Discussion journal of the Mössbauer Community

["HERBER" <HERBER AT VMS.HUJI.AC.IL>]

I wish to share with my fellow Mossbauer spectrocopists who are interested in 
observing the resonance in 119m Sn spectra information relating to the acute 
shortage of suitable sources for such experiments.

 

As many of you are aware, at present time the only supplier of such sources 
is Cyclotron Instruments , Sattlerweg 11c, 55128 Mainz, Germany. This 
supplier collaborates  with the "V.G.Khlopin Radium Institute" of St. 
Petersburg, 194021, Russia, who certify the quality of the sources ordered.

 

I ordered a 10 mCi source in February 2010 and after numerous delays, was 
sent a source in June 2010. This source, however, did not meet 
specifications, in that is gives rise to anomalously broad lines and very 
small resonance effects, due to the presence of  parasitic gamma rays. For 
example, with an absorber thickness of 3 mgm of natural Sn, the line width 
(FWHM) is 1.0 mm/sec compared to the expected value of ~ 0.78-0.81 mm/sec.

 

I have corresponded repeatedly with Prof. Igor Alekseev who is ultimately 
responsible for the preparation of these sources. Prof. Alekseev, after 
numerous attempts to prepare a suitable source has informed me that at the 
present time he is not able to send me a replacement source for the defective 
one shipped last June.

 

 

At the suggestion of Prof. Alekseev, I add the following information provided 
to me by him:

 

 

a) last production of tin-119m in Khlopin Radium Institute has been completed 
in November, 2008;

b) today cost of production of tin-119m with specific activity on the EOB 1 
Ci/g (for one irradiation it is possible to receive about 2-3 Ci tin-119m) in 
Institute of Nuclear Reactors of Dimitrovgrad is about 50 thousand euro.
Unfortunately, I cannot tell nothing to you about plans of a management of 
Khlopin Radium Institute and its financial opportunities since I am the 
professor of Department of Radiochemistry of the St.Petersburg State 
University, and in Khlopin Radium Institute (since December, 2009) carry out 
single contracts (connected with manufacturing of Mossbauer 57Со sources).

 

 

My reason for writing this short note is to alert potential 119mSn Mossbauer 
source users of a critical shortage in obtaining such sources for research. 
Perhaps encouraging another supplier to undertake the preparation of such 
sources may be useful.



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Prof. R. H. Herber,
Condensed Matter Physics Group,
Racah Institute of Physics,
The Hebrew University,
91904 Jerusalem, Israel,
Tel: 972 2 6584244
Fax: 972 2 6586347


Prof. R. H. Herber,
Condensed Matter Physics Group,
Racah Institute of Physics,
The Hebrew University,
91904 Jerusalem, Israel,
Tel: 972 2 6584244
Fax: 972 2 6586347