Experimental study and nuclear model calculations on the 192Os(p,n)192Ir reaction: Comparison of reactor and cyclotron production of the therapeutic radionuclide 192Ir

In a search for an alternative route of production of the important therapeutic radionuclide 192Ir (T1/2=78.83d), the excitation function of the reaction 192Os(p,n)192Ir was investigated from its threshold up to 20 MeV. Thin samples of enriched 192Os were obtained by electrodeposition on Ni, and the conventional stacked-foil technique was used for cross section measurements. The experimental data were compared with the results of theoretical calculations using the codes EMPIRE-II and ALICE-IPPE. Good agreement was found with EMPIRE-II, but slightly less with the ALICE-IPPE calculations. The theoretical thick target yield of 192Ir over the energy range Ep=16→8 MeV amounts to only 0.16 MBq/μA·h. A comparison of the reactor and cyclotron production methods is given. In terms of yield and radionuclidic purity of 192Ir the reactor method appears to be superior; the only advantage of the cyclotron method could be the higher specific activity of the product.