Organic Scintillator for Real-Time Neutron Dosimetry
- Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States). Dept. of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences
- Polish Academy of Sciences (PAS), Krakow (Poland). Henryk Niewodniczanski Inst. of Nuclear Physics
- Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Radzikowskiego 152, 31-342 Kraków, Poland
We have developed a radiation detector based on an organic scintillator for spectrometry and dosimetry of out-of-field secondary neutrons from clinical proton beams. The detector consists of an EJ-299-34 crystalline organic scintillator, coupled by fiber optic cable to a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM). Proof of concept measurements were taken with 137Cs and 252Cf, and corresponding simulations were performed in MCNPX-PoliMi. Despite its small size, the detector is able to discriminate between neutron and gamma-rays via pulse shape discrimination. We simulated the response function of the detector to monoenergetic neutrons in the 100 keV–0 MeV range using MCNPX-PoliMi. The measured unfolded 252Cf neutron spectrum is in good agreement with the theoretical Watt fission spectrum. We determined the ambient dose equivalent by folding the spectrum with the fluence-to-ambient dose conversion coefficient, with a 1.4% deviation from theory. Some preliminary proton beam experiments were preformed at the Bronowice Cyclotron Center patient treatment facility using a clinically relevant proton pencil beam for brain tumor and craino-spinal treatment directed at a child phantom.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation
- Grant/Contract Number:
- NA0002534; G019737
- OSTI ID:
- 1454834
- Journal Information:
- Radiation Protection Dosimetry, Vol. 180, Issue 1-4; ISSN 0144-8420
- Publisher:
- Oxford University PressCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Web of Science
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