First cross section measurement of the 49Ti(p,x)47Sc nuclear reaction and coproduced 43Sc, 44m,gSc, 46g+mSc, 48Sc, 48V, 43K radionuclides

One of the aims of the LARAMED (LAboratory of RADionuclides for MEDicine) program, based at the INFN-LNL (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare- Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro), is to investigate the production cross sections of the emergent radionuclides, like the theranostic 47Sc, to evaluate their possible production routes using cyclotrons. The introduction of new radionuclides requires the identification of their most promising production routes as first step. In this work the cross section measurements of the proton-induced nuclear reactions on enriched 49Ti targets, manufactured at the INFN-LNL, are described. The irradiation runs were carried out using the tunable 35 ÷ 70 MeV proton beam delivered by the GIP ARRONAX facility cyclotron. The obtained excitation function trends are compared to theoretical curves and literature data, when available. The experimental cross sections are then discussed in terms of RadioIsotopic Purity (RIP) to evaluate 49Ti(p,x) as a possible production route of the 47Sc radionuclide, considering also the co-production of contaminants which may have an impact on the dose delivered to a patient. The results highlighted that 49Ti(p,x)47Sc cannot be assessed as a valid production route for the supply of the theranostic 47Sc for clinical employment. Indeed, the outcomes presented in this work constitute the first measurement of the proton-induced production of 47Sc, 43Sc, 44m,gSc, and 43K using 49Ti targets.