title: Optimum design and criticality safety of a beam-shaping assembly with an accelerator-driven subcritical neutron multiplier for boron neutron capture therapies.
abstract: The beam-shaping assembly for boron neutron capture therapies with a compact accelerator-driven subcritical neutron multiplier was designed so that an epithermal neutron flux of 1.9×10(9) cm(-2) s(-1) at the treatment position was generated by 5 MeV protons in a beam current of 2 mA. Changes in the atomic density of (135)Xe in the nuclear fuel due to the operation of the beam-shaping assembly were estimated. The criticality safety of the beam-shaping assembly in terms of Xe poisoning is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Quantum Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Kita-13, Nishi-8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan. Electronic address: hiraga@eng.hokudai.ac.jp.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hiraga
mesh_terms: D016754:Boron Neutron Capture Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D009502:Neutrons; D011522:Protons
chemical_list: D011522:Protons
keywords: Compact subcritical neutron multiplier; Criticality safety; Epithermal neutron flux; RBE dose; Small accelerator; Xenon poisoning