Shielding design for the front end of the CERN SPL

CERN is designing a 2.2-GeV Superconducting Proton Linac (SPL) with a beam power of 4 MW, to be used for the production of a neutrino superbeam. The SPL front end will initially accelerate 2 x 10(14) negative hydrogen ions per second up to an energy of 120 MeV. The FLUKA Monte Carlo code was employed for shielding design. The proposed shielding is a combined iron-concrete structure, which also takes into consideration the required RF wave-guide ducts and access labyrinths to the machine. Two beam-loss scenarios were investigated: (1) constant beam loss of 1 Wm(-1) over the whole accelerator length and (2) full beam loss occurring at various locations. A comparison with results based on simplified approaches is also presented.     

The slow positron source at the giessen 65 MeV linac

The Giessen facility to produce slow positrons (TEPOS) with the 65 MeV electron linear accelerator (linac; at 34 MeV, maximum mean current 200 μA) of the University Giessen, Strahlenzentrum, is described. Some parameters like positron beam diameter and intensity are given. The energy spread is analyzed.     

Response of NE213 liquid scintillation detectors to high-energy photons (7 MeV < Eγ < 20 MeV)

Two NE213 liquid scintillation detectors of 206 and 412 cm³ in volume were calibrated in high-energy photon fields (E_γ > 7 MeV) at the PTB accelerator facility. The measured pulse height spectra are in excellent agreement with the response functions simulated with the EGS4 Monte Carlo code. The generally assumed linear dependence of the electron light output on the energy deposited does not hold for electron energies above 1.6 MeV. The nonlinear electron light output function was therefore included in the calculation of the response functions. The production of high-energy electrons and positrons in the target assembly and in the air was also taken into consideration.     

The electron energy dependence of the TL response for CVD diamonds

The thermoluminescent (TL) response of CVD diamond is investigated after bombarding a sample with monoenergetic electrons (at 6 and 21 MeV). Irradiations are performed at room temperature with a medical linear electron accelerator PRIMUS (KD2-Siemens). The TL curve shows a peak at approximately 540 K. The area of this peak as a function of fluence exhibits saturation behaviour at high energies. Moreover, there is no significant difference between the TL response at 21 MeV electrons and that at 6 MeV. In order to explain these experimental results, calculations of the ionising dose have been performed with the code MCNPX (Monte Carlo N-Particle) for various incident energies from 0.1 MeV up to 100 MeV.     

光电技术在合肥光源束测量系统中的应用

介绍了光电技术在合肥同步辐射加速器束流测量系统中的应用。介绍了合肥 2 0 0 Me V电子直线加速器利用光电二极管阵列的能谱测量系统、合肥 80 0 Me V电子储存环利用 CCD技术的束流截面测量系统以及利用单光子计数法测量束团纵向精细结构。本文给出了测量结果。     

Response functions of Si detectors to monoenergetic electrons and positrons in the energy range 0.8–3.5 MeV

The response functions of Si surface barrier detectors (depletion depth: 2 mm, active area: 200 mm²) to monoenergetic electrons and positrons have been measured in the energy range 0.8–3.5 MeV at the Giessen electron linear accelerator. Lower peak-to-total ratios were observed in the positron response functions compared to electrons. The measured response functions were compared with Monte Carlo simulations enabling a separation of the individual contributions to the response function such as: total energy loss, backscattering, transmission, bremsstrahlung emission. A parametrization of the response function for electrons is given, which allows a reliable approximation of the response function in the investigated energy range.     

Determination of neutron energy spectra inside a water phantom irradiated by 64 MeV neutrons

A NE230 deuterated liquid scintillator detector (25 mm diameter x 25 mm) has been used to investigate neutron energy spectra as a function of position in a water phantom under irradiation by a quasi-monoenergetic 64 MeV neutron beam. Neutron energy spectra are obtained from measurements of pulse height spectra by the NE230 detector using the Bayesian unfolding code MAXED. The experimentally measured energy spectra are compared with spectra calculated by Monte Carlo simulation using the code MCNPX.     

A Si(Li)-Pb shower calorimeter for p-p collider experiments

A silicon/lead sandwich calorimeter with 38 cm² in active area and 10 radiation lengths in depth has been constructed. The performance has been investigated for incoming electrons of 250 to 750 MeV. The calorimeter shows a good linearity over the electron energy region and the energy resolution was well expressed by σ(rms)/E = (16.5 ± 0.5)/√E(GeV) %. Also, it is shown that the deposited energy and energy resolution do not change greatly even when the incident beam position is very close to the detector edge. The agreement between these results and a Monte Carlo simulation is quite satisfactory.     

Neutron production in tissue-like media and shielding materials irradiated with high-energy ion beams

Secondary neutrons produced in high-energy therapeutic ion beams require special attention since they contribute to the dose delivered to patient, both to tumour and to the healthy tissues. Moreover, monitoring of neutron production in the beam line elements and the patient is of importance for radiation protection aspects around ion therapy facility. Monte Carlo simulations of light ion transport in the tissue-like media (water, A-150, PMMA) and materials of interest for shielding devices (graphite, steel and Pb) were performed using the SHIELD-HIT and MCNPX codes. The capability of the codes to reproduce the experimental data on neutron spectra differential both in energy and angle is demonstrated for neutron yield from the thick targets. Both codes show satisfactory agreement with the experimental data. The absorbed dose due to neutrons produced in the water and A-150 phantoms is calculated for proton (200 MeV) and carbon (390 MeV/u) beams. Secondary neutron dose contribution is approximately 0.6% of the total dose delivered to the phantoms by proton beam and at the similar level for both materials. For carbon beam the neutron dose contribution is approximately 1.0 and 1.2% for the water and A-150 phantoms, respectively. The neutron ambient dose equivalent, H(10), was determined for neutrons leaving different shielding materials after irradiation with ions of various energies.     

Estimation of response functions of moderating type neutron detectors by the time-of-flight method combined with a large lead pile

The energy dependent response functions of moderating type neutron detectors having cylindrical polyethylene moderators of 1, 3, 6 and 10 cm thicknesses were determined using the time-of-flight (TOF) technique. By combining the 35 MeV electron linear accelerator with a large lead pile of about 150 t, a pulsed neutron field which is rich in intermediate neutrons was formed and its spectrum at the standard measuring point for the TOF experiment was measured by a Li glass scintillator. In this kind of TOF, the neutron time delay in the polyethylene moderator due to multiple collisions with hydrogen was evaluated by the time dependent neutron transport Monte Carlo code, and compiled to the time response matrix. By using the neutron spectrum at the standard measuring point and the time response matrix, the energy dependent response functions of the moderating type neutron detectors were determined from the measured time spectra for the first time in a considerably wide energy range from a few eV to about 50 keV. The experimental response functions showed good agreement with the calculated results.     

Preliminary shielding assessment for the 100 MeV proton linac (KOMAC)

The Proton Engineering Frontier Project is building the Korea Multipurpose Accelerator Complex facilities from 2002 to 2012, which consists of a high-current 100 MeV proton linear accelerator and various beam-lines. This paper provides a preliminary estimate of the shielding required for the 20 mA proton linac and the beam-dump. For an accurate information on secondary neutron production from the guiding magnet and primary heat sink of the beam dump, proton-induced 63Cu and 65Cu cross section data were evaluated and applied to shielding calculations. The required thickness of the concrete was assessed by a simple line-of-sight model for the lateral shielding of the beam-line and the full shielding of the beam dump. Monte Carlo simulations were also performed using the MCNPX code to obtain the source term and attenuation coefficients for the three-dimensional lateral shielding model of the beam-line.     

A database of frequency distributions of energy depositions in small-size targets by electrons and ions

Linear energy transfer (LET) is an average quantity, which cannot display the stochastics of the interactions of radiation tracks in the target volume. For this reason, microdosimetry distributions have been defined to overcome the LET shortcomings. In this paper, model calculations of frequency distributions for energy depositions in nanometre size targets, diameters 1-100 nm, and for a 1 μm diameter wall-less TEPC, for electrons, protons, alpha particles and carbon ions are reported. Frequency distributions for energy depositions in small-size targets with dimensions similar to those of biological molecules are useful for modelling and calculations of DNA damage. Monte Carlo track structure codes KURBUC and PITS99 were used to generate tracks of primary electrons 10 eV to 1 MeV, and ions 1 keV μm(-1) to 300 MeV μm(-1) energies. Distribution of absolute frequencies of energy depositions in volumes with diameters of 1-100 nm randomly positioned in unit density water irradiated with 1 Gy of the given radiation was obtained. Data are presented for frequency of energy depositions and microdosimetry quantities including mean lineal energy, dose mean lineal energy, frequency mean specific energy and dose mean specific energy. The modelling and calculations presented in this work are useful for characterisation of the quality of radiation beam in biophysical studies and in radiation therapy.     

Response of CaSO4:Dy based TL dosemeter system to high-energy photon beams: theoretical simulation

Response of thermoluminescence (TL) discs under different filter regions of a CaSO(4):Dy based TL dosemeter system was simulated to high-energy photon beams in the energy range of 1.25 MeV to 24 MV ( approximately 9 MeV). This was done using FLUKA Monte Carlo code and also experimentally verified for some energy points. Response of disc D1 under metal filter combination was found to increase with photon energy, whereas that for the discs under polystyrene filter and open window regions of the dosemeter decreases continuously. The changes in the response of the discs under polystyrene filter and open window were attributed to the lack of build-up material. The increase in the response of disc D1 was due to the contribution from secondary electrons produced through Compton and pair production processes mainly arising out from the metal filter combination. The knowledge of the change in the response of individual discs and the ratio of discs' responses under different filter regions of the dosemeter system could be used for the measurement of energy of bremsstrahlung radiation that exists in and around high-energy electron accelerator and could be used for accurate evaluation of personal dose equivalent in high-energy photon field.     

Evaluation of the photoneutron field produced in a medical linear accelerator

The doses and spectra of photoneutrons produced in a medical linear accelerator with photon energies of 10 and 15 MV were evaluated. The Monte Carlo code, MCNPX, was used to simulate the transport of these photoneutrons around the head for 10 and 15 MV photons. The fully-described geometry of the accelerator head was used in this calculation. The photoneutron energy spectra and doses for various photon field sizes were calculated at each of 20 positions. The results indicate that the maximum dose equivalents are observed in 20 x 20 cm(2) case among photon fields. It was found the neutron average energy at isocenter for a 0 x 0 cm(2) field is 0.38 MeV for 10 MV and is 0.45 MeV for 15 MV. The neutron doses at 10 positions around the head in the treatment room of the operation facility at 10 and 15 MV were measured using the bubble detectors. Measurements were compared with the calculations under the same geometry in the experiment. It was found that the majority of the calculated results agreed to within the standard deviations of the measurements. These above results can be applied in the verification of maximum allowed neutron leakage percentage of treatment dose defined in the IEC. We have been employing them to derive the empirical formula for neutron dose equivalent level at the maze entrance of medical accelerator treatment rooms in a study that is still underway.     

In-phantom spectra and dose distributions from a high-energy neutron therapy beam

In radiotherapy with external beams, healthy tissues surrounding the target volumes are inevitably irradiated. In the case of neutron therapy, the estimation of dose to the organs surrounding the target volume is particularly challenging, because of the varying contributions from primary and secondary neutrons and photons of different energies. The neutron doses to tissues surrounding the target volume at the Louvain-la-Neuve (LLN) facility were investigated in this work. At LLN, primary neutrons have a broad spectrum with a mean energy of about 30 MeV. The transport of a 10×10 cm² beam through a water phantom was simulated by means of the Monte Carlo code MCNPX. Distributions of energy-differential values of neutron fluence, kerma and kerma equivalent were estimated at different locations in a water phantom. The evolution of neutron dose and dose equivalent inside the phantom was deduced. Measurements of absorbed dose and of dose equivalent were then carried out in a water phantom using an ionization chamber and superheated drop detectors (SDDs). On the beam axis, the calculations agreed well with the ionization chamber data, but disagreed significantly from the SDD data due to the detector's under-response to neutrons above 20 MeV. Off the beam axis, the calculated absorbed doses were significantly lower than the ionization chamber readings, since gamma fields were not accounted for. The calculated data are doses from neutron-induced charge particles, and these agreed with the values measured by the photon-insensitive SDDs. When exposed to the degraded spectra off the beam axis, the SDD offered reliable estimates of the neutron dose equivalent.     

Microdosimetric assessment of the radiation quality of a therapeutic proton beam: comparison between numerical simulation and experimental measurements

Using protons for the treatment of ocular melanoma (especially of posterior pole tumours), the radiation quality of the beam must be precisely assessed to preserve the vision and to minimise the damage to healthy tissue. The radiation quality of a therapeutic proton beam at the Centre Antoine Lacassagne in Nice (France) was measured using microdosimetric techniques, i.e. a miniaturised version of a tissue-equivalent proportional counter. Measurements were performed in a 1-μm site at different depths in a Lucite phantom. Experimental data showed a significant increase in the beam quality at the distal edge of the spread-out Bragg peak (SOBP). In this paper, the numerical simulation of the experimental setup is done with the FLUKA Monte Carlo radiation transport code. The calculated microdosimetric spectra are compared with the measured ones at different depths in tissue for a monoenergetic proton beam (E=62 MeV) and for a modulated SOBP. Numerically and experimentally predicted relative biological effectiveness values are in good agreement. The calculated frequency-averaged and dose-averaged lineal energy mean values are consistent with measured data.     

Induced radioactivity in the ESRF storage ring

The new French radiation protection legislation requires the definition of the zoning of accelerator facilities with respect to radioactive waste. This activation inside the ESRF 6 GeV storage ring is essentially due to photonuclear reactions. This paper describes the first results of Monte Carlo calculations that were started to prepare this zoning. The electron beam losses inside the storage ring, required to calculate saturation activities, are described. Results for the activation of the air inside the ring tunnel and of the cooling water are presented. The activation of accelerator components is illustrated with the results of the activation of the stainless steel vessels in a standard cell and in a cell with higher losses due to the presence of a vertical scraper. The amount of activation is compared with clearance levels given in the European directive 96/29/Euratom.     

Acceleration strategy for compact storage rings with low energy injection scheme

The acceleration strategy for an accelerator with a low energy injection scheme (LEI) is investigated. The space charge octupole-like effect caused by the electron beam and trapped ions plays an important role in beam injection and acceleration. We present an acceleration method that makes it possible for Super-ALIS, a superconducting compact storage ring, to achieve a stored current of over 200 mA with injection at 15 MeV.     

Shielding analysis of the Microtron MT-25 bunker using the MCNP-4C code and NCRP Report 51

A cyclic electron accelerator Microtron MT-25 will be installed in Havana, Cuba. Electrons, neutrons and gamma radiation up to 25 MeV can be produced in the MT-25. A detailed shielding analysis for the bunker is carried out using two ways: the NCRP-51 Report and the Monte Carlo Method (MCNP-4C Code). The walls and ceiling thicknesses are estimated with dose constraints of 0.5 and 20 mSv y(-1), respectively, and an area occupancy factor of 1/16. Both results are compared and a preliminary bunker design is shown.