Excitation functions and yields for cyclotron production of radiorhenium via deuteron irradiation : natW(d, xn)181, 182(A+B), 183, 184(m+)g, 186gRe nuclear reactions and tests on the production of 186gRe using enriched 186W

Excitation functions, thin- and thick-target yields for the 181−186gRe and 187Wradionuclidesweremeasured by the activation stacked-foil thecnique on natural tungsten foils for deuteron energies up to 18.0MeV. These cross sections were validated by comparing the experimental results for thick-target yields with those calculated by integration of the thin-target yields. It was found that the maximum 186gRe content by irradiation of natural tungsten is about 55%, a higher value compared with the one found for proton beam, but not sufficient to use natural tungsten for medical purposes yet. Thus, in order to have a higher specific activity AS of 186gRe, the use of enriched 186W target is necessary. Therefore the irradiation of a thick target of enriched 186Wby accelerated deuterons was studied and the results for the production of 186gRe were compared with those obtained from the irradiation of the same target by accelerated protons. It was found that the deuteron irradiation is preferable for three reasons: larger yield, less contamination by tantalum radioisotopes and smaller required amount of the target, which simplify the separation of the 186gRe from the target itself.