Activation cross sections of the 169Tm(d,2n) reaction for production of the therapeutic radionuclide 169 Yb

Activation cross sections of deuteron induced nuclear reactions on Tm-169 were measured up to 20MeV by using the stacked-foil technique. Special emphasis was on production of the internal radiotherapy related radionuclide Yb-169. No earlier experimental cross-section data on deuteron induced reactions on 169Tm were found in the literature. The experimental data were compared with the results of the nuclear model codes ALICE-IPPE and EMPIRE-II. The integral yield of the Tm-169(d,2n) Yb-169 reaction was deduced over the optimum energy range E-d = 20 -> 9 MeV. At 3.8 MBq/mu A center dot h the yield is lower than that available from the commonly used Yb-168(n,y) Yb-169 reactor method but on the other hand, it is higher than the yields from the earlier investigated Tm-169(p,n) Yb-169 and Er-nat(alpha,x) Yb-169 reactions. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.