Release studies of a thin foil tantalum target for the production of short-lived radioactive nuclei Original Research Article

Measurements have been made at ISOLDE, of the release curves and yields of radioactive beams of lithium, sodium and beryllium from a target constructed from 2 μm thick foils. The release curves have been analysed by fitting to a mathematical model to determine the coefficients of diffusion of the particles in the foils and effusion through the target and ionizer at several temperatures. Through a better understanding of the rate of transport of the particles, it is possible to design targets and ionizers with improved yields. This is most important for the rare, short-lived isotopes in which there is considerable interest for physics experiments. This target has demonstrated large increases in the yields of 11Li and 12Be, in agreement with the predictions of the model.