| Summary: | This thesis examines and compares nuclear reactions suitable for the production of the oxygen-15 isotope. Oxygen-15 is widely utilized in medical applications, but its short half-life (t₁/₂ = 122.24 s) requires on-site production in hospitals or nearby facilities. While its rapid decay presents logistical challenges, the isotope’s favorable properties for PET imaging make its production highly relevant. This study explores alternative reaction pathways to improve its availability and clinical applicability.
The analysis focused on the cross sections of selected nuclear reactions as a function of projectile energy. Experimental datasets from the EXFOR database were compared to theoretical cross section values calculated using TALYS simulations. Graphs were generated to evaluate the behavior and feasibility of each reaction.
The results indicate that the ¹⁴N(d,n)¹⁵O reaction remains the most efficient pathway for ¹⁵O production, achieving high cross sections at low energy levels. The ¹⁵N(p,n)¹⁵O reaction also showed considerable promise, with the highest cross-section values observed in the study, but concerns remain regarding the availability and cost of enriched ¹⁵N target material.
The ¹⁶O(p,pn)¹⁵O reaction demonstrated potential, benefiting from the abundance of ¹⁶O in water, although its complex reaction mechanism and the required proton accelerator scale may pose challenges for efficient production. On the other hand, despite having the lowest peak cross section among the studied reactions, the ¹⁶O(γ,n)¹⁵O pathway remains a promising candidate due to the natural abundance of ¹⁶O and the potential for gamma-induced production without the need for large-scale particle accelerators. However, practical implementation will depend on advances in high-flux gamma-ray sources or the development of new generation technologies.
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