Conventional Fast Neutron Flux Measurement in the Radial Piercing Channel D of the TRIGA Mark II Reactor, Pavia

open8openMarco Di Luzio; Giancarlo D’Agostino; Setareh Fatemi; Barbara Smilgys; Andrea Salvini; Massimo Oddone; Saverio Altieri; Michele PrataDI LUZIO, Marco; D'Agostino, Giancarlo; Fatemi, Setareh; Smilgys, Barbara; Salvini, Andrea; Oddone, Massimo; Altieri, Saverio; Prata, Michel

Alpha spectrometry study on LR 115 and Makrofol through measurements of track diameter

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Measurements of alpha track etch-pit diameters (from a Am-241 source) are reported for CR-39, LR 115 and Makrofol detectors. The first detector was used to calibrate the source, whereas the possibility of alpha spectroscopy was investigated in the others. A Ra-226 source was also used for CR-39 to detect a higher energy (approximate to 6.96 MeV). The data found for CR-39 are in agreement with previous results. LR 115 and Makrofol presented the characteristic Bragg peak, which indicates that these detectors can be used as alpha spectrometers. Finally, within the applied etching conditions, it was possible to observe energy detection windows for LR 115 and Makrofol. For the etching conditions employed in this work, maximum energy thresholds were found to be approximately 4.5 MeV and 3.7 MeV, for LR 115 and Makrofol, respectively. Therefore, our results indicate alpha particle tracks from plated-out radon progeny would be naturally excluded if these detectors were used to monitor environmental radon and its progeny, confirming previous results performed with different experimental conditions. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.50SI246248Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES

Conventional fast neutron flux measurement in the radial piercing channel D of the TRIGA Mark II Reactor, Pavia

Measurements flux i four positions of a radial piercing channel of TRIGA Mark II nuclear reactor of Pavia was performed by means of a bare irradiation method and a Monte Carlo simulation both relying on Ni monitors. Reaction rates per target nucleus of Ni, obtained from measurement and simulation, were compared in order to verify the accuracy of the simulations. A satisfactory agreement was observed since the results were compatible within the stated uncertainties with exception of values related to the position closest to the reactor core, where a discrepancy at ten percent level was highlighted. Consequently, the Monte Carlo code used for the simulation was considered to be validated and thus, intended to be used in the forthcoming structural modifications of the channel D which include neutron shielding and thermal neutron filter

Boron Thin Films And Cr-39 Detectors In Bnct: A Method To Measure The 10b(n,α)7li Reaction Rate

The working principle of the Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is the selective delivery of a greater amount of boron to the tumor cells than to the healthy ones, followed by the neutron irradiation that will induce the emission of α-particles and recoil 7Li nuclei through the 10B(n,α)7Li reaction. The objective of this work is to present a setup composed of a boron thin film coupled with CR-39. Alpha and 7Li particle coming from the boron films are used to quantify neutron boron reaction and are detected by CR-39. The nuclei compounding of this detector, H, C and O, will undergo fast neutrons reactions, which will be detected in the CR-39 itself. In this way, the 10B(n,α) 7Li reaction and the contribution of fast neutrons to the flux can be determined at the same time. These measurements are essential for treatment planning as well as for studies of the biodistribution of 10B-carrier drugs and tissue microdosimetry. The boron films were deposited on stainless steel substrates through the sputtering technique and irradiated with thermal neutrons at the reactor IEA-R1 located at IPEN, São Paulo/SP, Brazil. Here we show the first results on the characterization of these thin films and calibration of the proposed setup. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.50181186Altieri, S., Bortolussi, S., Bruschi, P., Chiari, P., Fossati, F., Stella, S., Prati, U., Pinelli, T., Neutron autoradiography imaging of selective boron uptake in human metastatic tumours (2008) Appl. Radiat. Isot., 66, pp. 1850-1855Barth, R., Coderre, J.A., Vicente, M.G.H., Blue, T.E., Boron neutron capture therapy of cancer: Current status and future prospects (2005) Clin. Cancer Res., 11, pp. 3987-4002Behrisch, R., (1981) Sputtering by Particle Bombardment I: Physical Sputtering of Single-Element Solids, , Springer Berlin 3540105212Bigazzi, G., Hadler, J.C., Iunes, P.J., Mineral dating by the fission track method: Neutron dosimetry by thin film of natural uranium (1993) Revista de Física Aplicada e Instrumentação, 8, pp. 13-23Bigazzi, G., Hadler, J.C., Iunes, P.J., Mello, T.C.W.P., Navia, L.M.S., Paulo, S.R., Zúñiga, A., Employment of thin thorium films in fission track neutron dosimetry (1995) Braz. J. Phys., pp. 246-251Bigazzi, G., Hadler, J.C., Iunes, P.J., Oddone, M., Paulo, S.R., Zúñiga, A., Absolute thermal neutron fluence determination by thin film of natural uranium (1995) Nucl. Instrum. Meth. Phys. Res., 352 A, pp. 588-591Bigazzi, G., Guedes, S., Hadler, J.C., Iunes, P.J., Oddone, M., Osorio, A.M., Paulo, S.R., Zúñiga, A., Potentialities and practical limitations of an absolute neutron dosimetry using thin films of uranium and thorium applied to the Fission Track Method (1999) Radiat. Meas., 31, pp. 651-656Coderre, J.A., Morris, G.M., The radiation biology of boron neutron capture therapy (1999) Radiat. Res., 151, pp. 1-18Deevband, M.R., Abdolmaleki, P., Kardan, M.R., Khosravi, H.R., Taheri, M., An investigation on the response of PADC detectors to neutrons (2011) Appl. Radiat. Isot., 69, pp. 340-345Durham, J.S., Blue, T.E., Wehring, B.W., Ragheb, M.H., Blue, J.W., Microdosimetry in fast-neutron therapy by automatic readout of CR-39 solid state nuclear track detectors (1989) Nuc. Instr. Meth. Phys. Res., 36 B, pp. 319-331Quantification and reporting of low-dose and other heterogeneous exposures (2011) J. ICRU, 11, pp. 1-77Iunes, P.J., Hadler, J.C., Bigazzi, G., Guedes, S., Zúñiga, A., Paulo, S.R., Tello, S.C.A., Uranium and thorium thin film calibrations by particle track techniques (2004) J. Radioanalytical Nucl. Chem., 262, pp. 461-468Smilgys, B., Guedes, S., Hadler, J.C., Coelho, P.R.P., Alencar, I., Soares, C.J., Salim, L.A., Manufacturing of boron thin films for the measurement of the 10B(n,α)7Li reaction in BNCT (2011) Proc. Sci., , XXXIV BWN

Boron thin films and CR-39 detectors in BNCT: A method to measure the B-10(n,alpha)Li-7 reaction rate

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)The working principle of the Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is the selective delivery of a greater amount of boron to the tumor cells than to the healthy ones, followed by the neutron irradiation that will induce the emission of alpha-particles and recoil Li-7 nuclei through the B-10(n,alpha)Li-7 reaction. The objective of this work is to present a setup composed of a boron thin film coupled with CR-39. Alpha and Li-7 particle coming from the boron films are used to quantify neutron boron reaction and are detected by CR-39. The nuclei compounding of this detector, H, C and O, will undergo fast neutrons reactions, which will be detected in the CR-39 itself. In this way, the B-10(n,alpha)Li-7 reaction and the contribution of fast neutrons to the flux can be determined at the same time. These measurements are essential for treatment planning as well as for studies of the biodistribution of B-10-carrier drugs and tissue microdosimetry. The boron films were deposited on stainless steel substrates through the sputtering technique and irradiated with thermal neutrons at the reactor lEA-R1 located at IPEN, Sao Paulo/SP, Brazil. Here we show the first results on the characterization of these thin films and calibration of the proposed setup. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.50SI181186Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES

Detectors and cultural heritage: The INFN-CHNet experience

Detectors are a key feature of the contemporary scientific approach to cultural heritage (CH), both for diagnostics and conservation. INFN-CHNet is the network of the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics that develops and applies new instrumentation for the study of CH. This process results in both optimized traditional state-of-the-art and highly innovative detection setups for spectrometric techniques. Examples of the former are X-rays, gamma-rays, visible-light and particles spectrometers tailored for CH applications, with optimized performances, reliability, weight, transportability, cost, absorbed power, and complementarity with other techniques. Regarding the latter, examples are ARDESIA, the array of detectors at the DAFNE-Light facility, the MAXRS detection setup at the Riken-RAL muon beamline and the imaging facilities at the LENA Laboratory. Paths for next-generation instruments have been suggested, as in the case of the X-ray Superconductive Detectors and X-ray Microcalorimeter Spectrometers, allowing astonishing improvement in energy resolution. Many issues in CH can now be addressed thanks to scientific techniques exploiting the existing detectors, while many others are still to be addressed and require the development of new approaches and detectors