A new route to produce 52g Mn with high purity for MultiModal Imaging

• Published in: EPJ Web of conferences 2022, Vol.261, p.5003
• Main Authors: Carante, Mario Pietro, Barbaro, Francesca, Canton, Luciano, Colombi, Alessandro, Fontana, Andrea
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2100-014X; 2100-014X
• DOI: 10.1051/epjconf/202226105003

The 52g Mn radionuclide is suitable for the innovative MultiModal Imaging technique, and in particular for a PET/MRI scan, due to its physical properties. The standard cyclotron-based production of 52g Mn relies on the nuclear reaction Nat Cr(p,x) 52g Mn, but we have investigated theoretically the possibility of an alternative and competitive route, the reaction NatV(α,x) 52g Mn, which has not been considered for this purpose so far. By using the nuclear reaction code TALYS, we found some discrepancies between the theoretical calculations of the cross sections and the corresponding experimental data. Therefore we tuned the parameters governing the nuclear level densities in the microscopic models implemented in TALYS, thus improving the agreement with the data. Then, by studying the cross sections for 52g Mn and its contaminants, we have identified an optimal energy window for the production of high purity 52g Mn, around 40 MeV. We have also calculated the time evolution of the number of nuclei of the different Mn isotopes, for an irradiation in this energy window, finding that this route is expected to lead to a higher yield and Radionuclidic Purity with respect to the standard reaction with Nat Cr. The study suggests the reaction Nat V(α,x) 52g Mn as a promising alternative route for the production of 52g Mn.