Neutron Dose in

Radiotherapy
ISRA ISRANGKUL NA AYUTHAYA Ph.D.

ALLPPT.com _ Free PowerPoint Templates, Diagrams and Charts

 Neutron Dose in Radiotherapy

Review
- Introduction
- Neutron interaction with matter
- Neutron dosimetry
- Neutron detector
 Introduction

Properties of Neutrons:
Mass = 1.67 e-27 kg
No Charge
Indirectly Ionising Radiation
Neutron half-life ~ 10.3 minutes

Types of Neutron:
Thermal neutrons, E < 0.5 eV
Intermediate-energy neutrons, 0.5 eV < EN < 10 keV
Fast neutrons, E > 10 keV
 Introduction

Some sources of neutrons

- Spontaneous fission of isotopes
- Photonuclear interactions
- Neutron generator

Interactions of neutrons:
- Collisions with atomic nuclei often in a ‘billiard-ball’ type interaction.
- So, neutrons can travel long distances through matter before
interacting.
Neutron interaction
Neutron interaction
- Microscopic interaction
- Macroscopic interaction
Microscopic interaction
1. The cross section concept
-The probability of a particular event occurring between
a neutron and a nucleus is expressed through the
concept of the cross section.

- The probability of a single neutron hitting one of these nuclei

is roughly the ratio of the total target area Ns to the area of
the layer A.

Unit ; 1 Barn = 10-27 cm2

 2. Type of interaction

Neutron interactions
1. Scattering
2. Absorption
Interactions of Neutrons with matter
 Neutron Interaction

Neutrons
• Uncharged particle, mass close to that of proton
• Do not interact with electrons
- interaction with the nuclei of these atoms

The nuclear force, leading to these interactions, is very short ranged

⇒ neutrons have to pass close to a nucleus to be able to interact ≈ 10 -13 cm
(nucleus radius)
Because of small size of the nucleus in relation to the atom, neutrons
have low probability of interaction ⇒ long travelling distances in matter

• Only nuclear interactions; complex cross sections

• Neutron attenuation similar to that for photons
Depth dose curve
 Types of neutron interaction:

1. Elastic scattering
2. Inelastic scattering Scattering
3. Neutron capture Absorption
 Interaction of Neutrons with Matter
– Elastic Scattering
1. Elastic Scattering
- Neutron collides with atomic nucleus
- Neutron deflected with loss of energy E
- E given to recoiling nucleus
- Energy of recoiling nucleus absorbed by medium.
The recoil nuclei quickly become ion pairs and loose energy
through excitation and ionization as they pass through the biological
material. This is the most important mechanism by which neutrons
produce damage in tissue.
Struck atoms can also lose orbital electron

Total energy
unchanged
Interaction of Neutrons with Matter
– Elastic Scattering

2
M  m
E  Eo  
M  m
 Interaction of Neutrons with Matter
– Inelastic Scattering
2. Inelastic Scattering
• Neutron momentarily captured by nucleus
• Neutron re-emitted with less energy
• Nucleus left in excited state
• Nucleus relaxes by emitting g-rays or charged particles
(adds to dose)

g-ray

Incoming Nucleus
Neutron

Emitted
Neutron
 Interaction of Neutrons with Matter
– Inelastic Scattering
Interaction probability  as: neutron energy 
target size 
Important at high neutron energies in heavy
materials

Energy transferred to the target nucleus and emitted energy:

E = Eo - Eg
E = Energy of the neutron after collision
Eo = Initial energy of the neutron
 Interaction of Neutrons with Matter
- Neutron Capture
3. Neutron Capture
Neutron captured by nucleus of absorbing material
Only g-ray emitted.
Probability of capture is inversely proportional to the energy of the
neutron. : Probability  : N energy
 Low energy (=thermal neutrons) have the highest probability for
capture.
 Fission

4. Fission
Fission
Neutron Interaction
Cross section
Interaction
 Absorption

X+n→b+Y
•(n,γ)
•(n,b)
•(n,α)
•(n,f)

Neutron absorption (particle emission)

X+n→C→b+Y
b= p, n’, d, α, 2n, 2p, np
Monte Carlo simulation
 Macroscopic cross section

The macroscopic cross section arises from

the transmission of a parallel beam of neutrons
through a thick sample.

𝐼 𝑥 = 𝐼0 𝑒 −𝑁𝜎𝑡 𝑥
 Attenuation

𝐼 𝑥 = 𝐼0 𝑒 −𝑁𝜎𝑡 𝑥
 Mean Free Path

The transmission of neutrons through bulk matter is the

mean-free-path length

The mean distance a neutron travels

between interaction

𝜆 = 1/Σ𝑡
 Neutron dosimetry

Neutron Attenuation
Neutron dosimetry
 Theoretical dosimetry

KERMA factor Fn:

 Important interactions in tissue

Important interactions in tissue

•14N(n,p)13C σN: 1.84 x 10-24 cm2/atom

•1H(n,γ)2H σH: 3.32 x 10-25 cm2/atom
•NH~ 41 NN in tissue…
 Neutron in Radiotherapy

γ+n mixed-field dosimetry

•(n,γ) – always important
•(γ,n) – important for energy (≥ 10 MeV)

•Three categories of dosimeters

– Neutron dosimeters (insensitive to γ-rays)
– γ-ray dosimeters (insensitive to neutrons)
– n+γ dosimeters (comparable sensitive to n and γ)
 Neutron detectors

•High cross section for the desired reaction

•High abundance of target nuclide

Principle:
•(n, α) or (n,p) reaction
•Fission reaction
BF3 counter
BF3 counter

Boron Cross section

 Neutron TLD with Li-6 and Li-7

 Li-6 (7.5%): responds to both gammas and to

slow neutrons by n- alpha reaction enrich!

 Li-7 (92.5%): only responds to gammas

 Polyethylene slows down fast neutrons

 Cd captures slow neutrons

 Bubble Detector
 Elastic polymer with suspended droplets of
superheated liquid

 When struck by radiation, droplets

form gas bubble

 Bubbles remain fixed in polymer

for permanent visual record

 Calibration in “bubbles per mrem” or “bubble

s per Sv”
Activation foils (AF)
 CR-39, or allyl diglycol carbonate (ADC)

 CR-39, or allyl diglycol carbonate (ADC), is a plastic

polymer commonly used in the ... In the radiation
detection application, CR-39 is used as a Solid-State
Nuclear Track Detector to detect the presence of
ionising radiation. ... polymer more rapidly than it do
es in the bulk, revealing the paths of the charged
particle ion tracks.
Neutron survey meter
Neutron Spectroscopy
Neutron spectrum
Monte Carlo simulations
References
 Nuclear Regulatory Commission Home Page:
www.nrc.gov

teachers corner@www.nrc.gov/NRC/teachers.ht
ml
students
corner@www.nrc.gov/NRC/STUDENTS/stude
nts.html

 Nuclear Energy Institute Home Page: www.nei.org

science club@ www.nei.org/scienceclub/i
ndex.html

 Health Physics Society Home Page: www.hps.org

www.hps.org/publicinformation/radfactsheets/
References