New activation cross section data on longer lived radio-nuclei produced in proton induced nuclear reaction on zirconium

TL;DR

This study provides new experimental cross section data for the production of medically relevant radionuclides via proton-induced reactions on zirconium, comparing results with nuclear reaction models and existing data.

Contribution

First measurement of excitation functions for indirect production of $^{178m}$Ta and related reactions up to 40 MeV, with comparison to nuclear reaction models and yield analysis.

Findings

New cross section data for $^{178m}$Ta production.

Comparison of experimental data with nuclear reaction models.

Evaluation of production yields for medical radionuclides.

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)$^{178-178m}$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.