Spectrometry of leakage photoneutrons of 18 MV medical accelerator head by Sohrabi passive multi-directional spherical neutron spectrometry system

Abstract

PurposeSpectrometry of leakage photoneutrons (PN) of a Siemens ONCOR medical linear accelerator head by applying recently invented Sohrabi passive multi-directional multi-detector neutron spherical spectrometry system; measurements of scientific interest and of importance for meeting the regulatory and safety standards. MethodsThe neutron spectrometry system applied consists of 6 polycarbonate/10B detectors mounted on 6 sides of a polyethylene cube used as bare and also embedded at center of 8 PE spheres of different diameters. Multi-directional and mean PN spectra at isocenter as well as at the left and right sides of head at 100 cm distance from the X-ray target on its plane of 10x10 cm2 18-MV X-ray beams were determined applying Multisphere Neutron Spectrometry Unfolding Code (MNSU + ). ResultsThe well-resolved unfolded directional leakage PN spectra obtained at the 3 positions showed a thermal PN peak of lower intensityfollowed by a tail of epithermal PNs before reaching a fast PN higher peak.“ The mean PN energy are 0.47 ± 0.03 MeV and 0.48 ± 0.02 MeV respectively for the left and right sides of the head and 0.48 ± 0.02 MeV at the isocenter. ConclusionsDue to importance of leakage PN spectra of an accelerator head being of scientific interest and for meeting regulatory and safety standards, well-resolved leakage PN spectra of 3 locations of the medical accelerator head were determined using Sohrabi passive multi-directional neutron spectrometry system. It is a novel learning that the mean PN spectra and mean PN energy of the 3 locations are quite similar within statistical variations.