Abstract
The excitation functions of the Fe-54(d,n)Co-55, Fe-56(p,2n)Co-55 and Ni-58(p,alpha)Co-55 reactions were analyzed with relevance to the production of the beta(+)-emitter Co-55 (T-1/2=17.53 h), a promising cobalt radionuclide for PET imaging. The nuclear model codes ALICE-IPPE, EMPIRE and TALYS were used to check the consistency of the experimental data. The statistically fitted excitation function was employed to calculate the integral yield of the product. The amounts of the radioactive impurities Co-56 and Co-57 were assessed. A comparison of the three investigated production routes is given. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.