Research
We measure cross sections of nuclear reactions to produce radioisotopes for medicine, such as therapy and diagnosis. This research is conducted in international collaboration with researchers at RIKEN (Japan), ATOMKI (Hungary) and several other institutes.
Radioisotopes (RI), which are nuclei decaying with time, are used in the medical field. Three kinds of particles, alpha-, beta- and gamma-rays, are emitted with the decay of RI and available for medicine. To produce such medical RI, nuclear reactions are required. Probabilities of nuclear reactions (cross sections) are important and fundamental information for the production. But the data of the cross sections are insufficient yet. There are still lack of data and data with large uncertainties. Accurate and reliable data are required for practical use in the medical field. We perform experiments to measure more accurate and reliable cross sections.
Experiments are mainly performed at RIKEN. Charged-particles, such as proton, deuteron and alpha, are accelerated and delivered to targets consisting of pure elements. RI can be created from nuclear reactions between the charged-particles and the targets. The RI can be identified from measurements of gamma-rays with a specific energy. We can finally obtain cross sections which are proportional to net counts of the gamma-rays.
We contribute to the medical field by conducting experimental research of nuclear reactions into medical RI productions.
Key Publications
Scientific paper
- Production cross sections of Mo, Nb and Zr radioisotopes from α-induced reaction on natZr, T. Murata, M. Aikawa, M. Saito, N. Ukon, Y. Komori, H. Haba, S. Takács, Applied Radiation and Isotopes 144, 47-53, 2019
- Activation cross sections of deuteron-induced reactions on niobium up to 24 MeV, M. Aikawa, Y. Komori, H. Haba, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B 436, 217-220, 2018
- Investigation of alpha particle induced reactions on natural silver in the 40-50 MeV energy range, F. Ditrói, S. Takács, H. Haba, Y. Komori, M. Aikawa, M. Saito, T. Murata, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B 436, 119-129, 2018
- Activation cross sections of alpha-induced reactions on natZn for Ge and Ga production, M. Aikawa, M. Saito, S. Ebata, Y. Komori, H. Haba, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B 427, 91-94, 2018
- Activation cross sections of alpha-induced reactions on natIn for 117mSn production, M. Aikawa, M. Saito, N. Ukon, Y. Komori, H. Haba, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B 426, 18-21, 2018
- Production cross sections of deuteron-induced reactions on natural palladium for Ag isotopes, Naoyuki Ukon, Masayuki Aikawa, Yukiko Komori, Hiromitsu Haba, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B 426, 13-17, 2018
- Measurement of activation cross sections of alpha particle induced reactions on iridium up to an energy of 50 MeV, S. Takács, F. Ditrói, Z. Szűcs, M. Aikawa, H. Haba, Y. Komori, M. Saito, Applied Radiation and Isotopes 136, 133-142, 2018