Speaker
Description
Measurements and analysis of photonuclear cross sections are essential to a more fundamental understanding of nuclear-electromagnetic interactions and structure. Such research also contributes to the fields of radioisotope production, forensics, astrophysics, and medical imaging and therapy. To investigate this, bremsstrahlung photons are produced via an electron linear accelerator and impinge on a tungsten radiator. In this work, these photons are the source of activation for several natural targets, namely molybdenum, ruthenium oxide hydrate, and nickel. By a series of irradiations at integral end-point energies, cross sections may be extracted, along with corresponding activity and excitation functions (yield curves). Methods and results from past and planned experiments for various photonuclear reaction channels are reported for these isotopes.
