Evaluation of nuclear reaction cross sections via proton induced reactions on 55Mn for the production of 52Fe: A potential candidate for theranostic applications

The proton induced nuclear reactions on Mn-55 were considered to investigate for the production of Fe-52. The experimental results obtained by Mn-55(p,4n)Fe-52 reaction were compared with the results of nuclear model calculations using the codes ALICE-IPPE, EMPIRE 3.2 and TALYS 1.9. The thick target yields (TTY) of Fe-52 were calculated from the recommended excitation functions. Analysis of impurities was also discussed. A comparison of the various radio-impurities showed that for the production of Fe-52 via Mn-55(p,4n) Fe-52 reaction, energy ranges from 70 -> 45 MeV could be the method of choice, which gives high yield with minimum impurities to make it as a potential candidate for theranostic applications and in particular, Positron Emission Tomography (PET).