Neutron flux and gamma dose measurement in the BNCT irradiation facility at the TRIGA reactor of the University of Pavia

NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH SECTION B-BEAM INTERACTIONS WITH MATERIALS AND ATOMS

卷:414

Article

Bortolussi, S.^1,2  Protti, N.²  Ferrari, M.^2,3  Postuma, I.²  Fatemi, S.^1,2  Prata, M.^2,4  Ballarini, F.^1,2  Carante, M. P.^1,2  Farias, R.^5,6  Gonzalez, S. J.^5,6  Marrale, M.^7,8,9  Gallo, S.^10,11  Bartolotta, A.^7,8  Iacoviello, G.¹²  Nigg, D.¹³  Altieri, S.^1,2 

[1] Univ Pavia, Dept Phys, Via Bassi 6, I-27100 Pavia, Italy

[2] Ist Nazl Fis Nucl, Unit Pavia, Via Bassi 6, I-27100 Pavia, Italy

[3] Univ Brescia, Dept Mech & Ind Engn, Via Branze 38, I-25123 Brescia, Italy

[4] Univ Pavia, LENA, Via Aselli 41, I-27100 Pavia, Italy

[5] CNEA, Av Constituyentes 1499, Buenos Aires, DF, Argentina

[6] Consejo Nacl Invest Cient & Tecn, Av Godoy Cruz 2290, Buenos Aires, DF, Argentina

[7] Univ Palermo, Dept Phys & Chem, Viale Sci Edificio 18, I-90125 Palermo, Italy

[8] Ist Nazl Fis Nucl, Unit Catania, Via Santa Sofia 64, I-95123 Catania, Italy

[9] Univ Palermo, ATeN Ctr, Viale Sci Edificio 18, I-90125 Palermo, Italy

[10] Univ Milan, Dept Phys, Via Giovanni Celoria 16, I-20133 Milan, Italy

[11] Ist Nazl Fis Nucl, Unit Milan, Via Giovanni Celoria 16, I-20133 Milan, Italy

[12] UOC Fis Sanitaria ARNAS Osped Civ, Palermo, Italy

[13] Idaho Natl Lab, Idaho Falls, ID USA

关键词: Neutron flux measurements;    Neutron activation;    Photon dosimetry;    Alanine dosimetry;    BNCT;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.nimb.2017.10.023

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

University of Pavia is equipped with a TRIGA Mark II research nuclear reactor, operating at a maximum steady state power of 250 kW. It has been used for many years to support Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) research. An irradiation facility was constructed inside the thermal column of the reactor to produce a sufficient thermal neutron flux with low epithermal and fast neutron components, and low gamma dose. In this irradiation position, the liver of two patients affected by hepatic metastases from colon carcinoma were irradiated after borated drug administration. The facility is currently used for cell cultures and small animal irradiation. Measurements campaigns have been carried out, aimed at characterizing the neutron spectrum and the gamma dose component. The neutron spectrum has been measured by means of multifoil neutron activation spectrometry and a least squares unfolding algorithm; gamma dose was measured using alanine dosimeters. Results show that in a reference position the thermal neutron flux is (1.20 +/- 0.03) x 10(10) cm(-2) s(-1) when the reactor is working at the maximum power of 250 kW, with the epithermal and fast components, respectively, 2 and 3 orders of magnitude lower than the thermal component. The ratio of the gamma dose with respect to the thermal neutron fluence is 1.2 x 10(-13) Gy/(n/cm(2)).

【 授权许可】

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