Production cross-sections of long-lived radionuclides in deuteron-induced reactions on natural zinc up to 23 MeV

Production cross-sections of long-lived radionuclides 66,67Ga, 64,67Cu, 65,69mZn, and 58m+gCo via a deuteron irradiation on a natural zinc target were measured up to 23 MeV using a stacked-foil activation technique combined with HPGe γ-ray spectrometry. The present results showed partial agreements with the earlier experimental cross-sections and also with the theoretical data extracted from the TENDL-2013 library. Physical thick target yields of the investigated radionuclides were deduced using the measured cross-sections, and they found agreements with the directly measured ones in the literatures except for those reported by Dmitriev et al. for 65Zn. Optimal production pathways of the medically important 67Ga radionuclide using a low energy cyclotron are discussed.