A new technique for the production of F-17 beams

We have demonstrated that radioactive beams of (AlF+)-F-17 can be produced with intensities as high as 3 x 10(8) ions/s using the conventional Isotope Separation On-Line (ISOL) technique employing fibrous HfO2 target material and an external source of Al vapor. Commercially available HfO2 cloth comp osed of Phi = 4-6 mu m fibers packed to similar to 12% of the bulk density of HfO2, was irradiated with similar to 2 mu A of 44 MeV deuterons from the Oak Ridge Isochronous Cyclotron (ORIC). The target material (1.6 g/cm(2)) was contained in a high-temperature reservoir which was coupled through a h eated transfer line, to a conventional plasma ion source where the radioact ive ion beam was extracted. During irradiation, a flux of elemental Al vapo r was directed through the fibrous material forming a transportable molecul e which was then extracted from the source as (AlF+)-F-17. A detailed descr iption of this technique is given and the results of this initial experimen t are discussed. The target system was used to inject F-17 into the tandem electrostatic accelerator at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (H RIBF) and used to study the F-17(plp)F-17 excitation function in the F-17 e nergy range of 10-12 MeV. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All r ights reserved.