Measurement of 230Pa and 186Re production cross sections induced by deuterons at Arronax facility

International audienceA dedicated program has been launched on production of innovative radionuclides for PET imaging and for beta- and alpha targeted radiotherapy using proton or alpha particles at the ARRONAX cyclotron. Since the accelerator is also able to deliver deuteron beams up to 35 MeV, we have reconsidered the possibility of using them to produce medical isotopes. Two isotopes dedicated to targeted therapy have been considered: 226Th, a decay product of 230Pa, and 186Re. The production cross sections of 230Pa and 186Re, as well as those of the contaminants created during the irradiation, have been determined by the stacked-foil technique using deuteron beams. Experimental values have been quantified using a referenced cross section. The measured cross sections have been used to determine expected production yields and compared with the calculated values obtained using the Talys code with default parameters