Excitation functions and thick target yields of the $^{\mathrm {nat}}\hbox {Zr}(\hbox {p},\hbox {x})^{{95}}\hbox {Zr}$, $^{95\mathrm {m}}\hbox {Nb}$, $^{95\mathrm {g}}\hbox {Nb}$ reactions

Abstract

We measured the excitation functions for the production of the radionuclides $^{{95}}\hbox {Zr}$, $^{95\mathrm {m}}\hbox {Nb}$ and $^{95\mathrm {g}}\hbox {Nb}$ from the $^{\mathrm {nat}}\hbox {Zr}(\hbox {p},\hbox {x})$ reactions in the proton energy range of 10.6–43.6 MeV. The experiment was performed by irradiation of zirconium and copper foils simultaneously using 45 MeV proton beam from the MC-50 Cyclotron at the Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Korea, and the induced activity was measured with an HPGe $\upgamma$-ray detector. Proton energies along the foil stack were calculated using the computer code SRIM-2013. The proton beam flux entered each foil was determined via the $^{\mathrm {nat}}\hbox {Cu}(\hbox {p},\hbox {x})^{{62}}\hbox {Zn}$ and $^{\mathrm {nat}}\hbox {Cu}(\hbox {p},\hbox {x})^{{65}}\hbox {Zn}$ monitoring reactions. The cumulative cross sections of the $^{\mathrm {nat}}\hbox {Zr}(\hbox {p},\hbox {x})^{{95}}\hbox {Zr}$ reaction were measured because it was unable to separate the activity from the decay of $^{{95}}\hbox {Y}$ to $^{{95}}\hbox {Zr}$. However, independent cross sections of the $^{\mathrm {nat}}\hbox {Zr}(\hbox {p},\hbox {x})^{95\mathrm {m}}\hbox {Nb}$ and $^{\mathrm {nat}}\hbox {Zr}(\hbox {p},\hbox {x})^{95\mathrm {g}}\hbox {Nb}$ reactions were determined, since the independent activities of $^{95\mathrm {m}}\hbox {Nb}$ and $^{95\mathrm {g}}\hbox {Nb}$ can also be measured. In addition, the thick target yields of the $^{{95}}\hbox {Zr}$, $^{95\mathrm {m}}\hbox {Nb}$ and $^{95\mathrm {g}}\hbox {Nb}$ isotopes were also determined. The current results are compared with the previously measured data as well as with the theoretical values from the TALYS-1.9 code and the TENDL-2019 data library.