# 15th Varenna Conference on Nuclear Reaction Mechanisms

Jun 11 – 15, 2018
Villa Monastero
Europe/Zurich timezone

## Production cross section of $^{197m}$Hg induced by deuterons on natural gold target

Jun 15, 2018, 10:00 AM
20m
Villa Monastero

#### Villa Monastero

Varenna (Italy)
Deuteron induced reactions

### Speaker

Etienne Nigron (Laboratoire SUBATECH, CNRS/IN2P3, IMT Atlantique, Université de Nantes, 4 rue Alfred Kastler)

### Description

Theranostics uses information coming from diagnostic to define specific targeted therapy on patient. The acquired image allows to identify the patient response and to estimate, for responder, the dose of the therapeutic agent to be injected. With this strategy, it is possible to give the right treatment, for the right patient, at the right time, with the right dose. Mercury-197 ($^{197(m)}$Hg) can be used for that purpose since their decay properties have convenient half-life, low energy gamma radiations for imaging and Auger electrons conversion for therapy. In addition, the starting target material is Gold which is monoisotopic easing the target preparation and the control of impurities. Moreover, the mercury extraction from the gold can be easily made by dry distillation.

The main purpose is the study of the production of the $^{197m}$Hg (T$_{1/2}$ = 23.8h) which emits only low energies gammas emissions, 70-410 keV with main emissions at 134 keV 33% and 279.01 keV 6%. These features make the $^{197m}$Hg a great candidate for the SPECT imaging. Data exist on proton-induced reactions. Our work focuses on the use of deuterons as projectiles. The goal is to help selecting the right data in all the available ones in the literature and compare these data with existing one obtained using protons to determine the best production route for that radionuclide.

The cross section values were obtained at the ARRONAX cyclotron in Nantes, France using the stacked foils technique in a vacuum enclosure. The particle flux of the beam crossing the stack, made of Gold, Titanium and Aluminum foils, was evaluated with a Faraday cup placed inside the enclosure to get a precise measurement of the current. These new set-up devoted to cross section measurements has been set-up and tested in well-known conditions. The Titanium foils serve as monitor and allow the monitoring of the particle flux along the stack. The monitor cross section values used are those recommended by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The produced activities were assessed by gamma spectrometry using an HPGe detector coupled with the analysis software Fitzpeaks.

The results obtained for the monitor reaction show that the new experimental set-up works well. Our results are in good agreement with the IAEA recommended cross section values and other available data in the literature. The cross sections obtained for the reactions $^{197}$Au(d,x)$^{197(m),195(m)}$Hg,$^{198(m),196(m2)}$Au with a deuteron beam up to 33 MeV will be shown. Our data are in agreement with those of Tarkanyi et al (2015). Our new set of data will also help extending the accuracy of databases and can be used to constrain theoretical calculations.

### Primary author

Etienne Nigron (Laboratoire SUBATECH, CNRS/IN2P3, IMT Atlantique, Université de Nantes, 4 rue Alfred Kastler)

### Co-authors

Arnaud Guertin (Laboratoire SUBATECH, CNRS/IN2P3, IMT Atlantique, Université de Nantes, 4 rue Alfred Kastler, 44307 Nantes, France) Ferid haddad (Laboratoire SUBATECH, CNRS/IN2P3, IMT Atlantique, Université de Nantes, 4 rue Alfred Kastler, 44307 Nantes, France and GIP ARRONAX, 1 rue Aronnax, 44817 Saint-Herblain cedex – France) Vincent Métivier (Laboratoire SUBATECH, CNRS/IN2P3, IMT Atlantique, Université de Nantes, 4 rue Alfred Kastler, 44307 Nantes, France)