Preparation and preservation of praseodymium targets at IUAC

A praseodymium target of 700 μg/cm2 thickness on gold backing of 20 mg/cm2 thickness has been prepared in high-vacuum environment by a resistive heating method at the Inter University Accelerator Centre (IUAC). Without disturbing the vacuum a thin gold layer of 200 μg/cm2 thickness was deposited to protect the freshly prepared praseodymium thin film from oxidation. The praseodymium target preparation and protection of the layer are equally important. The successful methods adopted for the fabrication as well as the preservation are discussed.