Isotopes Research and Production Division

The Isotope Research and Production Division was established in 2010. The Division is dedicated to the development of technologies for producing radioactive isotopes used for medical purposes and the creation of experimental production capabilities.

In its early years, technologies for the production of the radioisotopes 99mTc and 123I were developed using the AANL (Yerevan Physics Institute) linear electron accelerator, and their experimental production was carried out.

In 2013, the development and establishment of a full production chain for 99mTc began on the IBA C18 cyclotron, using an enriched 100Mo target. The work included the development of target preparation and laser processing technologies, cooling systems, and safe extraction systems for irradiated targets, as well as technologies for purification of 99mTc from irradiated targets and recovery of the expensive 100Mo target material.

In 2019, the IBA C18 cyclotron and its beamline to a dedicated experimental hall were commissioned at AANL, creating new opportunities for scientific, experimental, and research activities. The first irradiation experiment of a Mo target on the cyclotron was successfully carried out at the end of 2019.

The Division has also begun developing technologies for the production of other medical isotopes (67Ga, 68Ga, 67Cu, and 64Cu), with results contributing to PhD and master’s theses of students working in the group.

Members of the Isotope Research and Production Division regularly participate in prestigious international conferences, training programs, and summer schools, and their scientific results are published in high-impact peer-reviewed journals.

Collaborations

  • High energy experimental physics /collaboration with CERN-LHC (ATLAS, ALICE, CMS), AMBER