Proton-induced nuclear reactions in neptunium-237 targets. Production of plutonium tracers in the energy range 15-40 MeV

Abstract

The increasing interest in using 236Pu and 237Pu as plutonium tracers has stimulated the search for nuclear reactions for the effective production of these radionuclides. The nuclear reactions 237Np(p,2n)236Pu, 237Np(p,pn)236mNp →β- 236Pu and 237Np(p,n)237Pu were investigated in the proton-energy range 15-40 MeV using the K-130 cyclotron of the University of Jyväskylä and the MGC-20 cyclotron of Åbo Akademi University. The cross sections for these reactions were experimentally derived. Thick-target yields based on the cross sections were calculated. The results are discussed and compared with data previously obtained from other reactions leading to the same end products.