PRODUCTION OF A SHORT-LIVED THERAPEUTIC [alpha]-EMITTER [sup.149]Tb BY IRRADIATION OF EUROPIUM BY 63 MeV [alpha]-PARTICLES

[sup.149]Tb is currently considered to be a promising [alpha]-emitting isotope radioimmunotherapy. It is shown that it can be obtained without the use of a carrier by irradiating a target consisting of [Eu.sub.2][O.sub.3] with 4He with energy 63 MeV. After irradiation, radiochemical separation of terbium radioisotopes was performed in a time not exceeding the half-life of [sup.149]Tb (4.12 h). It was based on reductive co-precipitation of europium and extraction-chromatographic purification. The obtained product, including [sup.149]Tb and the associated terbium radioisotopes, were analyzed by means of alpha- and gamma-spectrometry. It was concluded that the combination and sequence of approaches used in this work allow rapid production of short-lived [sup.149]Tb and the use of the technological route implemented in this work in practice.