Long term activation in a 15 MeV radiotherapy accelerator
- Health Physics Department, National Cancer Institute of Milan, Milan 20133 (Italy)
The high energy electrons produced by linear accelerators can generate several radioisotopes by means of photonuclear reactions. The activity produced in the head of a 15 MV Mevatron Siemens 77 medical linear accelerator was measured by high resolution gamma-ray spectrometry, during its decommissioning 1 year after the last clinical use. The activity of {sup 54}Mn, {sup 57}Co, {sup 60}Co, {sup 181}W, and {sup 65}Zn was measured while the activity of other radioisotopes which emit soft {beta} or {gamma} rays such as {sup 59}Ni, {sup 63}Ni, and {sup 55}Fe was inferred by appropriate scaling factors. The number of pieces requiring particular care is limited, their mass does not exceed some tens of kilograms, and their volume is of the order of some thousands of cm{sup 3}. Moreover, these materials are metals and the emitted radiation can be easily shielded, so that storage should not create particular problems.
- OSTI ID:
- 21120842
- Journal Information:
- Medical Physics, Vol. 35, Issue 7; Other Information: DOI: 10.1118/1.2936223; (c) 2008 American Association of Physicists in Medicine; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-2405
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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