Production of 149Tb in Alpha-Particle-Induced Nuclear Reactions

Abstract

The isotope ¹⁴⁹Tb is the only known isotope decaying both by emission of alpha particles and positrons. This unique feature makes it possible to unite in one radionuclide two main tools of nuclear medicine: cancer therapy by α particles and diagnostics using positron emission tomography. The existing ways of production of ¹⁴⁹Tb are far from being practical. In this paper, a simulation of the excitation functions of the ¹⁵¹Eu(α, 6n)¹⁴⁹Tb and ¹⁵³E(α, 8n)¹⁴⁹Tb nuclear reactions was carried out. The cross sections in the maxima (approximately 65 and 80 MeV, respectively) are predicted to reach one barn, and the targets could be made from natural europium. Thus, these reactions can serve as a basis of a new promising technology for production of ¹⁴⁹Tb isotope for use in a modern field of nuclear medicine, theranostics.