Radionuclide generator

Model of a thorium cow

A radionuclide generator is used in research and medicine to obtain radionuclides with short half-lives . Here, a daughter nuclide is separated from a mother nuclide with a longer half-life. There are a variety of radionuclide generators that contain different systems of parent and daughter nuclides.

Examples

Radionuclide generator (thorium cow)

The Thorium Cow: This generator is one of the oldest. A vessel contains natural thorium (Th-232) in the form of thorium dioxide or its decay product Th-228. Thorium breaks down into the noble gas radon (Rn-220). This is collected in a separate vessel. Rn-220 decays quickly (half-life 55s) via Po-216 to Pb-212. This lead isotope is deposited on a negative platinum electrode and can be removed after a while.
81m krypton generator: The rubidium -81 formed after irradiation of natural krypton is adsorbed on a cation exchanger . At the place of use, the Kr-81m created when Rb-81 decays is flushed out with air. This mixture can be inhaled by the patient for lung examinations with a gamma camera .

Technetium 99m generator

Gallium-68 generator

Cesium-barium generator

literature

Cornelius Keller : Fundamentals of Radiochemistry. Salle & Sauerländer, 3rd edition 1993, p. 233 ff, ISBN 3-7935-5487-2

Web links

Physics University of Dortmund (PDF; 2.6 MB)
Wikibooks

Individual evidence

↑ The term is sometimes used synonymously (and therefore also confused) with (radio) isotope generator (used to generate energy).

[1] The term is sometimes used synonymously (and therefore also confused) with (radio) isotope generator (used to generate energy).