6533b7d9fe1ef96bd126cc8b
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Neutron flux and gamma dose measurement in the BNCT irradiation facility at the TRIGA reactor of the University of Pavia
Nicoletta ProttiR.o. FaríasIan PostumaMaurizio MarraleMaurizio MarraleDavid W. NiggM.p. CaranteM.p. CaranteFrancesca BallariniFrancesca BallariniG. IacovielloSilva BortolussiSilva BortolussiM. FerrariM. FerrariMichele PrataMichele PrataSalvatore GalloSalvatore GalloS. FatemiS. FatemiSara J. GonzálezAntonio BartolottaAntonio BartolottaSaverio AltieriSaverio Altierisubject
inorganic chemicalsNuclear and High Energy PhysicsMaterials science030218 nuclear medicine & medical imagingTRIGAlaw.invention03 medical and health sciencesNeutron flux measurements Neutron activation Photon dosimetry Alanine dosimetry BNCT0302 clinical medicineAlanine dosimetry; BNCT; Neutron activation; Neutron flux measurements; Photon dosimetry; Nuclear and High Energy Physics; InstrumentationlawNeutron fluxNeutronInstrumentationPhoton dosimetryDosimeterRadiochemistrySettore FIS/01 - Fisica Sperimentaletechnology industry and agricultureNuclear reactorAlanine dosimetryNeutron temperatureSettore FIS/07 - Fisica Applicata(Beni Culturali Ambientali Biol.e Medicin)Neutron captureNeutron flux measurements030220 oncology & carcinogenesisNeutron activationBNCTSettore MED/36 - Diagnostica Per Immagini E RadioterapiaNeutron activationdescription
Abstract 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 ) × 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 × 10 - 13 Gy/(n/cm2).
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-01-01 |