Speaker
Description
The SORGENTINA program aims at developing accelerator-driven fusion neutron sources based on deuterium–tritium (D-T) reactions for applications in nuclear medicine, materials science, and fusion technology. The plant will rely on a mixed deuterium and tritium ion beam accelerated to energies of about 300 keV and directed onto titanium-coated rotating targets, producing nearly monochromatic 14 MeV neutrons. Neutron emission rate is about 1E14 n/s depending on beam power and facility configuration. The SORGENTINA facility will operate in the medium-power regime (~250 kW) and is primarily dedicated to medical radioisotope production, particularly Mo-99 via the Mo-100(n,2n)Mo-99 reaction for Tc-99m production, the main radiotracer in SPECT (Singke Photon Emission Computed Tomography) applications.
Studies on effective moderators configurations are ongoing to produce thermal neutron breams from almost monochromatic source neutrons for different applications.
The rotating target design enables efficient heat removal and sustained high-flux operation. Integrated engineering solutions address thermal loads, tritium handling, radiation shielding, and operational safety. Overall, SORGENTINA provides a scalable, multipurpose platform that links near-term applied nuclear technologies with long-term fusion research needs through reliable high-flux neutron generation.
In this contribution, the main aspects of the project will be presented together with preliminary tests on the rotating target and the ion accelerator.
| Other | Accelerator-driven Fusion Neutron sources |
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