xenon133

Xenon-133 is a stable isotope of xenon, with an atomic mass of 132.90545 u. It is one of the nine naturally occurring isotopes of xenon, with a natural abundance of approximately 21.23%. Xenon-133 is produced through the beta decay of iodine-133, which has a half-life of about 20.8 hours. This decay process is significant in nuclear medicine, as iodine-133 is a common radiopharmaceutical used in diagnostic imaging and therapy.

The primary use of xenon-133 is in medical imaging, particularly in the field of nuclear medicine. It is used as a tracer gas in ventilation studies, which help diagnose lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and pneumonia. Xenon-133 emits gamma rays with energies of 81 keV, which can be detected by gamma cameras to visualize the distribution of the gas in the lungs. This technique provides valuable information about lung function and ventilation patterns.

Xenon-133 is also used in other applications, such as in the calibration of radiation detectors and in the study of gas-phase reactions. Its stable nature and well-characterized decay properties make it a useful isotope for these purposes. However, the use of xenon-133 in medical applications is limited by its relatively short half-life and the need for specialized equipment to handle and detect the isotope.