Study of the excitation function for the deuteron induced reaction on 64Ni(d,2n) for the production of the medical radioisotope 64Cu.

The production of (64)Cu, a radioisotope of considerable interest for the application in nuclear medicine for PET imaging and radioimmunotherapy, was investigated by deuteron bombardment of enriched (64)Ni target up to E(d)=20.5 MeV. The experimental excitation function for the reaction (64)Ni(d,2n)(64)Cu was measured using the stacked foil irradiation technique followed by HPGe gamma-ray analysis at 1346 keV and is compared with earlier literature values. Cross-section data for the (64)Ni(d,p)(65)Ni reaction are determined for the first time. Thick target yields are derived and compared with results of other production routes.