• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.10-19
• /
• 2020

Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) has the advantage of selectively removing cancer cells ingesting boron compounds. In this study, the benefits for treatment time and boron compound injection dose were compared between current neutron sources and a high current neutron sources to be developed in near future. The time-activity curve (TAC) of GBM (Glioblastoma) for one bolus injection was obtained by applying modified 3 compartment model. The treatment time was determined for an accelerator-based neutron sources at the present time and a high current accelerator based neutron source to be developed in the near future. In the case of the double amount of IAEA-recommended neutron flux, the treatment time was shortened to 15 minutes. In the case of high current accelerators, which are five times the amount of IAEA-recommended neutron flux, the irradiation time is within 5 minutes. The use of a high current accelerator based neutron source in BNCT is advantageous in terms of treatment time. In addition, it can increase the efficiency of use of neutrons and reduce the boron compound injection dose to patients, thus reducing pharmacological toxicity.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.54 no.10
• /
• pp.3824-3832
• /
• 2022

Prompt capture gammas are an important part of the fission reactor gamma field. Because some of the structural materials after neutron capture can emit photons with high energies forming the dominant component of the gamma spectrum in the high energy region, the following study of the high energy capture gamma was carried out. High energy gamma radiation may play a major role in areas of the radiation sciences as reactor dosimetry. The HPGe measurements and calculations of the high-energy aluminum capture gamma were performed at two moderator levels in the VR-1 pool-type reactor. The result comparison for nominal levels was within two sigma uncertainties for the major 7.724 MeV peak. A larger discrepancy of 60% was found for the 7.693 MeV peak. The spectra were also measured using a stilbene detector, and a good agreement between HPGe and stilbene was observed. This confirms the validity of stilbene measurements of gamma flux. Additionally, agreement of the wide peak measurement in 7-9.2 MeV by stilbene detector shows the possibility of using the organic scintillators as an independent power monitor. This fact is valid in these reactor types because power is proportional to the thermal neutron flux, which is also proportional to the production of capture gammas forming the wide peak.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
• /
• v.4 no.4
• /
• pp.29-32
• /
• 2010

The neutron capture cross section of $^{197}Au$ has been measured relative to the $^{10}B(n,{\gamma})$ standard cross section by the neutron time-of-flight(TOF) method using a 46-MeV electron linear accelerator(linac) at the Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University(KURRI). In order to experimentally prove the result obtained, the supplementary cross section measurement has been made from 0.1 eV to 10 keV using the Kyoto University Lead slowing-down spectrometer (KULS) coupling to the linac. The relative measurement by the TOF method has been normalized to the reference value(24.5 b) at 1 eV. The evaluated capture cross sections in JENDL/D-99 Dosimetry have been compared with the current measurements by the KULS experiments.

• Journal of Radiation Industry
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.111-117
• /
• 2015

In this paper, production of $^{166}Ho$ by double neutron capture from HANARO research reactor was evaluated. This production approach provides $^{166}Ho$ with high specific activity. $^{164}Dy$ is transmuted into $^{165g+m}Dy$ by (n,${\gamma}$) reaction, then $^{165g+m}Dy$ is transmuted into $^{166}Dy$ by (n,${\gamma}$) reaction. At the end of neutron irradiation, population of $^{166}Dy$ atoms reaches highest point. And $^{164}Dy$ exists as a mixture with $^{165m}Dy$, $^{165}Dy$, $^{166}Ho$ and $^{165}Ho$ at this point. To obtain $^{166}Ho$ with high specific activity, Ho isotopes from irradiated target is separated out. Then $^{166}Ho$ decayed from $^{166}Dy$ is eluted at radioactive equilibrium state. At each step, the number of relevant nuclide is calculated by the state equation. The neutron irradiation time for maximum $^{166}Dy$ is calculated for 283 hour. When 100 mg target of $Dy_2O_3$ (96.8% enriched $^{164}Dy$) is used, possible activity of $^{166}Ho$ is 3.54 Ci($1.31{\times}10^{11}Bq$). For separation efficiency of Dy/Ho is 99.99%, $^{166}Ho/Ho$ is 0.62.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.53 no.2
• /
• pp.626-636
• /
• 2021

Boron-neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a cancer treatment method that exploits the high neutron reactivity of boron. Monitoring the prompt gamma rays (PGs) produced during neutron irradiation is essential for ensuring the accuracy and safety of BNCT. We investigate the imaging of PGs produced by the boron-neutron capture reaction through Monte Carlo simulations of a gamma camera with a SrI₂ scintillator and parallel-hole collimator. GAGG scintillator is also used for a comparison. The simulations allow the shapes of the energy spectra, which exhibit a peak at 478 keV, to be determined along with the PG images from a boron-water phantom. It is found that increasing the size of the water phantom results in a greater number of image counts and lower contrast. Additionally, a higher septal penetration ratio results in poorer image quality, and a SrI₂ scintillator results in higher image contrast. Thus, we can simulate the BNCT process and obtain an energy spectrum with a reasonable shape, as well as suitable PG images. Both GAGG and SrI₂ crystals are suitable for PG imaging during BNCT. However, for higher imaging quality, SrI₂ and a collimator with a lower septal penetration ratio should be utilized.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.47-64
• /
• 1992

Cores of globular clusters are an ideal place for close encounters between stars. The outcome of tidal capture can be stellar mergers, close binaries between normal stars (W UMa type), cataclysmic variables composed of white dwarf and normal star pairs, or low-mass X-ray binaries consisting of a neutron star and a normal star pairs. Stellar mergers can be the origin of blue stragglers in dense globular clusters although they are hard to observe. Low mass X-ray binaries would eventually become binary pulsars with short pulse periods after the neutron stars accrete sufficient amount of matter from the companion. However, large number of recently discovered, isolated millisecond pulsars (as opposed to binary pulsars) in globular clusters may imply that they do not have to gain angular speeds during the X-ray binary phase. We propose that these isolated millisecond pulsars may have formed through the disruptive encounters, which lead to the formation of accretion disk without Roche lobe filling companion, between a neutron star and a main-sequence star. Based on recently developed multicomponent models for the dynamical evolution of globular clusters, we compute the expected numbers of various systems formed by tidal capture as a function of time.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.31-34
• /
• 2008

The neutron capture spectrum for the light nuclide was very useful to study the nuclear structure. In the present study, the capture gamma-ray from the 27-keV resonance of $^{19}F(n,g)^{20}F$ reaction were measured with an anti-Compton NaI(Tl) spectrometer and the 3-MV Pelletron accelerator of the Research Laboratory for Nuclear Reactors at the Tokyo institute of technology. A neutron Time-of-Flight method was adopted with a 1.5 ns pulsed neutron source by the $^7Li(p,n)^7Be$ reaction. In the present experiment, a Teflon(($CF_2$)n) sample was used The sample was disk with a diameter of 90mm. The thickness of sample was determined so that reasonable counting rates could be obtained and the correction was not so large for the self-shielding and multiple scattering of neutrons in the sample, and was 5mm. The primary gamma-ray transitions were compared with previous measurement of Kenny.

• Proceedings of the Korea Contents Association Conference
• /
• 2004.11a
• /
• pp.495-500
• /
• 2004

The neutron capture cross section of $^{99}Tc$ has been measured relative to the $^{10}B$(n,g) standard cross section by the neutron time-of-flight(TOF) method in the energy range of 0.007 eV to 47keV using a 46-MeV electron linear accelerator(linac) at the Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University(KURRI). In order to experimentally prove the result obtained, the supplementary cross section measurement has been made from 0.3 eV to 1 keV using the Kyoto University Lead slowing-down Spectrometer(KULS) coupling to the linac. The relative measurement by the TOF method has been normalized to the reference value(20.01 b) at 0.0253 eV and the KULS measurement to that by the TOF method. The existing experimental data and the evaluated capture cross sections in ENDF/B-VI, JENDL-3.2, and JEF-2.2 have been compared with the current measurements by the linac TOF and the KULS experiments. The energy dependency of the KULS data is close to that of the TOF data which are energy-broadened by the resolution function of the KULS.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.53 no.6
• /
• pp.1970-1978
• /
• 2021

The aim of this study was to optimize the target, moderator, and collimator (TMC) in a neutron beam generator for the accelerator-based BNCT (A-BNCT) system. The optimization employed the Monte Carlo Neutron and Photon (MCNP) simulation. The optimal geometry for the target was decided as the one with the highest neutron flux among nominates, which were called as angled, rib, and tube in this study. The moderator was optimized in terms of consisting material to produce appropriate neutron energy distribution for the treatment. The optimization of the collimator, which wrapped around the target, was carried out by deciding the material to effectively prevent the leakage radiations. As results, characteristic of the neutron beam from the optimized TMC was compared to the recommendation by the International Atomic Energy Agent (IAEA). The tube type target showed the highest neutron flux among nominates. The optimal material for the moderator and collimator were combination of Fluental (Al₂0₃+AlF₃) with ⁶⁰Ni filter and lead, respectively. The optimized TMC satisfied the IAEA recommendations such as the minimum production rate of epithermal neutrons from thermal neutrons: that was 2.5 times higher. The results can be used as source terms for shielding designs of treatment rooms.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.67-73
• /
• 1985

The manganous sulfate bath method for neutron source calibrations at the K-SRI is described together with the measurement of neutron emission rate of a source and the corrections applied for capture by competing nuclei of neutrons, and thermal neutron leakage, neutron absorption in the source itself. The commercially available neutron sources (Am-Be, $^{252}Cf$) for the calibration checks of neutron radiation instruments in the MeV range are considered in this paper.