New data for the ${}^{\text{nat}}\mathrm{V}(p,x)$ reactions have been measured in the range 26–70 MeV, with production of the nuclides ${}^{47}\mathrm{Sc}, {}^{43}\mathrm{Sc}, {}^{44m}\mathrm{Sc}, {}^{44g}\mathrm{Sc}, {}^{46}\mathrm{Sc}, {}^{48}\mathrm{Sc}, {}^{42}\mathrm{K}, {}^{43}\mathrm{K}, {}^{48}\mathrm{V}, {}^{48}\mathrm{Cr}, {}^{49}\mathrm{Cr}$, and ${}^{51}\mathrm{Cr}$. The focus is on the production of ${}^{47}\mathrm{Sc}$, a ${\beta }^{-}$ emitter suitable for innovative radiotheranostic applications in nuclear medicine. The measured cross sections for this radionuclide and its contaminants are compared with the theoretical excitation functions calculated with the talys code. In view of novel radiopharmaceutical applications, it is essential to accurately describe these cross sections for the evaluation of yields, purities, and dose releases. Hence, we optimize the level-density parameters of the microscopic models in the talys code to obtain the best possible descriptions of the new data. We consider different irradiation conditions to estimate the production yields from the cross sections determined in this paper.

The next years will see the completion of the radioactive ion beam facility SPES (Selective Production of Exotic Species) and the upgrade of the accelerators complex at Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare – Legnaro National Laboratories (LNL) opening up new possibilities in the fields of nuclear structure, nuclear dynamics, nuclear astrophysics, and applications. The nuclear physics community has organised a workshop to discuss the new physics opportunities that will be possible in the near future by employing state-of-the-art detection systems. A detailed discussion of the outcome from the workshop is presented in this report.

The realization of isotopically enriched Ti targets for nuclear cross-section measurements requires particular attention, from the starting material preparation up to the deposition technique. In this work, a cryomilling process was developed and optimized, aimed at reducing the size of ^49,50Ti metal sponge as provided by the supplier (size up to 3 mm), to the optimal size of 10 µm, to fit the High Energy Vibrational Powder Plating technique used for target manufacturing. The optimization of the cryomilling protocol and the HIVIPP deposition using ^natTi material was thus performed. The scarce amount of the enriched material to be treated (about 150 mg), the need to obtain a non-contaminated final powder and a uniform target thickness of about 500 µg/cm² were taken into account. The ^49,50Ti materials were then processed and 20 targets of each isotope were manufactured. Both powders and the final Ti targets produced were characterized by SEM-EDS analysis. The amount of Ti deposited was measured by weighing, indicating reproducible and homogeneous targets, with an areal density of 468 ± 110 µg/cm² for ⁴⁹Ti (n = 20) and 638 ± 200 µg/cm² for ⁵⁰Ti (n = 20). The uniformity of the deposited layer was also confirmed by the metallurgical interface analysis. The final targets were used for the cross section measurements of the ⁴⁹Ti(p,x)⁴⁷Sc and ⁵⁰Ti(p,x)⁴⁷Sc nuclear reaction routes aimed at the production of the theranostic radionuclide ⁴⁷Sc.

The production of medical radionuclides is one of the research activities carried out in the framework of the SPES (Selective Production of Exotic Species) project under the completion stage at the Legnaro National Laboratories of the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN-LNL). The heart of SPES is the 70-MeV proton cyclotron having a dual-beam extraction, installed and commissioned in a new building equipped with ancillary laboratories currently under construction. The SPES main goal is the realization of an advanced ISOL (Isotope Separation On-Line) facility to produce re-accelerated exotic ion beams for fundamental nuclear physics studies. The cyclotron double-beam extraction system allows to simultaneously carry out applied research, such as radionuclides production for medicine (SPES- $$\gamma$$γ ). This paper summarizes the results obtained with the interdisciplinary projects LARAMED (LAboratory of RAdionuclides for MEDicine) and ISOLPHARM (ISOL technique for radioPHARMaceuticals). The first one, based upon the direct activation method, is focused on the production of the radionuclides under the spotlight of the international community (e.g., $$^{99m}$$99 m Tc, $$^{67}$$67 Cu, $$^{52/51}$$52 / 51 Mn, $$^{47}$$47 Sc and Tb isotopes), from the nuclear cross-section measurements up to the preclinical studies. The other one exploits the ISOL technique for the development and production of radioisotopes with high-specific activity, such as $$^{111}$$111 Ag, going beyond the state of the art in the field. The most recent SPES- $$\gamma$$γ research activities and future perspective are here described, characterized by a consolidated network of collaborations with national and international institutions.