Design of neutron beams for neutron capture therapy using a 300-kW slab TRIGA reactor
- Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States). Medical Dept.
A design for a slab reactor to produce an epithermal neutron beam and a thermal neutron beam for use in neutron capture therapy (NCT) is described. A thin reactor with two large-area faces, a ``slab`` reactor, was planned using eighty-six 20% enriched TRIGA fuel elements and four B{sub 4}C control rods. Two neutron beams were designed: an epithermal neutron beam from one face and a thermal neutron beam from the other. The planned facility, based on this slab-reactor core with a maximum operating power of 300 kW, will provide an epithermal neutron beam of 1.8 {times} 10{sup 9} n{sub epi}/cm{sup 2}{center_dot}s intensity with low contamination by fast neutrons and gamma rays and a thermal neutron beam of 9.0 {times} 10{sup 9}n{sub th}/cm{sup 2}{center_dot}s intensity with low fast-neutron dose and gamma dose. Both neutron beams will be forward directed. Each beam can be turned on and off independently through its individual shutter. A complete NCT treatment using the designed epithermal or thermal neutron beam would take 30 or 20 min, respectively, under the condition of assuming 10{mu}g {sup 10}B/g in the blood. Such exposure times should be sufficiently short to maintain near-optimal target (e.g., {sup 10}B, {sup 157}Gd, and {sup 235}U) distribution in tumor versus normal tissues throughout the irradiation. With a low operating power of 300 kW, the heat generated in the core can be removed by natural convection through a pool of light water. The proposed design in this study could be constructed for a dedicated clinical NCT facility that would operate very safely.
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76CH00016
- OSTI ID:
- 31992
- Journal Information:
- Nuclear Technology, Vol. 109, Issue 3; Other Information: PBD: Mar 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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