Feasibility study of the photonuclear reaction cross section of medical radioisotopes using a laser Compton scattering gamma source

Abstract

In recent years, the gap between the supply and demand of medical radioisotopes has increased, necessitating new methods for producing medical radioisotopes. Photonuclear reactions based on gamma sources have unique advantages in terms of producing high specific activity and innovative medical radioisotopes. However, the lack of experimental data on reaction cross sections for photonuclear reactions of medical radioisotopes of interest has severely limited the development and production of photonuclear transmutation medical radioisotopes. In this study, the entire process of the generation, decay, and measurement of medical radioisotopes was simulated using online gamma activation and offline gamma measurements combined with a shielding gamma-ray spectrometer. Based on a quasi-monochromatic gamma beam from the Shanghai Laser Electron Gamma Source (SLEGS), the feasibility of this measurement of production cross section for surveyed medical radioisotopes was simulated, and specific solutions for measuring medical radioisotopes with ultra-low production cross sections were provided. The feasibility of this method for high-precision measurements of the reaction cross section of medical radioisotopes was demonstrated.