Side-reaction products identified for photo-nuclear production of⁹⁹Mo.

Production of 99Mo by the 100Mo (γ, n)99Mo reaction through the bremsstrahlung process using an electron accelerator is one of the feasible options currently pursued by several countries. Here we report experimental results on identification of side-reaction products after the irradiation of natural and enriched 100Mo targets. Side-reaction products identified include various Mo, Nb and Zr isotopes. Comparison of experimentally determined reaction production rates with those determined based on theoretical cross-sections will be presented. Moreover, activation products formed due to presence of impurities introduced during the manufacturing of the Mo targets will also be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]