Photonuclear Yields and Cross Sections of the 71Ga(γ,α)67Cu and 51V(γ,α)47Sc Reactions

Speaker: Geno Santistevan

Date: April 18, 2024 @ 4pm

Workman 101

Abstract:

Photonuclear reaction data are important for a variety of applications, from isotope production for medicine to radiation shielding to understanding astrophysical nucleosynthesis. Yet cross sections of photonuclear reactions for many species are not well known. Of the 286 combined stable and primordially stable (t1/2 > 7 x 108 yr) isotopes that exist, only a small fraction (approx. 10%) of the (γ,n), (γ,p), (γ,np), and (γ,α) reactions involving these isotopes have been experimentally measured. The research here fills at least two of the experimental photonuclear cross section data gaps, specifically the 71Ga(γ,α) and 51V(γ,α) cross sections which, respectively, lead to the production of 67Cu and 47Sc medical radioisotopes. Both are identified as high priority isotopes of interest by the US Department of Energy and are deemed to be in
short supply. These two reaction channels are both novel production methods for these radioisotopes.
Presented here are methods, target design and simulation data, as well as preliminary gamma
spectroscopy measurements that are being used to determine radioactivity for the subsequent calculations of cross sections and excitation functions.

This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy grant numbers DE-SC0023665 and DE-
SC0019411.