Liquid targets for the production of nuclear particles

A target for the production of nuclear particles, comprising:

• a shell configured to rotate about an axis of rotation;
• a reservoir containing a target material which in operation is in the liquid state, said target material being suitable for the production of said nuclear particles;
• a target material raising device configured to entrain, in operation, the target material from the reservoir toward an upper surface of the shell;
• a gutter formed along an external perimeter of the shell and configured to receive, in operation, droplets from a film of the target material induced by centrifugal action on said upper surface of the shell as the shell is rotated;
• at least one return pipe forming a fluidic connection between said gutter and said reservoir;
• and
• an inlet pipe configured, in operation, to let in a beam of accelerated particles into a zone of impingement of said accelerated particles with the shell, said zone of impingement being situated on said upper surface of the shell, on which is generated the film of target material, a direct interaction of said accelerated particles with the film of the target material on said upper surface of the shell generating said nuclear particles,
• wherein the target material raising device comprises one or more vanes or a centrifugal rotor, configured to be driven in rotation about an axis integral with the axis of rotation of the shell.

A target for the production of nuclear particles, comprising:

• a shell configured to rotate about an axis of rotation;
• a reservoir containing a target material which in operation is in the liquid state, said target material being suitable for the production of said nuclear particles;
• a target material raising device configured to entrain, in operation, the target material from the reservoir toward an upper surface of the shell;
• a gutter formed along an external perimeter of the shell and configured to receive, in operation, droplets from a film of the target material induced by centrifugal action on said upper surface of the shell as the shell is rotated;
• at least one return pipe forming a fluidic connection between said gutter and said reservoir;
• and
• an inlet pipe configured, in operation, to let in a beam of accelerated particles into a zone of impingement of said accelerated particles with the shell, said zone of impingement being situated on said upper surface of the shell, on which is generated the film of target material, a direct interaction of said accelerated particles with the film of the target material on said upper surface of the shell generating said nuclear particles,
• wherein said shell comprises at least a first conical truncated part whose vertex is situated on the axis of rotation and which has a given vertex half-angle (a), wherein the vertex half-angle (a) is between 40° and 50°.

A target for the production of nuclear particles, comprising:

• a shell configured to rotate about an axis of rotation;
• a reservoir containing a target material which in operation is in the liquid state, said target material being suitable for the production of said nuclear particles;
• a target material raising device configured to entrain, in operation, the target material from the reservoir toward an upper surface of the shell;
• a gutter formed along an external perimeter of the shell and configured to receive, in operation, droplets from a film of the target material induced by centrifugal action on said upper surface of the shell as the shell is rotated;
• at least one return pipe forming a fluidic connection between said gutter and said reservoir;
• and
• an inlet pipe configured, in operation, to let in a beam of accelerated particles into a zone of impingement of said accelerated particles with the shell, said zone of impingement being situated on said upper surface of the shell, on which is generated the film of target material, a direct interaction of said accelerated particles with the film of the target material on said upper surface of the shell generating said nuclear particles,
• wherein the target material is lithium and the nuclear particles generated are neutrons,
• wherein a thickness of the film of lithium induced by centrifugal action is between 80 μm and 140 μm.