Characterization of specific nuclear reaction channels by deconvolution in the energy space of the total nuclear cross-section of protons - applications to proton therapy and technical problems (transmutations)

TL;DR

This paper presents a method to decompose the total nuclear cross-section of protons into different reaction channels using deconvolution, with applications in proton therapy and transmutation of isotopes like Cs-137.

Contribution

It introduces a deconvolution technique to isolate specific nuclear reaction channels from total cross-section data, enhancing analysis in medical and technical nuclear applications.

Findings

Effective separation of elastic, inelastic, and reaction channels achieved.

Application to therapeutic proton cross-sections demonstrates practical utility.

Transmutation of Cs-137 shows potential for reducing half-life.

Abstract

The total nuclear cross-section Qtot(E) resulting from the interaction of protons with nuclei is decomposed in 3 different contributions: 1. elastic scatter at the complete nucleus, which adopts a part of the proton kinetic energy; 2. inelastic scatter at a nucleus, which changes its quantum numbers by vibrations, rotations, transition to highly excited states; 3. proper nuclear reactions with change of the mass and/or charge number. Then different particles leave the hit nucleus (neutrons, protons, etc.), which is now referred to as 'heavy recoil' nucleus. The scatter parts of Qtot(E) according to points 1 and 2 can be removed by a deconvolution acting at Qtot(E) in the energy space. The typical nuclear reaction channels are mainly characterized by resonances of a reduced cross-section function Qred(E). The procedure is applied to cross-sections of therapeutic protons and also to Cs55137 as an example with technical relevance (transmutations with the goal to drastically reduce its half-time).