Monte Carlo simulation of ¹³³La/¹³⁵La cyclotron production

The pair ¹³³La/¹³⁵La presents considerable potential for theranostic applications in nuclear medicine. Consequently, the implementation of a simulated production process for ¹³³La/¹³⁵La is crucial to identify a cost-efficient approach. This study utilized the Monte Carlo method to simulate and assess the bombardment parameters and production conditions for generating ¹³³La/¹³⁵La via a proton cyclotron. Three barium target materials, ^natBaCO₃, ^natBa metal, and ¹³⁵BaCO₃, were examined for ¹³³La/¹³⁵La yields. The impact of proton energy, cooling time, and target thickness on the ¹³³La/¹³⁵La yields were assessed utilizing TALYS, FLUKA, and SRIM software. The results indicate that the proton energy range necessary for attaining elevated yields of ¹³³La and ¹³⁵La in ^natBaCO₃ and ^natBa metal targets is 23-24 MeV, with the optimal energy being 23.9 MeV. For the ¹³⁵BaCO₃ target, the proton energies required for ¹³³La and ¹³⁵La are approximately 30.2 MeV and 12.8 MeV, respectively. A cooling time of 2-3 h is advised for the natural barium target, whereas 1-2 h is appropriate for the ¹³⁵BaCO₃ target. The highest yield is attained when the target thickness approaches the proton range. The practical and accurate application of this simulation for designing and optimizing radionuclide production is corroborated by the alignment of experimental and simulation results.