The REPARE project (REsearch and developments for the Production of innovAtive RadioElements) brings together GANIL, SUBATECH, ARRONAX, LDM-TEP and CERN. It consists in developing high-power target systems capable to sustain the high-intensity beams which will be soon available at SPIRAL2.

The goal is to accurately measure the production of astatine-211, a promising radioisotope for the treatment of certain cancers. Two production methods will be studied:

The first one consists in bombarding a bismuth-209 target with an intense helium-4 beam. These studies will be performed using solid and liquid targets, the latter potentially allowing optimising cooling as well as beam current on target, and to design a continuous online extraction of the produced astatine.

The 2nd production method proposes the design of an astatine-211 generator: it would be directly produced in the beta decay of radon-211 produced in lithium induced reaction on the same bismuth-209 target as before. The half-life of radon-211 being twice as long as that of astatine-211, this method would allow shipping the astatine over an extended range, and using it as production is progressing in the generator.