Production of⁵⁸Co in a nuclear reactor under particular consideration of interfering nuclear reactions

Abstract

A method for the discrimination of side reactions is described. This method of reducing interfering reactions is introduced by the special example of the⁵⁸Co production from natural nickel via the⁵⁸Ni/n,p/⁵⁸Co reaction. By this a coating of the target takes place with a material which has a higher cross section for certain neutron energies than the target material for the undesirable reaction. In this case the natural Ni-targets are coated with Cd and additionally with lead foil as suitable material for absorption of neutrons in the higher energy region. The⁵⁸Co yield indeed decreases to 60% but simultaneously the main contamination decreases by a factor of 8.3 /⁵⁷Co/ and 1.67 /⁶⁰Co/, respectively.