Experimental investigation of filtered epithermal photoneutron beams for BNCT
- Idaho State Univ., Pocatello, ID (United States)
Epithermal neutron beams having sufficient intensities for the clinical application of boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) for cancer are currently produced using small nuclear reactors. A practical accelerator neutron source for BNCT would offer some advantages over the reactor-based approach, and a few low-intensity prototypes of such sources, generally featuring the use of deuteron or proton beams and beryllium or lithium targets, have been constructed and tested. Scaling of these devices to output levels suitable for clinical application will in many cases require additional developments in the relevant accelerator technology, as well as the resolution of some rather difficult issues associated with target cooling. This paper provides new experimental performance data for an alternate concept for the realization of a clinically useful accelerator-based source of epithermal neutrons for BNCT that is based on the use of a two-stage photoneutron production process driven by an electron accelerator. Computational design data as well as benchtopscale experimental results obtained to date show that reconciliation of the conflicting objectives of target cooling, neutron beam intensity, and neutron beam spectral purity that are inherent in the design of essentially all proposed accelerator neutron sources for BNCT may very well be achievable in a practical clinical device based on the photoneutron concept.
- OSTI ID:
- 426301
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-961103--
- Journal Information:
- Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society Vol. 75; ISSN TANSAO; ISSN 0003-018X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
An accelerator-based epithermal photoneutron source for boron neutron capture therapy
Experimental investigation of filtered epithermal-photoneutron Beams for BNCT