New cross-sections fornatmo(α,x) reactions and medical97ru production estimations with radionuclide yield calculator

Abstract

The production of97Ru, a potential Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) radioisotope, was studied at ARRONAX. The cross-section ofnatMo(α,x)97Ru reaction was investigated in the range of 40–67 MeV irradiating thenatMo and Al stacked-foils. The activities of97Ru and other radioactive contaminants were measured via gamma spectroscopy technique. A global good agreement is observed between obtained cross-section results, previously reported values and TENDL-2017 predictions. Additionally, Radionuclide Yield Calculator, a software that we made available for free, dedicated to quickly calculate yields and plan the irradiation for any radioisotope production, was introduced. The yield of investigated nuclear reactions indicated the feasibility of97Ru production for medical applications with the use of α beam and Mo targets opening the way to a theranostic approach with97Ru and103Ru.