Activation cross sections of $\alpha$-particle induced nuclear reactions on hafnium and deuteron induced nuclear reaction on tantalum: production of $^{178}$W/$^{178m}$Ta generator

TL;DR

This study measures and compares cross sections for alpha and deuteron induced nuclear reactions on hafnium and tantalum, providing new data for medically relevant radionuclide production and validating nuclear reaction models.

Contribution

First measurement of excitation functions for $^{178m}$Ta production via alpha particles on hafnium and new data for deuteron reactions on tantalum, with model comparisons.

Findings

Experimental cross sections up to 40 MeV for alpha and deuteron reactions.

Comparison of measured data with nuclear reaction model predictions.

Evaluation of production yields for medical radionuclide generation.

Abstract

In the frame of a systematic study of charged particle production routes of medically relevant radionuclei, the excitation function for indirect production of $^{178m}$Ta through $^{nat}$Hf($\alpha$,xn)$^{178}$W-$^{178m}$Ta nuclear reaction was measured for the first time up to 40 MeV. In parallel, the side reactions $^{nat}$Hf($\alpha$,x)$^{179,177,176,175}$W, $^{183,182,178g,177,176,175}$Ta, $^{179m,177m,175}$Hf were also assessed. Stacked foil irradiation technique and $\gamma$-ray spectrometry were used. New experimental cross section data for the $^{nat}$Ta(d,xn)$^{178}$W reaction are also reported up to 40 MeV. The measured excitation functions are compared with the results of the ALICE-IPPE, and EMPIRE nuclear reaction model codes and with the TALYS 1.4 based data in the TENDL-2013 library. The thick target yields were deduced and compared with yields of other charged particle ((p,4n), (d,5n) and ($^3$He,x)) production routes for $^{178}$W.