The BN samples as targets for studies of nuclear reactions on nitrogen: 14N(p,d)13N at proton energies used in hadrontherapy

The BN samples, prepared in UNIPRESS by sintering BN powder at 1000oC under 7.7 GPa pressure, or available commercially from Saint-Gobain, were successfully used as nuclear targets irradiated simultaneously with proton beam of initial energy equal to 58 MeV. The reaction 14N(p,d)13N was studied through the measurement of β+ decay of 13N, leading to the emission of two 511 keV annihilation γ-quanta measured in LaBr3:Ce scintillation detectors. The 13N nucleus cannot be formed with proton on any boron isotope (A=10 or 11). A stack of BN targets was simultaneously irradiated, so the relative beam intensity was stable. Decay spectroscopy of 511 keV line (single and coincidence) was applied, allowing to disentangle β+ decays of 13N and 11C (produced in 14N(p,α) and 11B(p,n) reactions) with relative intensities determined with 3% precision.