https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/201715307023
Shielding analyses of an AB-BNCT facility using Monte Carlo simulations and simplified methods
1 Institute of Nuclear Engineering and Science, National Tsing Hua University, 101, Sec. 2, Kuang-Fu Road, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
2 Department of Engineering and System Science, National Tsing Hua University, 101, Sec. 2, Kuang-Fu Road, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
* Corresponding author: rjsheu@mx.nthu.edu.tw
Published online: 25 September 2017
Accurate Monte Carlo simulations and simplified methods were used to investigate the shielding requirements of a hypothetical accelerator-based boron neutron capture therapy (AB-BNCT) facility that included an accelerator room and a patient treatment room. The epithermal neutron beam for BNCT purpose was generated by coupling a neutron production target with a specially designed beam shaping assembly (BSA), which was embedded in the partition wall between the two rooms. Neutrons were produced from a beryllium target bombarded by 1-mA 30-MeV protons. The MCNP6-generated surface sources around all the exterior surfaces of the BSA were established to facilitate repeated Monte Carlo shielding calculations. In addition, three simplified models based on a point-source line-of-sight approximation were developed and their predictions were compared with the reference Monte Carlo results. The comparison determined which model resulted in better dose estimation, forming the basis of future design activities for the first ABBNCT facility in Taiwan.
© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2017
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
