Fundamentals of Isotope Production (UNIPV)

Fundamentals of Isotope Production (UNIPV)

Date:

11.11.2024 – 14.11.2023 (4 working days)

Venue:

Pavia, Italy

Organizer:

University of Pavia (UNIPV), Italy, under the management of the European Nuclear Experimental Educational Platform (ENEEP) and in cooperation with the European Nuclear Educational Network (ENEN)

Language:

English

Purpose:

The ENEEP course Fundamentals of Isotopes Production is intended for people interested in gaining experience in the field of reactor-produced radioisotopes. The purpose of the course is to give a theoretical and experimental overview of the development of a new process for new interested isotopes. Students will learn the basics of the design of the radioisotopes production process in a research reactor, in detail:

  • the evaluation of the facility characteristics as available irradiation position channels, neutron spectra or flux, and irradiation condition
  • the conditions for theoretical estimation of radioisotope activity
  • the target sample selection and preparation
  • related radiation protection and safety procedures
  • related radioisotope recovery and labeling activities and gamma spectrometry of the irradiated samples
  • quality assurance introduction of radioisotope production processes

The knowledge acquired during the course will provide students with the theoretical and experimental bases to be able to apply what has been learned to other similar production/research centers or where radioisotope productions are part of more complex contexts.

Participants’ qualifications:

The course is aimed at students in master’s degree programs and early Ph.D. studying nuclear engineering as the major curriculum. It is also suitable for students studying various major engineering curricula such as power engineering, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering with future assignments in various nuclear curricula.

Course program:

  • Monday, 11.11.2024
    • Welcome, course opening, pre-test
    • Presentations, visit to the LENA facility
  • Tuesday, 12.11.2024
    • Reactor exercise I - Neutron flux measurement in the irradiation channel
    • Laboratory exercise I - Feasibility assessment as the choice of the target, irradiation position, and evaluation of production curves
  • Wednesday, 13.11.2024
    • Laboratory exercise II - Production of selected radioisotope, preparation of equipment, evaluation of produced activity
    • Radiopharmacy exercise I - Quality assurance of the produced isotope
  • Thursday, 14.11.2024
    • Teamwork, process flow chart definition, and presentation of results
    • Take-aways, Post-test, Collection of feedback

Course directors:

Andrea Salvini (UNIPV)

Contact person:

Andrea Salvini (UNIPV)

Jakub Lüley (ENEEP)

Course fee, fellowship:

The course fee for self-paying participants is 1,000 € without TAX. The course fee includes course materials, full access to all exercises, and online tutoring before and after the course. The course fee does not include accommodation, per diem, or transportation of the participants.

Participants from ENEN-eligible countries (please see the ENEN2plus mobility manual.) are encouraged to apply for the travel grant covering:

  • Course fee: 500 €
  • Travel lump sum: 350 €
  • Per diem: 350 €

The maximum number of granted participants is 10 and the minimum number of total participants to open a course is 8. In case the number of eligible applications exceeds the maximum number defined for the course, an extra course might be opened.

Application deadline:

May 31, 2024, 23.59 CET

Application Procedure:

To apply to the course, the applicant should fill in the ENEEP APPLICATION FORM and submit the following documents:

  • filled-in application form,
  • curriculum vitae,
  • motivation letter

The ENEEP evaluation committee will inform all applicants about the results of the application procedure by June 20, 2024, at 23.59 CET.

In the next step, the selected participants shall apply for the ENEN2plus MOBILITY GRANT, provided through the ENEN2plus project. The application for the grant should be in line with the conditions stated in the ENEN2plus mobility manual. After meeting the conditions of the mobility manual, the participants selected through the ENEEP application procedure will be automatically granted. The deadline for the ENEN2plus mobility grant is July 12, 2024, at 23.59 CET.

Acknowledgement:

This event has been partially supported by the ENEN2plus project (HORIZON-EURATOM-2021-NRT-01-13 101061677) founded by the European Union.