Measurement of the cross sections for the production of the isotopes [sup.74]As, [sup.68]Ge, [sup.65]Zn, and [sup.60]Co from natural and enriched germanium irradiated with 100-MeV protons

The cross sections for the production of the radioactive isotopes [sup.74]As, [sup.68]Ge, [sup.65]Zn, and [sup.60]Co in metallic germanium irradiated with 100-MeV protons were measured, the experiments being performed both with germanium of natural isotopic composition and germanium enriched in the isotope [sup.76]Ge. The targets were irradiated with a proton beam at the facility for the production of radionuclides at the accelerator of the Institute for Nuclear Research (INR, Moscow). The data obtained will further be used to calculate the background of radioactive isotopes formed by nuclear cascades of cosmic-ray muons in new-generation experiments devoted to searches for the neutrinoless double-beta decay of [sup.76]Ge at underground laboratories.