CORALIE

Laser-plasma acceleration of particles has made considerable progress over the last ten years and promises further significant advances in the next five years thanks to the arrival of the new generation of power lasers capable of firing at high rates (1 shot/s compared to 1 shot/hour with the former generation). These high rate lasers are present in research laboratories (VEGA3, APOLLON, ELI), but are also available on the market from companies in the sector (Thalès, Amplitude). While the acceleration of electrons from a gaseous target is relatively well mastered and the acceleration processes identified, the acceleration of ions is much less advanced, since the acceleration mechanisms that will enable the production of ion packets of a few tens of MeV with extremely high peak intensities of several kilo amperes have yet to be identified. In this ANR project, we propose to form a collaboration that will present at the 2024 edition EIC Pathfinder'scall, a project aimed at defining the parameters of an original and versatile plasma laser accelerator, capable of accelerating both electrons and ions in sufficient quantities to form innovative radioisotopes for medical research. Depending on the target used (gas jet, solid or even liquid target), such a laser-plasma accelerator will be able to provide bremsstrahlung gamma rays, ions and even neutrons (fast and thermal), thus offering an alternative, in a single machine, to the cyclotrons and research reactors present in limited numbers throughout the world and already in great demand to ensure the worldwide production of medical radioisotopes. Such laser-plasma accelerators could be scattered around areas close to hospitals, with the radiological risk limited to the irradiation sample zone, which would be reduced to a few cubic metres. In addition, the production of radioelements on university campuses will enable the use of short-lived isotopes (a few hours) and will open up new fields of investigation into promising but currently difficult-to-obtain radioisotopes. Our project will focus on the needs of medical research, as the expected intensities will more than cover the small quantities of radioisotopes needed for academic studies, but would be insufficient to cover mass production for patients. However, the impressive and rapid development of high-power lasers means that we can expect mass production of radioisotopes using laser-plasma accelerators within the next decade. We are applying for €35k from the ANR to organise meetings and workshops to set up a consortium of 20 participants, compounded of 10 laboratories and 2 companies, spread over 6 geographical sites in 4 European countries. This consortium will work with a consultancy firm to draw up a coherent research programme over the next 5 years and define the best strategy for responding to the EIC 2024 call for projects. This research programme will make it possible to define the parameters of a versatile prototype accelerator for the production of radioisotopes, which could be built in the future, for example, as part of an EIC Transition funding project.