Water-cooled grid support for high-power irradiation with thin target windows

A new thin window support system for the accelerator production of positron emitters (e.g. 17F, 18F 11C, 15O) has been developed. The integrated support grid and cooling design has been optimized for 6–13 MeV protons or deuterons. The water-cooled support grid regularly operated at >100 μA of 6 MeV deuterons and protons. The grid performed without failure at greater-or-equal, slanted50 μA of 13 MeV protons on a 3.1 MPa gas target using 25.4 μm aluminum target foil. Transmission for the smallest hole grid of 72% based on uniform parallel beam agreed with the measured yield of 71±1% compared to the theoretical maximum yield.