Particle beam isotope generator apparatus, system and method

An isotope generation apparatus comprising:

• an ion beam source, the source comprising:
• a chamber disposed about a longitudinal axis and containing a gas;
• a magnetic confinement system configured to produce a magnetic field in a confinement region within the chamber, wherein the confinement region is disposed about the axis and extends along the axis from a proximal end to a distal end, and wherein the magnetic field comprises:
• a first magnetic mirror field located at the proximal end of the confinement region;
• a second magnetic mirror field located at the distal end of the confinement region;
• and
• a substantially uniform magnetic field disposed about and directed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, the substantially uniform magnetic field being located between the first and second magnetic mirror fields, and the uniform magnetic field varying less than 10% over the substantially uniform magnetic field;
• an electron cyclotron resonance driver which produces a time varying electric field which drives the cyclotron motion of electrons located within the confinement region, said driven electrons interacting with the gas to form a plasma;
• and
• an ion cyclotron driver including an antenna,
• wherein during operation, the magnetic confinement system confines the plasma in the confinement region and the antenna directs radiation to the confinement region such that a portion of atoms in the plasma experience multiple ionizing interactions with the driven electrons to form multiply ionized ions having a selected final ionization state;
• and
• wherein the second magnetic mirror field is configured so that during operation ions leak through the second magnetic mirror field to generate the ion beam, the second magnetic mirror field is further configured such that at least 50% of the leaking ions are multiply ionized ions in the selected final ionization state upon passing through the second mirror field and entering a volume outside of the confinement region;
• the apparatus further comprising:
• an extractor configured to focus the ion beam;
• a target comprising a target material;
• and
• an accelerator for accelerating the ion beam and directing the ion beam to the target,
• wherein the target is configured to transmute at least a portion of the target material to a radio-isotope as a result of a nuclear reaction between ions in the selected final ionization state and atoms of the target material.