Excitation Functions for Radioactive Nuclides Produced by Deuteron-Induced Reactions in Iron

Cross sections were measured for the production of radioactive nuclides by deuteron-induced reactions in natural iron at bombarding energies below 40 MeV. Deuteron beams of the Oak Ridge isochronous cyclotron were used to bombard stacked iron foils. $\gamma$ spectra of individual foils were measured with a Ge(Li) spectrometer. Radioactivities with half-lives greater than 20 min were measured. Excitation functions were obtained for ${}_{}{}^{55}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Co}$, ${}_{}{}^{56}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Co}$, ${}_{}{}^{57}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Co}$, ${}_{}{}^{58}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Co}$, ${}_{}{}^{52}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Mn}$, ${}_{}{}^{54}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Mn}$, ${}_{}{}^{54}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Mn}_{}^m{}_{}{}^{}$, and ${}_{}{}^{51}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Cr}$. Cross sections predicted by a compound-nucleus evaporation theory are in reasonable agreement with the experimental results.