High-power liquid-lithium target prototype for accelerator-based boron neutron capture therapy

High-power liquid-lithium jet target for neutron production

“…In a different realm of interest, the nearthreshold 7 Li(p,n) 7 Be reaction has been widely studied as a prime candidate for production of accelerator-based neutrons for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) [ 7]. Here the epithermal energy of the emitted neutrons is much closer to that optimally required for therapy of deep-seated tumors (E n = 1 eV -10 keV) [ 8,9,10,11] than that obtained from other target materials, such as beryllium (E n ~ 5 MeV) [ 8], or from reactor-produced neutrons. An accelerator-based setup for neutron production is also considered more practical for clinical applications than a nuclear-reactor environment.…”

Accelerator technology and SPECT developments for BNCT

“…There are several nuclear reactions of interest for AB-BNCT, the two most exploited ones in current AB-BNCT programs are 7 Li(p,n) 7 Be and 9 Be(p,n) 9 B. The lithium reaction was traditionally considered the best due to its neutron yield and because it can produce low energy neutrons at bombarding energies near its threshold (1.88 MeV).…”

“…The lithium reaction was traditionally considered the best due to its neutron yield and because it can produce low energy neutrons at bombarding energies near its threshold (1.88 MeV). However the most awkward properties of lithium for constructing high-power targets are its chemical reactivity, low melting point (180º), low thermal conductivity (85 W·m -1 ·K -1 ) and management of the radioactive product generated in the reaction ( 7 Be, T 1/2 = 53.2 days), though these are not insurmountable problems [5,6,7,9]. In this paper we report on the present status of an ongoing project to develop a folded Tandem-Electrostatic-Quadrupole (TESQ) accelerator facility for AB-BNCT at the Atomic Energy Commission of Argentina (CNEA) [11].…”

“…In this scenario, accelerator-based neutron sources, installed in specialized cancer centers, will play a decisive role in the future of BNCT. Therefore several programs, whose number has increased during the last few years, are dedicated to the development of accelerator-based BNCT (AB-BNCT): two in Japan [3,4], two in Russia [5,6], one in Israel [7], one in Italy [8], one in the United Kingdom [9] and one in Argentina [10].…”

“…Self consistent space charge beam transport simulations have been performed and compared with experiments. In addition to the traditional 7 Li(p,n) reaction, 9 Be(d,n) using a thin Be target has been thoroughly studied as a candidate for a possible neutron source for deep seated tumors, showing a satisfactory performance. A treatment room complying with regulations has been designed.…”