The Design and Dosimetry of an Al/S/Ar Filtered Neutron Beam

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Abstract
The design of a rig to produce a beam of neutrons with energies in the range 10 eV - 30 keV and dosimetry measurements made to characterise this beam are described. The rig can be installed in Harwell's DIDO reactor. Neutrons are scattered from the core of the reactor and filtered with a combination of aluminium, sulphar and liquid argon. It is being used to irradiate biological cells in a polyethylene phantom for survival studies to assess the potential of intermediate energy neutrons for boron neutron capture therapy. The total neutron fluence rate in the beam is (1.65 ± 0.27) x 1011 m-2.s-1 and the corresponding calculated neutron kerma rate in water is (64 ± 7) mGy.h-1. Whilst >50% of the neutron fluence rate arises from neutrons with energies <5 keV, neutrons in the energy range 20 to 30 keV contribute _50% of the neutron kerma rate. The variation in neutron and gamma ray dose rates across the beam, which is 50 mm diameter, are ±16% and ±4% (1s) respectively. The thermal neutron fluence rate and gamma ray dose rate peak at about 20 mm depth in the phantom.

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