Modeling and production of 240Am by deuteron-induced activation of a 240Pu target

A novel reaction pathway for production of 240Am is reported. Models of reaction cross-sections in EMPIRE II suggest that deuteron-induced activation of a 240Pu target produces maximum yields of 240Am from 11.5MeV incident deuterons. This activation had not been previously reported in the literature...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section B, Beam interactions with materials and atoms Beam interactions with materials and atoms, 2015-04, Vol.349, p.39-44
Main Authors: Finn, Erin C., McNamara, Bruce, Greenwood, Larry, Wittman, Richard, Soderquist, Charles, Woods, Vincent, VanDevender, Brent, Metz, Lori, Friese, Judah
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
240Am
Actinide
Activation
Contamination
Cross sections
Cross sections (physics)
Cross-section
Deuteron
Deuterons
Isotopes
Optimization
Reactions (nuclear)
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Summary:A novel reaction pathway for production of 240Am is reported. Models of reaction cross-sections in EMPIRE II suggest that deuteron-induced activation of a 240Pu target produces maximum yields of 240Am from 11.5MeV incident deuterons. This activation had not been previously reported in the literature. A 240Pu target was activated under the modeled optimum conditions to produce 240Am. The modeled cross-section for the 240Pu(d,2n)240Am reaction is on the order of 20–30mbarn, but the experimentally estimated value is 5.6±0.2 mbarn. We discuss reasons for the discrepancy as well as production of other Am isotopes that contaminate the final product.
ISSN:0168-583X
1872-9584
DOI:10.1016/j.nimb.2015.02.001