@thesis{mamis_scandium_2024,
	title = {Scandium radionuclide production and mass separation at {CERN}-{MEDICIS}},
	url = {https://zenodo.org/records/18151897},
	abstract = {In this thesis the metallic foil \${\textasciicircum}\{nat\}\$Ti, \${\textasciicircum}\{nat\}\$V and micrometric powder \${\textasciicircum}\{nat\}\${TiC} target materials were investigated and used for medically applicable \${\textasciicircum}\{43\}\$Sc, \${\textasciicircum}\{44g/m\}\$Sc and \${\textasciicircum}\{47\}\$Sc radionuclide production and mass separation at The European Organization for Nuclear Research ({CERN})-Medical Isotopes Collected from {ISOLDE} ({MEDICIS}). Theoretical activity yields of Sc radionuclide production in Isotope Separation {OnLine} ({ISOL}) and cyclotron thick targets were estimated with Monte-Carlo codes and experimental cross sections.

Thermal Sc radionuclide release from irradiated metallic \${\textasciicircum}\{nat\}\$Ti and \${\textasciicircum}\{nat\}\$V foils was investigated to determine the impact of diffusion and adsorption processes during the mass separation and collection of radionuclides. Full Sc release from the metallic foil target materials was achieved within an hour at temperature \${\textbackslash}sim\$70-85 \% of their corresponding material melting points. 

Nevertheless, the collected Sc radionuclide activity was low ({\textless}100 {kBq}) even at higher target material temperatures. This led to a large program of target and ion source system ({TISS}) developments reported in this thesis to overcome the limiting factors associated with the gaseous particle interaction with the {ISOL} {TISS} structures. Operation parameters, various configurations and modifications of the {ISOL} {TISS} and their impact on the collection efficiency were investigated.

The aspects of Sc volatilization, molecule formation and release from {ISOL} target and ion source system, as well as atomic and molecular gas species ionization were analyzed. The released Sc radionuclides were mass-separated as atomic and molecular ion beams and collected for subsequent radiochemical purification.Various theoretical models were used to describe the different limiting factors of radionuclide collection efficiency, such as diffusion, molecule formation, desorption, effusion, ionization and radionuclide collection rate.},
	type = {phdthesis},
	author = {Mamis, Edgars},
	urldate = {2026-01-05},
	date = {2024-12-06},
	doi = {10.5281/zenodo.18151897},
	keywords = {Mass Separation, Molecular Ion Beams, Radiochemistry, Scandium Radionuclides, Target and Ion Source System, Thermal Release, thesis},
}