A Theoretical Analysis of Fluorine-18 Production using Petawatt Laser Technology
Abstract
A theoretical analysis of a new method of producing Fluorine-18 for medical purposes is performed. The results of various experiments, and previous theoretical work are used to estimate the amount of F-18 that can be generated through the 18O(p,n)18F reaction if protons accelerated using a Petawatt laser are used instead of the conventional method of using a cyclotron. We show that the yield of such a device would be far too low for practical use, and discuss how laser technology would need to change in order to make the device feasible.
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