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$^{175}$Yb is a radionuclide that can be generated by neutron capture on $^{174}$Yb and whose decay properties make it useful for developing therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals. As it happens with many of the emerging radionuclides for medical uses in recent years, its nuclear data were determined decades ago and are not thoroughly documented nor accurate enough for metrological purposes. The last documented reference for the $^{175}$Yb half-life value is 4.185(1) days and dates back to 1989, so a redetermination of the value was considered appropriate before standardization at the Institute of Radiation Physics (IRA, Lausanne, Switzerland) primary measurements laboratory. Three independent measurement methods were used to this purpose: reference ionization chamber (CIR, $chambre$ $d'ionization$ $de$ $référence$), CeBr$_{3}$ γ-ray detector with digital electronics and a second CeBr$_{3}$ detector with analog electronics and single-channel analyzer (SCA) counting. The value obtained for the $^{175}$Yb half-life is 4.1615(30) days which shows a 0.56% relative deviation to the last nuclear reference value (ENSDF 2004) and is supported with a detailed calculation of the associated uncertainty.

IRA recently launched a project to digitize all the data acquisition systems it uses for primary radionuclide standardizations. It is well-known that the digital approach presents numerous advantages over the traditional analog electronics such as information losslessness, scalability, online and/or offline data processing, and it is also a solution to the growing difficulties to repair or renew ageing modules. As a first step in this wider program, our institute set-up a 4πβ-4πγ digital coincidence counting system, with FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array)-based commercial boards from National Instruments (NI), to perform data acquisition and offline data analysis. Choosing all components and software from the same supplier provides a full compact and consistent electronic system. To demonstrate and validate the capacity of this system to standardize the activity of radioisotopes, we compare its predictions for the activity concentration of 133Ba, 166mHo and 18F solutions with the results from a coincidence counting system with analog electronics, as well as with the results from other primary methods and a secondary measurement performed with an IG11 ionization chamber (CIR, chambre d'ionization de reference) with an equivalent activity traceable to the Systeme International de Reference.

The gamma and X-ray emission intensities of 169Er were determined using radionuclidically pure 169Er. The activity of the 169Er source was standardized by the triple-to-double-coincidence ratio technique. Three independent measurements were performed to measure the emission intensities using calibrated high-purity germanium spectrometers. The efficiencies were computed with the Monte Carlo method and validated using several experimental measurements. Final results present a large uncertainty reduction compared to previous evaluations. The emission intensities per decay of 169Er are reported as 1.401(40).10−5 for the 109.8 keV line and 1.513(19).10−6 for the 118.2 keV line. The values obtained for the X-ray lines show large discrepancies with the reference values.

We report here on the primary activity standardisation of a223Ra dichloride solution in equilibrium with its decay daughters. Both the triple-to-double-coincidence-ratio (TDCR) method with an in-house TDCR detector and the CIEMAT-NIST efficiency tracing (CNET) technique with a commercial counter were used. The liquid scintillation efficiencies for both methods are about 6 while the activities they predict with about 0.4% relative standard uncertainty agree within 0.15%. For backup, the solution was also standardised with 4πγ NaI(Tl) integral counting with a well-type NaI(Tl) detector, and efficiencies computed by Monte Carlo simulations using the GEANT code. This simple technique, unused previously for this nuclide, yielded an activity concentration compatible with, but 1% lower than, the one determined by liquid scintillation counting.

This work looks into the tracks of electrons in nanoemulsive scintillating media using the Monte Carlo Geant4-DNA code which simulates event-by-event interactions of electrons in liquid water down to the eV, without resorting to the condensed history method. It demonstrates that the average number of micelles in which electrons deposit energy is quite large, increasing with their emission energy, decreasing with micelle size, and rising with micelle concentration. The probability of an electron ending its track in a micelle is found to be rather large and micelle size-dependent below 1 keV, and approximating the aqueous fraction at higher energies. Analyses of the Monte Carlo estimated energy depositions in the aqueous phase and in the scintillant tell of a micelle quenching effect, with the micelle size shaping the quenching at low energy and the micelle concentration governing it at higher energies. The micelle effect on the 3 H and 63 Ni beta spectra is discussed for a range of micelle sizes and concentrations. This paper also computes the ionisation quenching function using Birk's law whilst considering the full energy losses in the micelles bisecting the electron pathway, and not just that incurred in the primary micelle enclosing the decaying nuclide. The ionisation quenching function is then used to calculate the detection efficiencies for 3 H, 63 Ni, 54 Mn and 55 Fe. The effect of the micelle size is found to be small for beta emitters but significant for the electron capture nuclides. TDCR measurements of 63 Ni samples covering 8 aqueous fractions are analysed with and without explicit treatment of the micelle effect. Activities in the two representations agree within 0.02%. The ratios of the corresponding figures of merit are found to coincide with the scintillant fractions.

The half-life of 137Cs was measured with an ionization chamber by following the decay of 5 sources over a 30 years period between 1983 and 2013. The ratio between the ionization chamber current for the cesium sources and 226Ra source was used for the half-life calculation. The value found for the 137Cs half-life is 10,955.2±10.7 days, where the uncertainty evaluation combines type A and B for one standard deviation.

The stability of 3H and 63Ni samples, made with Ultima Gold and Ultima Gold AB using eight aqueous fractions ranging between 0.1% and 10%, was monitored over a period of 32 weeks. Counting rate losses were measured in all cases, but were found to be particularly severe for samples with low aqueous fractions. Hydrodynamic diameter measurements of the reverse micelles of 3H and 63Ni in Ultima Gold and Ultima Gold AB samples were performed with dynamic light scattering. For Ultima Gold, the micelle diameters were measured to be about 2nm and slightly dependent of the aqueous fraction, while for Ultima Gold AB they were found to vary strongly with the aqueous fraction and range between 1 and 4nm. The hypothesis that the counting rate instabilities derive from changes in the sizes of micelles was tested by measuring them four times over the monitoring period. The measurement results do not support this claim.

International audience; The hypothesis that seasonal changes in proximity to the Sun cause variation of decay constants at permille level has been tested for radionuclides disintegrating through electron capture and beta plus decay. Activity measurements of Na-22, Mn-54, Fe-55, Co-57, Zn-65, Sr82+85, Sr-90, Cd-109, Sb-124, Ba-133, Eu-152, and Bi-207 sources were repeated over periods from 200 d up to more than four decades at 14 laboratories across the globe. Residuals from the exponential nuclear decay curves were inspected for annual oscillations. Systematic deviations from a purely exponential decay curve differ from one data set to another and appear attributable to instabilities in the instrumentation and measurement conditions. Oscillations in phase with Earth's orbital distance to the sun could not be observed within 10(-4)-10(-5) range precision. The most stable activity measurements of beta(+) and EC decaying sources set an upper limit of 0.006% or less to the amplitude of annual oscillations in the decay rate. There are no apparent indications for systematic oscillations at a level of weeks or months.

Signal processing is a core part of any electronic chain for radioactivity measurement systems and can influence measurement results drastically. A thorough study of the different alternatives for this treatment is especially worthwhile when developing a new digital system. This article describes an evaluation performed to optimize the digital pulse processing stage of the β-γ coincidence counting system at the Institute of Radiation Physics (IRA) designated laboratory for the activity unit. This study is a part of IRA's digitalization project to modernize the aging analog electronic hardware of its primary measurement systems. The β-γ coincidence counting system consists of a plastic scintillation detector in the beta channel and a well-type NaI detector in the gamma channel. Six pulse shaping digital filters along with amplitude calculation algorithms were implemented to obtain beta and gamma pulse amplitude values. In addition, four timing digital filters and time pick-off methods were set up to calculate arrival times (timestamps) for the pulses generated by both detectors. Filter parameters and algorithm settings were adjusted to obtain the best performance. Combination of filters into traditional two channel (fast for timing and slow for shaping) or one channel configuration using dCFD (digital constant fraction discrimination) and LE (leading edge) time pick-off methods were also tested and compared to study the whole digital pulse processing system, using both real measurement signals (241Am, 137Cs, 60Co and 166mHo) and simulated reference pulses. The results of these tests were quantified by evaluating the following metrics: processing speed, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at different energies, gamma energy resolution, time measurement accuracy, time resolution and detection efficiency. The results of this evaluation provide a rational ground to assess the system and help decide which digital pulse processing (DPP) method should be the most appropriate.

161Tb, which emits low-energy β−- and γ-particles in addition to conversion and Auger electrons, has aroused increased interest for medical imaging and therapy. To support the use of this radionuclide, a161Tb solution was standardised using the β-γ coincidence technique, as well as the TDCR method. The solution had 4.5·10−3% of 160Tb impurities. Primary coincidence measurements, with plastic or liquid scintillators for beta detection, were carried out using both analogue and digital electronics. TDCR measurements using defocusing, grey filtering and quenching for varying the efficiency were also made. Monte Carlo calculations were used to compute the detection efficiency. The coincidence measurements with analogue electronics and the TDCR show a good consistency, and are compatible with the digital coincidence results within uncertainties. An ampoule of this solution was submitted to the BIPM as a contribution to the international reference system.

International audience; A comparison of calculations of the activity of a $^3$H$_2$O liquid scintillation source using the same experimental data set collected at the LNE-LNHB with a triple-to-double coincidence ratio (TDCR) counter was completed. A total of 17 laboratories calculated the activity and standard uncertainty of the LS source using the files with experimental data provided by the LNE-LNHB. The results as well as relevant information on the computation techniques are presented and analysed in this paper. All results are compatible, even if there is a significant dispersion between the reported uncertainties. An output of this comparison is the estimation of the dispersion of TDCR measurement results when measurement conditions are well defined.

A portable instrument was developed at the Institute of Radiation Physics (IRA) for on-site radionuclides measurements. It will enable the measurement of short-lived radionuclides in nuclear medicine departments or isotope production centres. The system involves an ionization chamber read directly by an electrometer and it was optimized to ensure a good reproducibility through the selection of an appropriate vial, filling volume and source position in the well chamber, as well as monitoring the external background and performing a detailed uncertainty estimation. The calibration factors were determined using solutions whose activity concentration is traceable to the international reference system using the IRA reference chamber. Currently the transfer ionization chamber is calibrated for F-18, C-11, O-15, N-13, I-131 and Tc-99m. The final instrument is able to measure isotope activities with a relative standard uncertainty not larger than 1%.

International audience; Claims that proximity to the Sun causes variation of decay constants at permille level have been investigated for alpha decaying nuclides. Repeated decay rate measurements of Po-209, Ra-226, Th-228, U-230, and Am-241 sources were performed over periods of 200 d up to two decades at various nuclear metrology institutes around the globe. Residuals from the exponential decay curves were inspected for annual oscillations. Systematic deviations from a purely exponential decay curve differ in amplitude and phase from one data set to another and appear attributable to instabilities in the instrumentation and measurement conditions. The most stable activity measurements of alpha decaying sources set an upper limit between 0.0006% and 0.006% to the amplitude of annual oscillations in the decay rate. There are no apparent indications for systematic oscillations at a level of weeks or months. Oscillations in phase with Earth's orbital distance to the sun could not be observed within 10(-5)-10(-6) range precision.

In the framework of the EMPIR project MetroBeta, the development and optimization of a double focalizing magnetic spectrometer have been realized in order to measure the beta spectra shape. The acquisition is designed to perform,after focalization by the magnetic field, an energy selection using a window on the deposited energy in the Si detector. The energy calibration is performed using conversion electrons from 109Cd, 137Cs, 133Ba and 207Bi and the measured energy resolution is 1.3% at 1 MeV. The efficiency is measured experimentally using a 204Tl source and is used to reconstruct the spectrum shape for beta emitters with end-point energy up to 750 keV. Two beta emitters with allowed transitions, 134Cs and 60Co, are used to validate the measurement and the reconstruction method. Finally the measurement of the beta shape of 36Cl, a non-unique 2nd forbidden transition is presented.