What is the maximum energy of O-15?

Oxygen-15 (^15O) is a positron-emitting radionuclide commonly used in positron emission tomography (PET). The maximum energy of any positron-emitting isotope is typically associated with the energy released during the positron emission decay process.

For ^15O, it undergoes beta-plus decay, emitting a positron and producing nitrogen-15 as a result. The maximum energy associated with the positron emitted during this decay is 1.72 MeV. This energy is significant because it influences the range and penetration of the emitted positrons in tissue, which is an important consideration in PET imaging.

Understanding the energy levels of isotopes like ^15O is crucial in the context of PET because the choice of radionuclide impacts image quality, resolution, and the overall effectiveness of the imaging procedure. The higher the energy of the emitted positron, the farther it can travel before annihilating with an electron, which can affect the signal received and the spatial resolution of the imaging results.