Development and validation of an analytical model of isotope production by bremsstrahlung radiation

An analytical method is used to describe isotope production at an electron accelerator. The key characteristics that determine the total target activity and its distribution have been established. The expressions for the reaction yield depend explicitly on the irradiation regime and parameters of the giant dipole resonance. The model predictions for the bremsstrahlung spectrum and yield of the reference reactions are in good agreement with the results of simulation and experiment. •A simple formula for spectrum of high-energy X-rays is proposed and verified.•The formula enables convolution of X-ray spectrum with photonuclear cross-section.•Explicit expressions for photonuclear isotope yield have been obtained.•Good agreement is shown between the predicted and measured isotope yield.