Study of M99o and long-lived impurities produced in the Mnato(γ,x) reactions using an electron beam

We discuss the possibility of producing M99o radioisotope using an electron beam accelerated in the linac injector of the SOLARIS synchrotron. M99o with a half-life of 65.94 h, is a parent of the medically important radioisotope T99mc(T1/2=6 h). In our study M99o was produced from Mnato(γ,x) reaction using Bremsstrahlung γ radiation generated by 60, 100 and 200 MeV electron beams hitting a tungsten radiator located in front of the target. The activity of M99o was analysed by off-line γ spectroscopy using a HPGe detector. Auxiliary Monte-Carlo simulations were performed to determine the flux and energy distribution of the Bremsstrahlung photons. The activity thus obtained is high enough to consider the feasibility for commercial purposes of the production of M99o through photo-nuclear reactions. Apart from the reaction of interest, the activity of other long-lived radioactive impurities produced from Mnato(γ,x) reactions were determined.