SORGENTINA-RF project: fusion neutrons for 99Mo medical radioisotope

The SORGENTINA-RF project is presented in terms of general structure and description of the main tasks and activities to be carried out. It is devoted to the design and development of a medium power 14 MeV fusion neutron source relying on a rotating target and a deuterium/tritium ion accelerator. The main focus of the neutron facility is the production of radiopharmaceutical precursors, in particular 99Mo as precursor of 99mTc, a radio-tracer used in single photon emission computed tomography. The nuclear reaction involved in the production of 99Mo is the inelastic reaction 100Mo(n,2n)99Mo. The facility will assess the chain that starts with the irradiation of the natural molybdenum (where 100Mo has an isotopic abundance of about 10%) up to the production of the so-called mother solution, a liquid solution named sodium molybdate. The facility will also make available fast and thermal neutrons beams for studies on innovative medical radioisotopes as well as materials.