Measurement of the Rates of the $${}^{{102}}$$Pd($${n,\gamma}$$)$${}^{{103}}$$Pd and $${}^{{102}}$$Ru($${n,\gamma}$$)$${}^{{103}}$$Ru Reactions in the Horizontal Channel of the IR-8 Reactor at the NRC Kurchatov Institute

Metastasis is one of the main causes of relapse and subsequent high mortality from cancer. Metastases can contain very few cells and spread throughout the body. Despite the existing variety of diagnostic imaging methods, in practice, the resolution of note of them allows unambiguously diagnosing the presence of a tumor (clump of cancer cells) smaller than 1–2 mm in size. After surgery and tumor removal, patients are typically offered chemotherapy, external beam radiation therapy, or $$\alpha$$ - or $$\beta$$ -emitter radionuclide therapy. This therapy has side effects that lead to additional risks and may interfere with continued treatment. Recently, a number of works, in contrast to the traditional approach, have proposed using short-range radionuclides instead of $$\alpha$$ - or $$\beta$$ -emitters [1–3]. It is convenient to use Auger or conversion electron emitters as short-acting therapeutic agents. Auger electrons and conversion electrons have a short range and high specific linear energy loss in biological tissue: they are capable of damaging cells within a few tens of microns, but do not have a radiotoxic effect over long distances, without damaging healthy cells and tissues. The most efficient and convenient Auger and conversion electron emitters for practical use include $${}^{103m}$$ Rh ( $$T_{1/2}=56.1$$ min), which has the lowest ratio of the number of $$\gamma$$ quanta to electrons [1] and can be obtained by a generator method. The predecessors of $${}^{103m}$$ Rh ( $$T_{1/2}=56.1$$ min) in the generator can be $${}^{103}$$ Ru ( $$T_{1/2}=39.247$$ days) or $${}^{103}$$ Pd ( $$T_{1/2}=16.99$$ days). In order to clarify the prospects for producing these precursors, we have measured the rates of $${}^{102}$$ Ru( $$n,\gamma$$ ) $${}^{103}$$ Ru and $${}^{102}$$ Pd( $$n,\gamma$$ ) $${}^{103}$$ Pd reactions upon neutron irradiation of metal ruthenium of natural isotopic composition and metal palladium, enriched in the $${}^{102}$$ Pd isotope to 96.36 $$\%$$ , in a horizontal experimental channel of the IR-8 reactor.