Theoretical study of 47Sc production for theranostic applications using proton beams on enriched titanium targets

Recently, scandium-47 has attracted attention in the scientific community thanks to its promising features, making it suitable for targeted radiotherapy and theranostic applications, also in combination with the β⁺ emitters ⁴³Sc/⁴⁴Sc. However, in view of possible pre-clinical and clinical studies, finding efficient production routes is still a current research topic. In this work we investigate ⁴⁷Sc cyclotron production using proton beams on enriched titanium targets. The analysis of the cross sections and yields of both ⁴⁷Sc (T_1/2 = 3.35 d) and its main contaminant ⁴⁶Sc (T_1/2 = 83.79 d) has been performed with the nuclear reaction code Talys (v.1.95). The experimental data (scarce and relatively old) are compared with model calculations and some discrepancies emerge even after the tuning of parameters defining the nuclear level densities, involved in the compound nucleus formation. The ⁴⁹Ti case allows a more precise cross sections reproduction, conversely the ⁵⁰Ti case requires further theoretical investigations. Preliminary yields analysis has been carried out for both ⁴⁷Sc and ⁴⁶Sc.