A new detection method of99Tc by nuclear excitation

A new nuclear excitation process,⁹⁹Tc (, )^99mTc reaction, was applied for the first time to radioactivation analysis of technetium. Bremsstrahlung irradiation of⁹⁹Tc samples gave the reaction product^99mTc which emits -ray measurable with ease by a semiconductor detector. The production rate of^99mTc per g⁹⁹Tc was linearly correlated with the flux of bremsstrahlung. The detection limit of⁹⁹Tc was estimated to be nanogram order (0.63 Bq⁹⁹Tc) under the optimum irradiation condition. Possible interference by¹⁰⁰Ru(, p)^99mTc reaction was also studied, which could be discriminated from the (, ) reaction by simultaneously occurring⁹⁸Ru (, p)⁹⁷Ru reaction.