90 hours and 17 hours. 186 Re and 188 This leads to the production of radioactive nuclides.

[0061] In another example, the reaction 3 He(d,p) 4 He, 6 Li(d,α) 4 He, 7 Li(p,α) 4 He, 10 B(p,α) 7 Be, 11 B(p,2α) 4 He, 15 N(p,α) 12 C or 6 Li(p, 3 He) 4 He can be used, and then a secondary reaction can be initiated for the purpose of inducing an exothermic nuclear reaction. 3 He( 6 Li, 2α) 1 H and 3 He( 3 He, 2p) 4 He follows. Other possible exothermic nuclear reactions include: 3 H(d,n) 4 He, 2 H(n,γ) 3 H, 6 Li(n, 3 He) 4 He, 10 B(n,α) 7 Li, 7 Be(n,p) 7 Li, 13 C(n,γ) 14 C, 14 N(n,p) 14 C, 17 O(n,α) 14 C, 21 Ne(n,α) 18 O, 22 Na(n,p) 22 N or 37 Ar(n,α) 34S is one example. The released energy can be converted into heat 9. Figures 6 and 7 schematically illustrate an example in which heat 9 is generated within the nuclear target 1. Figure 7 schematically illustrates the incident nuclear particle 3 generated from the synchrotron 301. Considering the preferred embodiment described above, a commonly used incident nuclear particle accelerator 301 can be used as the generator of the incident nuclear particle 3. The incident nuclear particle 3 induces an exothermic nuclear reaction within the nuclear target 1 upon collision with the nuclei of precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23, generating heat 9 within the cavity 12 of the nuclear target 1. The heat 9 is then conducted by a heat exchanger 91 outside the nuclear target 1. The heat exchanger 91 can then be connected to a steam generator for generating electrical energy. The nuclear target 1 can be placed together with the exchanger 91 within a containment vessel 92 in accordance with the respective nuclear safety regulations.

[0062] In the following examples of embodiments, the present invention discloses a method for inducing a nuclear reaction. In a first step, a beam of incident nuclear particles 3 is provided. In a preferred embodiment, the incident nuclear particles 3 have a spectrum and intensity optimized with respect to a desired reaction. These incident nuclear particles 3 are deposited into a cavity 12 of a nuclear target 1 containing the nuclei of precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23. The incident nuclear particles 3 induce a nuclear reaction or are elastically scattered in isotopes 4 of the material from which the nuclear target 1 is made. In a particular step of the method of the present invention, after the induced reaction has burned up, the radioisotope production method may be terminated or repeated, the repetition may take place in the same cavity 12 of the nuclear target 1, or the nuclear target 1 may be further moved, and the incident nuclear particles 3 are focused into a new cavity 12 containing precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23 that have not been previously consumed.

[0063] One method for detecting the number of nuclear reactions that have occurred on precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23 is to measure the ionizing radiation emitted from nuclear target 1. In one embodiment, nuclear reactions 10 B(p,α) 7 You can use Be, and by doing so, 7Gamma radiation is detected from the de-excitation of Be. Subsequently, monitoring of gamma radiation can serve as an indicator of the number of induced nuclear reactions.

[0064] The accelerated incident nuclear particle 3 may be a positive ion that can induce nuclear fusion or fission with other materials in the cavity 12 of the nuclear target 1.

[0065] In certain cases, it is possible to induce many reactions other than those described above by combining the materials of the irradiated nuclear target 1, preferably by generating incident nuclear particles 3 accelerated by the laser target 5.

[0066] Another combination involves a proton as the high-energy incident nuclear particle 3, and precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23. 16 This includes collisions with the O nucleus. The collisions are 16 O(p,α) 13 It can induce nuclear reactions of N, 13 N is a short-lived radioactive isotope that can decay further through alpha decay.

[0067] In another embodiment, the proton as the accelerated incident nuclear particle 3 is the nucleus of precursor 21 and / or 22 and / or 23. 18 It collides with nuclear target 1 containing O, thereby triggering nuclear fusion. 18 O(p,n) 18 Inducing F, 18 F is a radioactive isotope with a half-life of 10⁹ minutes.

[0068] In another example, a proton acting as an accelerated incident nuclear particle 3, 10 It collided with nuclear target 1, which included B. 10 B(p,α) 7 It induces a nuclear reaction of Be, 7 Be is a radioactive isotope with a half-life of 53 days.

[0069] In another example, a proton acting as an accelerated incident nuclear particle 3, 15It collides with nuclear target 1 containing N, 15 N(p,n) 15 It induces a nuclear reaction of O, 15 O is a radioactive isotope with a short half-life.

[0070] It is possible to generate positive ion incident nuclei 3 by using other incident nuclei 3 or by using another laser target 5. In certain embodiments, it is possible to generate positive ion incident nuclei 3. 12 C(d,n) 13 Precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23 can induce a nuclear reaction of N. 12 This may also be a high-energy deuteron directed into the cavity 12 of nuclear target 1 containing a nucleus of C. 13 N is a radioactive isotope with a short half-life.

[0071] In another example, a deuteron as the accelerated incident nuclear particle 3 and precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23 14 The collision with the N nucleus, 14 N(d,n) 15 It can induce a nuclear reaction of O, 15 O is a radioactive isotope with a short half-life.

[0072] In another example, a deuteron as the accelerated incident nuclear particle 3 and precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23 20 The collision of Ne with the nucleus 20 Ne(d,α) 18 It can induce a nuclear reaction of F, 18 F is a radioactive isotope with a short half-life.

[0073] In other examples, neutrons can be used as incident nuclear particles 3, and the neutrons can be accelerated by a two-stage laser target 5, with protons generated by the first laser target striking a second laser target fabricated with, for example, LiF. Furthermore, stripping reactions are used in reactions with precursors 21 and / or 22 and / or 23 as part of the deuterons, and the neutrons are, for example, 2 H(d,n) 3 He,2 H(d,n+p) 2 H reaction, especially 3 H(d,n) 4 He can generate it directly within cavity 12.

[0074] In another embodiment, neutrons also, 2 H(d,n) 3 He, 2 H(d,n+p) 2 H reaction, especially 3 H(d,n) 4 It can be used as the injector nuclear particle 3 for fission using a scheme involving He.

[0075] In another example, the nuclear target 1 can be made to have its concentration increased with the nuclei of burnt nuclear fuel or can be made from the material of burnt nuclear fuel, and the tritium precursor 23 that is struck by the incident nuclear particle 3 (deuteron) is placed in the cavity 12, 233 U(n, fission), 235 U(n, fission), 239 The Pu(n, nuclear fission) reaction generates neutron pulses that cause the nuclei of heavy nuclei to undergo nuclear fission.

[0076] Figure 9a schematically shows a laser-controlled laser beam emission accelerator that irradiates a laser target 5 with laser pulses 52. The laser target 5 consists of an inversion layer 51 exposed to the laser pulses 52, and the laser target 5 is provided with a layer 50 that generates incident nuclear particles 3 accelerated toward a cavity 12 of a nuclear target 1 by the TNSA mechanism. The accelerated incident nuclear particles 3 enter the cavity 12 through an opening 11, and then enter the wider part 122 of the cavity 12 through a narrower portion 121 of the cavity 12. In the cavity 12, the incident nuclear particles 3 collide with the nuclei of the precursor 23 or are elastically scattered by the isotopes 4. The narrower portion 121 of the cavity 12 prevents backscattered incident nuclear particles 31 from advancing out of the cavity 12. In the example shown in Figure 9a, the nuclear target 1 is separated from the laser target 5, which is part of the laser accelerator.

[0077] In another example of the embodiment schematically shown in Figure 9b, the nuclear target 1 can be pre-equipped with a laser target 5, i.e., it can be firmly fixed to the nuclear target 1 so that incident nuclear particles 3 are emitted from the laser target 5 after the laser pulse 52 collides with the cavity 12 of the nuclear target 1. In the example according to Figure 9b, the device further comprises the nuclear target 1 including a fluorescent material 8 deposited on the outside 110 of the opening 11. Thus, the layer 50 that emits incident nuclear particles does not need to be part of the accelerator and can be supplied together with the nuclear target 1 as a single product. The pre-configured laser target 5 offers the advantage of at least partially shielding the electromagnetic pulses caused by the high-power pulsed laser. This arrangement also allows the use of a liquid precursor 23.

[0078] Experimental example The experimental apparatus was specifically designed for the behavior of nuclear targets according to the present invention. Schematic diagrams corresponding to the experimental proof are shown in Figures 10a and 10b.

[0079] The experimental apparatus, as shown in Figure 10a, includes a matrix of six tungsten nuclear targets. Each nuclear target contains a cylindrical cavity with a diameter of 1 mm and a depth of 0.8 mm, as shown in Figure 10a. The total thickness of the nuclear targets was 1.6 mm. The cavities were covered with 23 μm thick Mylar foil. Each cavity contained a precursor and was filled with coumarin, which generates luminescence under UV light. A schematic diagram of the nuclear targets with the cavity matrix is ​​shown in Figure 10b. The following table shows the numbering of the cavities as schematically shown in Figure 10b and the laser shots performed on each cavity of the nuclear targets. Medium laser contrast 10 -9 A laser pulse (30 fs) with a non-relativistic intensity (approximately 10) is emitted. 17 W / cm 2 The following results were obtained. The laser pulse energy used was 6 joules or 10 joules, as shown in the table.

[0080] [Table 1]

[0081] In the experiment, the laser shot was directed into a cavity covered with Mylar foil. According to the inventors' observations, the laser shot, regardless of the energy of the laser pulse, produced no effect on the tungsten surface of the nuclear target. It was particularly evident in target #2 that the laser shot missed the cavity and struck the tungsten surface. The coumarin filler is not ejected from the cavity by the laser shot and can therefore be efficiently used for monitoring nuclear reactions within it. Powdered target materials with low atomic number Z allow for a sufficiently long mean free path for rescattering of both incident nuclei and secondary particles, resulting in dissipation of beam energy within a given volume of the target. In contrast, the high-Z tungsten body of a target with a large Coulomb barrier reflects beam particles without any apparent change in the target body at given beam parameters. The inventors further provide post-experimental analyses for each cavity intended for the shot. A representative example is shown in Figure 11. Figure 12 shows the depth analysis of each target following the lines shown in Figure 11. [Industrial applicability]

[0082] Because this invention represents to some extent a universal method for inducing nuclear reactions, it can be applied to several industries. In a specific industrial application, the invention can be used to produce radioactive isotopes, particularly radiopharmaceuticals. In another industrial application, the invention can be used for the conversion of burning nuclear fuel so that hazardous nuclear waste is converted into stable isotopes or isotopes with at least a short half-life. In a third, though not last, industrial application, the invention can be used to generate heat from controlled nuclear reactions. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0083] 1 nuclear target 11 Aperture 110 Outside of the opening 12 Cavity 121 The first part of the cavity having a narrower cross-section 122 Second part of the cavity with an enlarged cross-section 123 Inside the cavity 13 Nuclear Target Segments 21 Precursors injected into the nuclear target material surrounding the cavity 22 Precursors that form cavities 23 Precursors within cavities 3 Incident nuclear particle 31 Backscatter particles 32 Layers that provide secondary incident nuclei 320 Secondary incident nuclear particle 301 Synchroton 4 Isotopes 5. Laser targets 50 Layer that emits incident nuclear particles 51 The back surface of layer 5 exposed to the laser beam 52 laser pulses 6. Vacuum pump 7-way shift 8. Fluorescent substances 81 Emission (macroscopic) particle direction 9 fever 91 Heat exchanger 92 Containment vessel

Claims

1. A nuclear target that forms a bulk, comprising at least one precursor capable of inducing a nuclear reaction upon interaction with an incident nuclear particle, The aforementioned nuclear target is - At least one aperture for the passage of the beam of incident nuclear particles, - Provided in the bulk of the nuclear target located behind the opening, and having a cavity wider than the opening Includes, - The cavity contains and / or is formed by the precursor, - The nuclear target includes at least one isotope from which the incident nuclear particle is elastically scattered. nuclear target.

2. The isotope from which the incident nuclear particle is elastically scattered is - An isotope having a different nucleus from the precursor, or - An isotope with the same nucleus as the precursor. The nuclear target according to claim 1, wherein the incident nuclear particle that collides has a kinetic energy exceeding the threshold energy for inducing the nuclear reaction.

3. The nuclear target according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the nuclear target is formed by the precursor that forms the cavity and / or contains the precursor within the cavity.

4. The nuclear target according to claim 1, wherein the nuclear target comprises at least two identical or different precursors located at different positions within the nuclear target.

5. The nuclear target according to claim 1, wherein the nuclear target comprises two isotopes, the first isotope being the precursor, and the second isotope being the isotope from which the incident nuclear particle is elastically scattered.

6. The nuclear target according to claim 1, further comprising a laser target capable of emitting incident nuclear particles after interaction with laser radiation.

7. The nuclear target according to claim 1, wherein a layer of material is provided inside the cavity, and / or the cavity contains the material that emits secondary incident nuclear particles in the event of an interaction of incident nuclear particles or an interaction of other particles generated by an interaction within the cavity.

8. The nuclear target according to claim 1, wherein the nuclear target is provided with a plurality of openings and a corresponding number of cavities.

9. The nuclear target according to claim 1, wherein the nuclear target comprises an isotope selected from nuclei having a threshold for inelastic scattering with the incident nuclear particle or the precursor nucleus, or the nucleus of the product of the reaction of the incident nucleus with the precursor is higher in energy than the interacting nucleus.

10. The nuclear target according to claim 1, wherein a fluorescent substance or scintillator is provided in part of the opening and / or cavity.

11. The nuclear target according to claim 1, wherein the nuclear target comprises a plurality of segments configured to form a single block of material, and the shape of the cavity is configured to suppress the scattering of the incident nuclear particles outside the region of the cavity.

12. A method for inducing a nuclear reaction, - A step of providing a beam of incident nuclear particles that collide with a nuclear target according to any one of claims 1 to 11. In a method including, - The beam of the incident nuclear particles is focused into the cavity of the nuclear target, - The incident nuclear particle is elastically scattered within the cavity of the nuclear target at the nucleus of at least one isotope until the incident nuclear particle interacts with the precursor. A method for inducing a nuclear reaction.

13. The method for inducing a nuclear reaction according to claim 12, wherein the incident nuclear particles are generated by a laser-driven accelerator.

14. In a method for generating a radioisotope, the method includes a method for inducing the nuclear reaction according to claim 12, wherein the incident nuclear particle is selected from the group of p, d, n, and the precursor is ２ H, ３ H, １０ B and / or １１ B or Ｎａｔ B, ９９ Mo, １８６ W, １８５ Re, １８７ Re or Ｎａｔ A method for generating a radioisotope selected from the group of natural mixtures of Re.

15. A method for nuclear waste transmutation, wherein the method comprises a method for producing a radioactive isotope according to claim 14, wherein the incident nuclear particle is selected from the group consisting of p, d, and n, and the precursor is selected from nuclear waste products.

16. A method for inducing an exothermic nuclear reaction, wherein the method includes the method for inducing a nuclear reaction according to claim 12, and the nuclear reaction is ３ He(d,p) ４ He, ６ Li(d, α) ４ He, ７ Li(p, α) ４ He, １０ B(p, α) ７ Be, １１ B(p, 2α) ４ He, １５ N(p, α) １２ C, ６ Li(p, ３ He) ４ Selected from the He group, then a secondary reaction ６ Li ( ３ He, 2α) １ H and ３ He ( ３ He, 2p) ４ He, ３ H(d,n) ４ He, ２ H(t,n) ４ He, ２ H(n,γ) ３ H, ６ Li(n, ３ He) ４ He, １０ B(n, α) ７ Li, ７ Be(n, p) ７ Li, １３ C(n,γ) １４ C, １４ N(n, p) １４ C, １７ O(n, α) １４ C, ２１ Ne(n, α) １８ O, ２２ Na(n, p) ２２ Ne or ３７ Ar(n, α) ３４ A method for inducing a heat-induced nuclear reaction, where S is the next letter.

17. A method for recovering heat from an exothermic nuclear reaction, wherein the method includes the method described in claim 15, and the heat is conducted to a heat exchanger.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the incident nuclear particles emitted from the laser target sequentially collide with the cavities of the nuclear target according to the weight and / or mass-to-charge ratio of the incident nuclear particles.

19. A device suitable for the production of radioactive isotopes, comprising a source of incident nuclear particles that can be adjusted so that the incident nuclear particles are directed toward a cavity in a nuclear target, wherein the nuclear target is the nuclear target described in claim 1.

20. The device is suitable for generating radioactive isotopes according to claim 19, comprising a laser target capable of emitting incident nuclear particles after a laser pulse has collided with it, wherein the laser target is positioned in front of the opening of the nuclear target such that the emitted incident nuclear particles are directed into the cavity of the nuclear target.

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