Ga-67

Zinc-65 (Zn-65) is a radioactive isotope of zinc with a half-life of approximately 244 days. It decays primarily by electron capture to stable copper-65 and produces a characteristic gamma-ray line at about 1115.5 keV, making it relatively easy to identify by gamma spectroscopy. A small fraction of decays also involves positron emission, producing 511 keV annihilation photons.

Zn-65 is mainly used as a radioactive tracer in scientific and industrial research. Because zinc is an essential trace element, Zn-65 can be used to study zinc uptake, distribution, and metabolism in biological and environmental systems. It is also used in laboratory tracer studies and can serve as a reference source for testing or calibrating gamma-spectrometry equipment.

Zn-65 does not occur naturally in significant quantities and is mainly produced artificially in nuclear reactions. It can be generated in particle accelerators, for example by proton irradiation of suitable target materials, and may also appear as an activation product in nuclear facilities. Because of its relatively long half-life, Zn-65 can persist in activated materials and may be detected around research, isotope-production, or nuclear-industry environments.

Zn-65

Zinc-65
Technogenic β, γ radiation

Half-life: 244 days Main emission lines: 511 keV, 1115 keV