Ti-44

Titanium-44 (Ti-44) is a radioactive isotope of titanium with a half-life of approximately 60 years. It decays through electron capture to produce scandium-44, which subsequently emits gamma radiation. Ti-44 is notable for its relatively long half-life compared to other radioactive isotopes and emits gamma photons at specific energies, including a prominent line at 1157 keV. This makes it useful in certain scientific studies and applications.

Titanium-44 is the parent isotope for scandium-44 used in medical diagnostics. Scandium-44 is too short-lived isotope for logistics from nuclear centers to medical institutions (half-life 4 hours). Therefore, special mobile isotope generators fueled with titanium-44 are transferred to medical centers. As 44Ti decays, the accumulated scandium-44 is washed out of the generator by chemical methods.

Ti-44 is primarily used in astrophysics and cosmology. It is a key isotope for studying supernova remnants, as its presence provides valuable information about the nucleosynthesis processes that occur during these stellar explosions. The gamma emissions from Ti-44 are detectable using specialized space telescopes and help astronomers understand the dynamics and history of supernovae. Additionally, Ti-44 has potential applications in calibration for gamma-ray detection systems due to its predictable radiation characteristics.

In nature, Ti-44 is not found in significant quantities, as it is produced primarily in supernovae. On Earth, it can be synthesized artificially in particle accelerators or during nuclear reactions, but its production is rare and specialized. Ti-44 is generally encountered in controlled research environments, particularly in laboratories or observatories focusing on astrophysics and nuclear science.