Actinium-225 (t1/2=9.92d) is an α-emitting radionuclide with nuclear properties well-suited for use in targeted alpha therapy (TAT), a powerful treatment method for malignant tumors. Actinium-225 can also be utilized as a generator for (213)Bi (t1/2 45.6 min), which is another valuable candidate for TAT. Actinium-225 can be produced via proton irradiation of thorium metal; however, long-lived (227)Ac (t1/2=21.8a, 99% β(-), 1% α) is co-produced during this process and will impact the quality of the final product. Thus, accurate assays are needed to determine the (225)Ac/(227)Ac ratio, which is dependent on beam energy, irradiation time and target design. Accurate actinium assays, in turn, require efficient separation of actinium isotopes from both the Th matrix and highly radioactive activation by-products, especially radiolanthanides formed from proton-induced fission. In this study, we introduce a novel, selective chromatographic technique for the recovery and purification of actinium isotopes from irradiated Th matrices. A two-step sequence of cation exchange and extraction chromatography was implemented. Radiolanthanides were quantitatively removed from Ac, and no non-Ac radionuclidic impurities were detected in the final Ac fraction. An (225)Ac spike added prior to separation was recovered at ≥ 98%, and Ac decontamination from Th was found to be ≥ 10(6). The purified actinium fraction allowed for highly accurate (227)Ac determination at analytical scales, i.e., at (227)Ac activities of 1-100 kBq (27 nCi to 2.7 μCi).

Calorimetric decay energy spectroscopy of electron-capturedecaying isotopes is a promising method to achieve the sensitivity required for electron neutrino mass measurement. The very low total nuclear decay energy (Q EC < 3 keV) and short half-life (4570 y) of 163 Ho make it attractive for high-precision electron capture spectroscopy (ECS) near the kinematic endpoint, where the neutrino momentum goes to zero. In the ECS approach, an electron-capture-decaying isotope is embedded inside a microcalorimeter designed to capture and measure the energy of all the decay radiation except that of the escaping neutrino. We have developed a complete process for proton-irradiation-based isotope production, isolation, and purification of 163 Ho. We have developed transition-edge sensors for this measurement and methods for incorporating 163 Ho into high-resolution microcalorimeters, and have measured the electron-capture spectrum of 163 Ho. We present our work in these areas and discuss the measured spectrum and its comparison to current theory.

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