Design of an X-band electron linear accelerator dedicated to decentralized ^{99}Mo/^{99m}Tc supply: From beam energy selection to yield estimation

Abstract

The most frequently used radionuclide in diagnostic nuclear medicine, ^{99m}Tc, is generally obtained by the decay of its parent radionuclide, ^{99}Mo. Recently, concerns have been raised over shortages of ^{99}Mo/^{99m}Tc, owing to aging of the research reactors which have been supplying practically all of the global demand for ^{99}Mo in a centralized fashion. In an effort to prevent such ^{99}Mo/^{99m}Tc supply disruption and, furthermore, to ameliorate the underlying instability of the centralized ^{99}Mo/^{99m}Tc supply chain, we designed an X-band electron linear accelerator which can be distributed over multiple regions, whereby ^{99}Mo/^{99m}Tc can be supplied with improved accessibility. The electron beam energy was designed to be 35 MeV, at which an average beam power of 9.1 kW was calculated by the following beam dynamics analysis. Subsequent radioactivity modeling suggests that 11 of the designed electron linear accelerators can realize self-sufficiency of ^{99}Mo/^{99m}Tc in Japan.