  A number of accelerator-based isotope production facilities utilize 100- to
200-MeV proton beams due to the high production rates enabled by high-intensity
beam capabilities and the greater diversity of isotope production brought on by
the long range of high-energy protons. However, nuclear reaction modeling at
these energies can be challenging because of the interplay between different
reaction modes and a lack of existing guiding cross section data. A Tri-lab
collaboration has been formed among the Lawrence Berkeley, Los Alamos, and
Brookhaven National Laboratories to address these complexities by
characterizing charged-particle nuclear reactions relevant to the production of
established and novel radioisotopes. In the inaugural collaboration
experiments, stacked-targets of niobium foils were irradiated at the Brookhaven
Linac Isotope Producer (E$_p$=200 MeV) and the Los Alamos Isotope Production
Facility (E$_p$=100 MeV) to measure $^{93}$Nb(p,x) cross sections between 50
and 200 MeV. The measured cross-section results were compared with literature
data as well as the default calculations of the nuclear model codes TALYS, CoH,
EMPIRE, and ALICE. We developed a standardized procedure that determines the
reaction model parameters that best reproduce the most prominent reaction
channels in a physically justifiable manner. The primary focus of the procedure
was to determine the best parametrization for the pre-equilibrium two-component
exciton model. This modeling study revealed a trend toward a relative decrease
for internal transition rates at intermediate proton energies (E$_p$=20-60 MeV)
in the current exciton model as compared to the default values. The results of
this work are instrumental for the planning, execution, and analysis essential
to isotope production.
