Terbium-152, decaying by electron capture and ${\beta }^{+}$ emission to the ground and excited states in ${}^{152}\mathrm{Gd}$, shows potential for use in PET imaging as part of personalized cancer treatments. We report results of decay spectroscopy measurements, providing nuclear data necessary for medical use of this radionuclide. Sources of ${}^{152}\mathrm{Tb}$ were prepared at CERN-ISOLDE by proton-induced spallation of a tantalum target, followed by on-line mass separation. The decay of these sources was measured at ILL Grenoble using the $\gamma$-ray coincidence spectrometer FIPPS and the PN1 electron-$\gamma$ coincidence spectroscopy setup. We present an updated level scheme for the decay, comprising 751 $\gamma$-ray transitions placed to 200 excited states. Angular correlation analysis and conversion-electron spectroscopy provide spin-parity assignments to levels, multipolarity assignments to $\gamma$ rays, and measurements of electric monopole transition strengths. A transition intensity balance of the resulting level scheme provides beta feeding intensities for each level, showing an 8.9% reduction in the positron emission probability and an increase of 4.5% in the $\gamma$-ray energy emitted per decay compared to the existing evaluated data for this decay.

Close

PrevNext

View figure in article

• Beta decay
• Energy levels
• Positron emission tomography
• 150 ≤ A ≤ 189
• Gamma ray spectroscopy