Compact, inexpensive, epithermal neutron source for BNCT
- Linac Systems, 2167 N. Highway 77, Waxahachie, Texas 75165 (United States)
A new rf-focused linac structure, designed specifically to increase the acceleration efficiency and reduce the cost of linac structures in the few-MeV range, may win the role as the optimum accelerator-based epithermal neutron source for the BNCT application. This new linac structure resembles a drift tube linac (DTL) with radio frequency quadrupole (RFQ) focusing incorporated into each 'drift tube,' hence the name R lowbar f F lowbar ocused D lowbar TL, or RFD. It promises superior acceleration properties, focusing properties, and CW capabilities. We have a proposal under consideration for the development of an epithermal neutron source, based on the 2.5-MeV RFD linac system with an average current of 10 mA, having the following components: an ion source, a short low-energy transport system, a short RFQ linac section, an RFD linac section, an rf power system, a high-energy beam transport system, a proton beam target, and a neutron beam moderator system. We propose to develop a solid lithium target for this application in the form of a thin lithium layer on the inner surface of a truncated aluminum cone, cooled by the heavy water moderator, where the proton beam is expanded to a diameter of 3 cm and scanned along a circular path, striking the lithium layer at the cone's half-angle of 30 degrees. We propose to develop a moderator assembly designed to transmit a large fraction of the source neutrons from the target to the patient treatment port, while shifting the neutron energies to an appropriate epithermal energy spectrum and minimizing the gamma-ray dose. The status of this proposal and these plans are presented.
- OSTI ID:
- 21205525
- Journal Information:
- AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 475, Issue 1; Conference: 15.International conference on the application of accelerators in research and industry, Denton, TX (United States), 4-7 Nov 1998; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.59096; (c) 1999 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ACCELERATION
BEAM CURRENTS
BEAM TRANSPORT
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
DRIFT TUBES
EPITHERMAL NEUTRONS
FOCUSING
HEAVY WATER
ION SOURCES
LITHIUM 7 TARGET
MEV RANGE
MODERATORS
NEUTRON BEAMS
NEUTRON CAPTURE THERAPY
NEUTRON SOURCES
PROTON BEAMS
PROTON REACTIONS
QUADRUPOLE LINACS
RF SYSTEMS