EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES OF THE MEDICAL ISOTOPES PRODUCTION USING SPALLATION NEUTRONS GENERATED IN MASSIVE URANIUM TARGET

The possibility of medical radionuclides Cu-64,Cu-67 production in spallation-neutron spectrum in Zn-nat(n, x) reactions has been studied. Experiments were performed on a massive uranium target (mass of natural uranium 512 kg) at the accelerators "Nuclotron" and "Phasotron" JINR, Dubna. Spallation neutron spectrum averaged cross sections for the Zn-nat(n, x) Cu-67 and Zn-nat(n, x)Cu-64 reactions were estimated: 6.7(10) mb and 0.35(5) mb, respectively. The MCNPX simulation of Cu-67,Cu-64 production and definition of the theoretical limit of the specific activity of Cu-67,Cu-64 by irradiation of natural zinc and zinc enriched by the 68 isotope were performed.