Surrogate materials are in the form of solid particles that include surrogate isotopes, namely, short-lived isotopes selected and formed to serve as surrogates for the radioactive materials of a nuclear fallout without including isotopes that are, or that decay to, biologically or environmentally deleterious and persistent isotopes. The surrogate material may be formed using high-purity reactant material and irradiation and separation techniques that enable tailoring of the isotopes and ratios thereof included in the surrogate material, and the surrogate material may be dispersed, e.g., in a training environment, in solid form.

Targetry coupled separation refers to enhancing the production of a predetermined radiation product through the selection of a target (including selection of the target material and the material's physical structure) and separation chemistry in order to optimize the recovery of the predetermined radiation product. This disclosure describes systems and methods for creating (through irradiation) and removing one or more desired radioisotopes from a target and further describes systems and methods that allow the same target to undergo multiple irradiations and separation operations without damage to the target. In contrast with the prior art that requires complete dissolution or destruction of a target before recovery of any irradiation products, the repeated reuse of the same physical target allowed by targetry coupled separation represents a significant increase in efficiency and decrease in cost over the prior art.

A system for manufacturing radionuclide generators includes an enclosure defining a radioactive environment. The enclosure includes radiation shielding to prevent radiation within the radioactive environment from moving to an exterior of the enclosure. The system also includes a conveyance system having a forward track and first carriages positioned on and movable along the forward track for conveying racks in a first direction. The conveyance system also includes a first walking beam mechanism magnetically coupled to the first carriages to move the first carriages. The conveyance system further includes a return track and second carriages positioned on and movable along the return track for conveying racks in a second direction opposite the first direction. The forward track and the return track form a loop.

A target irradiation system for irradiating a radioisotope target in a vessel penetration of a fission reactor, including a target elevator assembly including a body portion defining a central bore and an open bottom end, a center tube that is disposed within the central bore of the body portion, a target basket that is slidably receivable within the center tube, and a winch that is connected to the target basket by a cable, wherein the target basket is configured to receive the radioisotope target therein and be lowered into the vessel penetration of the reactor when irradiating the radioisotope target.

A target irradiation system for irradiating a radioisotope target in a vessel penetration of a fission reactor, including a target delivery assembly including a body defining a central bore, a basket that is slidably receivable within the central bore of the body, and a winch that is connected to the basket by a cable, the target delivery assembly being affixed to the vessel penetration of the reactor, and a target passage that is in fluid communication with the target delivery assembly, wherein the basket is configured to receive the radioisotope target therein via the target passage and be lowered into the vessel penetration of the reactor when irradiating the radioisotope target, and the target delivery system forms a portion of the pressure boundary of the reactor when in fluid communication with the reactor.

A target irradiation system including an irradiated target removal system having a body defining a central bore, an elevator received within the central bore, and a docking surface for placing the irradiated target removal system in fluid communication with a vessel penetration of a reactor. A target canister slidably receives the radioisotope target therein, and the elevator is configured to receive the target canister. The elevator is lowered into the reactor when irradiating the radioisotope target, and the irradiated target removal system forms a portion of a pressure boundary of the reactor during target irradiation.

An irradiation target for the production of radioisotopes, comprising at least one plate defining a central opening and an elongated central member passing through the central opening of the at least one plate so that the at least one plate is retained thereon, wherein the at least one plate and the elongated central member are both formed of materials that produce molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) by way of neutron capture.

A UO.sub.2 target for use in the manufacture of .sup.99Mo, the target comprising: a porous matrix; wherein the matrix comprises particles of UO.sub.2 or of UO.sub.2 and CeO.sub.2 with a size of less than 7.15 ?m; and a molar ratio of .sup.235U to Ce and .sup.238U is less than 3%. The particles may comprise UO.sub.2 and the UO.sub.2 comprise uranium with a .sup.235U to .sup.238U ratio of less than 3% .sup.235U enrichment. Also, a method of producing .sup.99Mo, comprising: (a) irradiating such a UO.sub.2 target with thermal neutrons, with an irradiation time of between 3 and 7 days; then (b) extracting 99Mo from the target. The method includes performing steps (a) and (b) 2 or more times.

An apparatus for generating medical isotopes provides an annular fissile solution vessel surrounding a neutron generator. The annular fissile solution vessel provides for good capture of the emitted neutrons and a geometry that provides enhanced stability in an aqueous reactor. A neutron multiplier and/or a neutron moderator may be used to improve the efficiency and control the criticality of the reaction in the annular fissile solution vessel.

Methods and systems for producing radionuclides by neutron activation are disclosed. A system for radionuclide production can include a compact plasma-based fusion neutron source, for example, a Z-pinch-based neutron source, configured to generate a neutron flux, and a target holder configured to hold a target comprising neutron-activatable nuclides, for example, .sup.98Mo, where the target holder is arranged with respect to the compact plasma-based fusion neutron source to expose the target to the neutron flux and produce radionuclides, for example, .sup.99Mo, through neutron activation of the neutron-activatable nuclides. In some embodiments, the target holder is configured to move the target along a circulation path arranged with respect to the plasma-based fusion neutron source during exposure of the target to the neutron flux.