Isotopic 13C target foils 0.4–2.2 mg/cm2 by pyrolysis of methane, with alternative methods of production

Forty-one methods were considered for production of high-purity single-layer 13C accelerator targets having areal density of 1 mg/cm2. An apparatus was constructed to produce natural and isotopic carbon foils by pyrolysis of methane onto resistively heated tantalum strips. The systematic behavior of this apparatus was investigated. Foils were produced in the range 0.4–2.2 mg/cm2 with dimensions 10 mm×10 mm or larger.