Simulation of radiotracer method for diffusion studies using short-lived radioactive nuclear beams

Abstract

We have studied, by a computer simulation, the feasibility of the radiotracer method for diffusion studies using short-lived radioactive nuclear beams as tracers. We have considered two typical examples of radiotracers that will be available in KEK-JAERI RNB facility, 18F (half-life: 1.8 h, β +-emitter) and 8Li (half-life: 0.83 s, α-emitter). The sample is set on a given temperature and irradiated by the tracer beams for a time-duration. In the case of 18F, the serial sectioning technique by the ion-beam-sputtering device is assumed to obtain the concentration-depth profile of the tracer diffused during the irradiation time. In the case of 8Li, the simulation reveals that the time-dependent yields of α particles can be used as a measure of the diffusivity of the tracer in a non-destructive way. The present method could be applied to measure rather large diffusion coefficients of various radiotracers with a short measuring time.