Cubic boron nitride: A new prospective material for ultracold neutron application

Abstract At the ultracold neutron (UCN) source of the TRIGA research reactor in Mainz, we have measured for the first time the material optical wall-potential of cubic boron nitride. The measurements were performed with a time-of-flight (TOF) spectrometer. The samples investigated had a wall-potential of ( 305 ± 15 ) neV . This value is in good agreement with the result extracted from neutron reflectometry data and theoretical expectations. Because of its high critical velocity for UCN and its good dielectric characteristics, cubic boron nitride coatings (isotopically enriched) will be useful for a number of applications in UCN experiments.

Fast determination of impurities in metallurgical grade silicon for photovoltaics by instrumental neutron activation analysis

Standard wafer solar cells are made of near-semiconductor quality silicon. This high quality material makes up a significant part of the total costs of a solar module. Therefore, new concepts with less expensive so called solar grade silicon directly based on physiochemically upgraded metallurgical grade silicon are investigated. Metallurgical grade silicon contains large amounts of impurities, mainly transition metals like Fe, Cr, Mn, and Co, which degrade the minority carrier lifetime and thus the solar cell efficiency. A major reduction of the transition metal content occurs during the unidirectional crystallization due to the low segregation coefficient between the solid and liquid phas…

Dosimetry in mixed gamma–neutron radiation fields and energy compensation filters for CaF2:Tm TL detectors

Abstract Strong fields of thermal and epithermal neutrons as used for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) show a relatively small gamma dose. However, for accurate dose estimation, both the neutron as well as the gamma component has to be considered. Different approaches have been studied with various thermoluminescence detectors (TLDs). As a result, CaF2:Tm detectors (TLD-300) are attributed to be most insensitive to thermal neutrons but not tissue-equivalent. In this paper we focus on the measurement of the gamma dose with TLD-300 in mixed irradiation fields. To overcome the disadvantage of being not tissue-equivalent, a study on energy compensation filters was performed. The paper compr…

Dosimetric feasibility study for an extracorporeal BNCT application on liver metastases at the TRIGA Mainz

This study investigates the dosimetric feasibility of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) of explanted livers in the thermal column of the research reactor in Mainz. The Monte Carlo code MCNP5 is used to calculate the biologically weighted dose for different ratios of the (10)B-concentration in tumour to normal liver tissue. The simulation results show that dosimetric goals are only partially met. To guarantee effective BNCT treatment the organ has to be better shielded from all gamma radiation.

Forensic investigation of brick stones using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF).

Abstract Brick stones collected from different production facilities were studied for their elemental compositions under forensic aspects using laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS), instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF). The aim of these examinations was to assess the potential of these methods in forensic comparison analyses of brick stones. The accuracy of the analysis methods was evaluated using NIST standard reference materials (679, 98b and 97b). In order to compare the stones to each other, multivariate data analysis was used. The evaluation of the INAA results (based on the concentrations of V, Na, K, …

Determination of impurity distributions in ingots of solar grade silicon by neutron activation analysis

AbstractIn a series of crystallization experiments, the directional solidification of silicon was investigated as a low cost path for the production of silicon wafers for solar cells. Instrumental neutron activation analysis was employed to measure the influence of different crystallization parameters on the distribution of 3d-metal impurities of the produced ingots. A theoretical model describing the involved diffusion and segregation processes during the solidification and cooling of the ingots could be verified by the experimental results. By successive etching of the samples after the irradiation, it could be shown that a layer of at least 60 μm of the samples has to be removed to get r…

Chronological development of element concentrations in grapes during growth and ripeness and during fermentation of must determined by instrumental neutron-activation analyses

Abstract The chronological development of element concentrations during growth and ripeness of grapes described in the literature has only been concerned with the macro elements Mg, K, and Ca. Concentrations of trace elements in must are only described as a snapshot at the end of the ripeness. Therefore, the motivation for the present work was to accompany the growth and the ripening process of grapes successively by systematically determining element concentrations in grapes of Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon by neutron-activation analyses. While for a number of elements, the concentrations in the grapes increased as a function of grape development (e.g., Na, K, Rb, Al), other concentratio…

Study of reliability of TLDs for the photon dose mapping in reactor neutron fields for BNCT

Abstract Photon dose measurements in radiation fields having the proper characteristics for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) present several troubles. The thermal neutron flux is very high and produces a significant contribution to the response of most dosimeters. The consistency of photon dose measurements with CaF 2 :Tm and LiF:Mg, Ti thermoluminescent dosimeters has been studied. A method is described for obtaining the gamma dose with TLD-700 and some results are presented to test its reliability.

Behavior of a trapezoid-based data acquisition system up to 100 kHz and beyond

In this work, we investigated the ability of a high-purity germanium detector connected to a trapezoid-filter-based data acquisition system to reliably record signals in spite of high sample activities. By activating multiple Na$_{2}$CO$_{3}$ samples with different Na content, we were able to deduce efficiency, resolution and dead time of the system used as a function of the sample activity. Based on the results, we were able to find a setting which allows measurements of event rates up to 35~kHz per readout channel with an energy resolution of 0.3\% at the 2754 keV $^{24}$Na line.

Boron determination in liver tissue by combining quantitative neutron capture radiography (QNCR) and histological analysis for BNCT treatment planning at the TRIGA Mainz.

The typical primary malignancies of the liver are hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma, whereas colorectal liver metastases are the most frequently occurring secondary tumors. In many cases, only palliative treatment is possible. Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) represents a technique that potentially destroys tumor tissue selectively by use of externally induced, locally confined secondary particle irradiation. In 2001 and 2003, BNCT was applied to two patients with colorectal liver metastases in Pavia, Italy. To scrutinize the rationale of BNCT, a clinical pilot study on patients with colorectal liver metastases was carried out at the University of Mainz. The distribution o…

Comparison of EPR response of pure alanine and alanine with gadolinium dosimeters exposed to TRIGA Mainz reactor

The development of Neutron Capture Therapy (NCT) for cancer treatments has stimulated the research for beam characterization in order to optimize the therapy procedures. The NCT has found to be promising for treatments of tumours which hardly can be treated with other techniques, such as gliomas. Alongside with the improvements of this technique, the development of procedures for the beam characterization arouses great interest in order to optimize the therapy protocol by reliably determining the various (neutronic and photonic) components of the mixed beam usually employed for therapy. Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) dosimetry for electron and photon beams with alanine has attracted …

Dose calculation in biological samples in a mixed neutron-gamma field at the TRIGA reactor of the University of Mainz

To establish Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) for non-resectable liver metastases and for in vitro experiments at the TRIGA Mark II reactor at the University of Mainz, Germany, it is necessary to have a reliable dose monitoring system. The in vitro experiments are used to determine the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of liver and cancer cells in our mixed neutron and gamma fi eld. We work with alanine detectors in combination with Monte Carlo simulations, where we can measure and characterize the dose. To verify our calculations we perform neutron fl ux measurements using gold foil activation and pin-diodes . Material and methods . When L- α -alanine is irradiated with ionizing …

Biosorption of copper by wine-relevant lactobacilli

Must and wine may be contaminated with elevated copper concentrations by the use of fungicides or in course of the vinification process. Hitherto only a few practicable and harmless procedures exist to reduce an excess of copper from must and wine. For this reason we investigated the biosorption of copper by eight wine-relevant Lactobacillus species. Both, living and heat-inactivated cells revealed a significant degree of Cu adsorption. It was shown that Cu binding correlated positively with an increasing pH value of the environment. The highest binding capacity of the tested lactic acid bacteria was found for L. buchneri DSM 20057 with a maximum of 46.17 μg Cu bound per mg cell in deionize…

Transmission of very slow neutrons through material foils and its influence on the design of ultracold neutron sources

At the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), a very intense source of ultracold neutrons (UCN) is being built. The UCN converter of solid deuterium must be contained in a vessel. Produced UCN leave that vessel through its top lid. To decide on the design of the vessel and the top lid, we have measured the transmission of neutrons with velocities between 3 and 20 m/s through different material foils. Contrary to expectations, we found that transmission through aluminium and aluminium alloys is equal or even higher compared to zirconium and reactor-grade zirconium alloys, respectively.

Dose determination using alanine detectors in a mixed neutron and gamma field for boron neutron capture therapy of liver malignancies

IntroductionBoron Neutron Capture Therapy for liver malignancies is being investigated at the University of Mainz. One important aim is the set-up of a reliable dosimetry system. Alanine dosimeters have previously been applied for dosimetry of mixed radiation fields in antiproton therapy, and may be suitable for measurements in mixed neutron and gamma fields.Materials and MethodsTwo experiments have been carried out in the thermal column of the TRIGA Mark II reactor at the University of Mainz. Alanine dosimeters have been irradiated in a phantom and in liver tissue.ResultsFor the interpretation and prediction of the dose for each pellet, beside the results of the measurements, calculations …

The thermal neutron capture cross section of the radioactive isotope $^{60}$Fe

50% of the heavy element abundances are produced via slow neutron capture reactions in different stellar scenarios. The underlying nucleosynthesis models need the input of neutron capture cross sections. One of the fundamental signatures for active nucleosynthesis in our galaxy is the observation of long-lived radioactive isotopes, such as $^{60}$Fe with a half-life of $2.60\times10^6$ yr. To reproduce this $\gamma$-activity in the universe, the nucleosynthesis of $^{60}$Fe has to be understood reliably. A $^{60}$Fe sample produced at the Paul-Scherrer-Institut was activated with thermal and epithermal neutrons at the research reactor at the Johannes Gutenberg-Universit\"at Mainz. The therm…

HCl gas gettering for crystalline silicon thin film solar cells

Crystalline silicon thin film (cSiTF) solar cells could be an attractive alternative for standard silicon solar cells. Only a small amount of the expensive high purity silicon is needed for the epitaxial deposition on a low-cost silicon substrate made from e.g. metallurgical grade (MG) or upgraded metallurgical grade (UMG) silicon. The resulting product is called epitaxial wafer equivalent (EpiWE) because it can be processed in a standard wafer cell production. MG-Si and UMG-Si still contain a huge amount of metallic impurities. These impurities have to be removed by gettering methods in order to prevent diffusion into the highly pure active silicon layer during the high-temperature deposit…

The alanine detector in BNCT dosimetry: Dose response in thermal and epithermal neutron fields

Purpose: The response of alanine solid state dosimeters to ionizing radiation strongly depends on particle type and energy. Due to nuclear interactions, neutron fields usually also consist of secondary particles such as photons and protons of diverse energies. Various experiments have been carried out in three different neutron beams to explore the alanine dose response behavior and to validate model predictions. Additionally, application in medical neutron fields for boron neutron capture therapy is discussed. Methods: Alanine detectors have been irradiated in the thermal neutron field of the research reactor TRIGA Mainz, Germany, in five experimental conditions, generating different secon…

Determination of boron concentration in blood and tissue samples from patients with liver metastases of colorectal carcinoma using Prompt Gamma Ray Activation Analysis (PGAA).

As part of the studies on Boron Neutron Capture Therapy at the University of Mainz, Germany, a clinical trial has been started, in which our patients suffering from liver metastases of colorectal carcinoma, have been enrolled. Specimens of blood and healthy tissue samples taken from the patients were measured at the PGAA facilities at the HFR in Petten, The Netherlands, and at the FRM II in Munich, Germany. From the measured boron concentrations, pharmacokinetic curves and blood-to-tissue concentration ratios were produced.

Confirmation of a realistic reactor model for BNCT dosimetry at the TRIGA Mainz

Purpose: In order to build up a reliable dose monitoring system for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) applications at the TRIGA reactor in Mainz, a computer model for the entire reactor was established, simulating the radiation field by means of the Monte Carlo method. The impact of different source definition techniques was compared and the model was validated by experimental fluence and dose determinations. Methods: The depletion calculation code ORIGEN2 was used to compute the burn-up and relevant material composition of each burned fuel element from the day of first reactor operation to its current core. The material composition of the current core was used in a MCNP5 model of the in…

Direct Experimental Verification of Neutron Acceleration by the Material Optical Potential of SolidH22

We have measured the acceleration of neutrons by the material optical potential of solid $^{2}\mathrm{H}_{2}$. Using a gravitational spectrometer, we find a minimal kinetic energy ${E}_{c}=(99\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}7)\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{neV}$ of neutrons from a superthermal ultracold neutron (UCN) source with solid $^{2}\mathrm{H}_{2}$ as an UCN converter. The result is in excellent agreement with theoretical predictions, ${E}_{c}=106\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{neV}$.

Erratum to "Determination of the irradiation field at the research reactor TRIGA Mainz for BNCT" [J. Appl. Radiat. Isot. 67 (2009) S242-S246].

Irradiation facility at the TRIGA Mainz for treatment of liver metastases

Abstract The TRIGA Mark II reactor at the University of Mainz provides ideal conditions for duplicating BNCT treatment as performed in Pavia, Italy, in 2001 and 2003 [Pinelli, T., Zonta, A., Altieri, S., Barni, S., Braghieri, A., Pedroni, P., Bruschi, P., Chiari, P., Ferrari, C., Fossati, F., Nano, R., Ngnitejeu Tata, S., Prati, U., Ricevuti, G., Roveda, L., Zonta, C., 2002. TAOrMINA: from the first idea to the application to the human liver. In: Sauerwein et al. (Eds.), Research and Development in Neutron Capture Therapy. Proceedings of the 10th International Congress on Neutron Capture Therapy, Monduzzi editore, Bologna, pp. 1065–1072]. In order to determine the optimal parameters for the…

Towards a new measurement of the neutron electric dipole moment

International audience; The effort towards a new measurement of the neutron electric dipole moment (nEDM) at the Paul Scherrer Institut's (PSI) new high intensity source of ultracold neutrons (UCN) is described. The experimental technique relies on Ramsey's method of separated oscillatory fields, using UCN in vacuum with the apparatus at ambient temperature. In the first phase, R&D towards the upgrade of the RAL/Sussex/ILL apparatus is being performed at the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL). In the second phase the apparatus, moved from ILL to PSI, will allow an improvement in experimental sensitivity by a factor of 5. In the third phase, a new spectrometer should gain another order of magnitud…

Reverse paintings on glass--a new approach for dating and localization.

Samples from 20 reverse paintings on glass from different regions have been analyzed by NAA with the aim to deduce the place and date of their origin. A separation of earlier and later paintings was due to different concentrations of K and Na, because a sodium-containing flux came into use after 1870. Since in southern Germany quartz sand, and in the eastern area quartz rock had been used for glass manufacture, specific impurities could be used to distinguish southern from eastern glasses.

Receptor-mediated uptake of boron-rich neuropeptide y analogues for boron neutron capture therapy.

Peptidic ligands selectively targeting distinct G protein-coupled receptors that are highly expressed in tumor tissue represent a promising approach in drug delivery. Receptor-preferring analogues of neuropeptide Y (NPY) bind and activate the human Y1 receptor subtype (hY1 receptor), which is found in 90% of breast cancer tissue and in all breast-cancer-derived metastases. Herein, novel highly boron-loaded Y1 -receptor-preferring peptide analogues are described as smart shuttle systems for carbaboranes as (10) B-containing moieties. Various positions in the peptide were screened for their susceptibility to carbaborane modification, and the most promising positions were chosen to create a mu…

Additional results from the first dedicated search for neutron–mirror neutron oscillations

International audience; The existence of a mirror world holding a copy of our ordinary particle spectrum could lead to oscillations between the neutron (n) and its mirror partner (n′). Such oscillations could manifest themselves in storage experiments with ultracold neutrons whose storage lifetime would depend on the applied magnetic field. Here, extended details and measurements from the first dedicated experimental search for nn′ oscillations published in [G. Ban, K. Bodek, M. Daum, R. Henneck, S. Heule, M. Kasprzak, N. Khomutov, K. Kirch, S. Kistryn, A. Knecht, P. Knowles, M. Kuźniak, T. Lefort, A. Mtchedlishvili, O. Naviliat-Cuncic, C. Plonka, G. Quéméner, M. Rebetez, D. Rebreyend, S. R…

Thermal neutron capture cross section of the radioactive isotopeFe60

Background: Fifty percent of the heavy element abundances are produced via slow neutron capture reactions in different stellar scenarios. The underlying nucleosynthesis models need the input of neutron capture cross sections.Purpose: One of the fundamental signatures for active nucleosynthesis in our galaxy is the observation of long-lived radioactive isotopes, such as $^{60}\mathrm{Fe}$ with a half-life of $2.60\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{6}$ yr. To reproduce this $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ activity in the universe, the nucleosynthesis of $^{60}\mathrm{Fe}$ has to be understood reliably.Methods: An $^{60}\mathrm{Fe}$ sample produced at the Paul Scherrer Institut (Villigen, Switzerla…