Speaker
Description
At the RIKEN RI Beam Factory, Wako, Japan, we have been developing production technologies of radioisotopes (RIs) and conducting RI application studies in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, medicine, pharmaceutical and environmental sciences [1]. Using light- to heavy-ion beams from the RIKEN AVF cyclotron, we produce over 100 RIs from 7Be (Z = 4) to 262Db (Z = 105). In superheavy element (SHE) chemistry, we investigate the properties of Rf (Z = 104) and Db in aqueous solutions in collaboration with Univ. Osaka, Kanazawa Univ., Niigata Univ., and JAEA. In nuclear medicine, we develop production technologies for 211At and 225Ac via the 209Bi(α,2n)211At and 226Ra(p,2n)225Ac reactions for targeted α-particle therapy (TAT).
We also produce multitracers from metallic targets (e.g., natTi, natAg) irradiated with a 135-MeV/nucleon 14N beam from the RIKEN Ring Cyclotron (RRC), enabling simultaneous tracing of multiple elements. Recently, we developed a large-scale 211At production system with a rotating 209Bi target and on-line dry distillation unit. 225Ac can also be produced in the 232Th(14N,xn)225Ac reaction for TAT.
An isotope of element 113 was synthesized in the 209Bi(70Zn,n)278113 reaction using the RIKEN gas-filled recoil ion separator (GARIS) at the RIKEN linear accelerator (RILAC), completing the 7th period of the periodic table with the approval of the name, nihonium (Nh). A synthesis experiment of element 119 is ongoing in the 248Cm(51V,xn)299–x119 reaction using GARIS-III at the upgraded superconducting RILAC facility. We installed a gas-jet transport system to GARIS as a novel SHE chemistry technique. Long-lived 261Rf, 262Db, 265Sg (Z = 106), and 266Bh (Z = 107) were produced in reactions on a 248Cm target and their decay properties were analyzed using a rotating wheel apparatus for α and spontaneous fission spectrometry
