THE SPES DIRECT TARGET PROJECT AT LNL.

The SPES Direct Target Project at the Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro (Italy), devoted to the construction of a Radioactive Ion Beam (RIB) Facility within the framework of the new European RIB panorama, is presented. An innovative configuration for the SPES Project, for the production of neutron-rich exotic nuclei, proposes the use of a primary proton beam (40MeV, 0.2mA), directly impinging on a large Multi-Slice Uranium Carbide Direct Target. The goal is to reach a high number of fission products (up to 10¹³ fissions/s), still keeping a quite low power deposition inside the target. The description of the overall facility together with details on the Direct Target configuration is presented. Thermo-mechanical calculations, material preparation and characterisation, effusion-diffusion model predictions for the estimation of the release time and total release fraction for different life times and isotopes will be discussed. Finally, a scaled (1:5) prototype of the Target System built to be tested and compared under existing proton beam facilities, will be described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]