A DESIGN STUDY FOR AN ACCELERATOR-BASED EPITHERMAL NEUTRON BEAM FOR BNCT

An achievable design concept for a boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) facility, based on a high-current, low-energy proton accelerator, is described. Neutrons are produced within a thick natural lithium target, under bombardment from protons with an initial energy between 2.5 and 3.0 MeV. The proton current will be up to 10 mA. After gamma-ray filtering, the neutrons are partially moderated to epithermal energies within a heavy-water moderator, poisoned with Li-6 to remove thermal neutrons. Monte Carlo modelling has been used to predict system performance in terms of neutron fluence rate and neutron and gamma-ray dose at the patient position. The relationship between the system performance and key parameters, such as proton energy, moderator depth and Li-6 concentration, has been investigated. With a proton current of 10 mA, the facility is capable of providing a therapy beam with a useful neutron fluence rate of 10(9) cm(-2) s(-1) and a neutron dose per unit fluence of less than 6 x 10(-13) Gy cm(2), with a gamma-ray contamination of the therapy beam of about 10(-13) Gy cm(2).