title: Neutron spectra measurement and comparison of the HFR and THOR BNCT beams.
abstract: This paper aims to measure the spectra of HB11 (high flux reactor, HFR) and the Tsing Hua open-pool reactor (THOR) boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) beams by multiple activation foils. The self-shielding corrections were made with the aid of MCNP calculations. The initial spectra were adjusted by a sophisticated process named coarse-scaling adjustment using SAND-EX, which can adjust a given coarse-group spectrum into a fine-group structure, i.e. 640 groups, with excellent continuity. The epithermal neutron flux of the THOR beam is about three times of HB11. The thermal neutron flux, boron and gold reaction rates along the central axis of a PMMA phantom are calculated for both adjusted spectra for comparison.
authors.affiliation: Engineering and System Science Department, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan. yhl.taiwan@gmail.com
authors.forename: Yuan-Hao
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Sander
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nievaart
authors.forename: Pi-En
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Hong-Ming
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ray
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moss
authors.forename: Shiang-Huei
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D016754:Boron Neutron Capture Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005214:Fast Neutrons / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D009688:Nuclear Reactors; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013624:Taiwan
chemical_list: D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate