Using a clinical linac to determine the energy levels of ^92mNb via the photonuclear reaction

The bremsstrahlung photons of 18 MeV end-point energy produced by a clinical linear accelerator were used to irradiate ⁹³Nb, producing ^92mNb via the photonuclear reaction. The gamma-ray spectrum emitted by the excited nucleus was measured with high purity germanium detector. For analysis of the energy transitions, both gf3 and ROOT spectrum analysis programs were applied. The results were shown to be comparable with the literature values, demonstrating the ability to use a clinical liner accelerator in nuclear physics measurements. - Highlights: • A clinical linac was used to determine the energy levels of ^92mNb via the photonuclear reaction. • The measured energy transitions of ^92mNb were found to be comparable with both NuDat database and literature data. • It is demonstrated that clinical linacs have a potential use for the determination of nuclear data of radioactive nuclei.