The Radiochemical Engineering Development Center (REDC) in conjunction with the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has supplied valuable and unique actinide materials to the scientific community for many years. Bombardment of actinide targets produced at ORNL with neutron-rich nuclear beams at Dubna, GSI, RIKEN, and other facilities results in the production of Superheavy Elements (SHEs) and has contributed to the discovery of elements 115 and 117. Experiments using 50Ti, 51V, and 54Cr beams on 254Es (T1/2 275.7 d) and 249Bk (T1/2 329.9 d) targets may lead to the discovery of new elements Z=119, 120, and 121. Heavy actinides 249Bk and 254Es are currently produced as by-products during the biennial production of 252Cf (T1/2 = 2.7 y) from mixed curium targets. However, the quantities produced through this process are insufficient for expected future demand. In recent years the capabilities for isotope optimization have been improved and demonstrated through both modeling and simulation and small-scale experimental irradiations. These tools have been applied to the production of 249Bk and have shown the potential for a threefold increase in the typically expected yield per unit of 248Cm in the target through application of a 2 mm thick natural gadolinium filter. A target has been designed for experimental validation of this methodology, and irradiation is planned for later in 2019. Further research is under way to apply these techniques to the production of 254Es.

Production of heavy actinides for support of superheavy element discovery

2019 Fall National Meeting

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