Activation cross-sections of deuteron induced nuclear reactions on neodymium up to 50 MeV

• Experimental excitation function of deuteron induced reactions on natural Nd.
• Model code calculations with EMPIRE-D, ALICE-D and TALYS (TENDL-2012).
• Physical yield calculation and comparison.
• Discussion of medical and industrial applications.

In the frame of a systematic study of activation cross sections of deuteron induced nuclear reactions on rare earths, the reactions on neodymium for production of therapeutic radionuclides were measured for the first time. The excitation functions of the natNd(d,x) 151,150,149,148m,148g,146,144,143Pm, 149,147,139mNd, 142Pr and 139gCe nuclear reactions were assessed by using the stacked foil activation technique and high resolution γ-spectrometry. The experimental excitation functions were compared to the theoretical predictions calculated with the modified model codes ALICE-IPPE-D and EMPIRE-II-D and with the data in the TENDL-2012 library based on latest version of the TALYS code. The application of the data in the field of medical isotope production and nuclear reaction theory is discussed.