Monte Carlo model of the Studsvik BNCT clinical beam : Description an validation
Giusti, Valerio ; Munck Af Rosenschöld, Per M. LU
; Sköld, Kurt
; Montagnini, Bruno
and Capala, Jacek
(2003)
In Medical Physics
30(12).
p.3107-3117
- Abstract
The neutron beam at the Studsvik facility for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) and the validation of the related computational model developed for the MCNP-4B Monte Carlo code are presented. Several measurements performed at the epithermal neutron port used for clinical trials have been made in order to validate the Monte Carlo computational model. The good general agreement between the MCNP calculations and the experimental results has provided an adequate check of the calculation procedure. In particular, at the nominal reactor power of 1 MW, the calculated in-air epithermal neutron flux in the energy interval between 0.4 eV-10 keV is 3.24 × 109 n cm -2 s-1 (±1.2% 1 std. dev.) while the measured... (More)
The neutron beam at the Studsvik facility for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) and the validation of the related computational model developed for the MCNP-4B Monte Carlo code are presented. Several measurements performed at the epithermal neutron port used for clinical trials have been made in order to validate the Monte Carlo computational model. The good general agreement between the MCNP calculations and the experimental results has provided an adequate check of the calculation procedure. In particular, at the nominal reactor power of 1 MW, the calculated in-air epithermal neutron flux in the energy interval between 0.4 eV-10 keV is 3.24 × 109 n cm -2 s-1 (±1.2% 1 std. dev.) while the measured value is 3.30 × 109 n cm-2 s-1 (±5.0% 1 std. dev.). Furthermore, the calculated in-phantom thermal neutron flux, equal to 6.43 × 109 n cm-2 s -1 (±1.0% 1 std. dev.), and the corresponding measured value of 6.33 × 109 n cm-2 s-1 (±5.3% 1 std. dev.) agree within their respective uncertainties. The only statistically significant disagreement is a discrepancy of 39% between the MCNP calculations of the in-air photon kerma and the corresponding experimental value. Despite this, a quite acceptable overall in-phantom beam performance was obtained, with a maximum value of the therapeutic ratio (the ratio between the local tumor dose and the maximum healthy tissue dose) equal to 6.7. The described MCNP model of the Studsvik facility has been deemed adequate to evaluate further improvements in the beam design as well as to plan experimental work.
(Less)
- author
- Giusti, Valerio
; Munck Af Rosenschöld, Per M.
LU
; Sköld, Kurt
; Montagnini, Bruno
and Capala, Jacek
- publishing date
- 2003
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- epithermal neutron beam, BNCT, nuclear reactor, Monte Carlo
- in
- Medical Physics
- volume
- 30
- issue
- 12
- pages
- 3107 - 3117
- publisher
- American Association of Physicists in Medicine
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000187456800008
- pmid:14713077
- scopus:0346994903
- pmid:14713077
- ISSN
- 0094-2405
- DOI
- 10.1118/1.1626120
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- id
- 04a3a21b-5dd1-4cf9-9ad5-a4e810400831 (old id 291308)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 15:31:59
- date last changed
- 2023-07-21 03:07:59
@article{04a3a21b-5dd1-4cf9-9ad5-a4e810400831,
abstract = {{<p>The neutron beam at the Studsvik facility for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) and the validation of the related computational model developed for the MCNP-4B Monte Carlo code are presented. Several measurements performed at the epithermal neutron port used for clinical trials have been made in order to validate the Monte Carlo computational model. The good general agreement between the MCNP calculations and the experimental results has provided an adequate check of the calculation procedure. In particular, at the nominal reactor power of 1 MW, the calculated in-air epithermal neutron flux in the energy interval between 0.4 eV-10 keV is 3.24 × 10<sup>9</sup> n cm <sup>-2</sup> s<sup>-1</sup> (±1.2% 1 std. dev.) while the measured value is 3.30 × 10<sup>9</sup> n cm<sup>-2</sup> s<sup>-1</sup> (±5.0% 1 std. dev.). Furthermore, the calculated in-phantom thermal neutron flux, equal to 6.43 × 10<sup>9</sup> n cm<sup>-2</sup> s <sup>-1</sup> (±1.0% 1 std. dev.), and the corresponding measured value of 6.33 × 10<sup>9</sup> n cm<sup>-2</sup> s<sup>-1</sup> (±5.3% 1 std. dev.) agree within their respective uncertainties. The only statistically significant disagreement is a discrepancy of 39% between the MCNP calculations of the in-air photon kerma and the corresponding experimental value. Despite this, a quite acceptable overall in-phantom beam performance was obtained, with a maximum value of the therapeutic ratio (the ratio between the local tumor dose and the maximum healthy tissue dose) equal to 6.7. The described MCNP model of the Studsvik facility has been deemed adequate to evaluate further improvements in the beam design as well as to plan experimental work.</p>}},
author = {{Giusti, Valerio and Munck Af Rosenschöld, Per M. and Sköld, Kurt and Montagnini, Bruno and Capala, Jacek}},
issn = {{0094-2405}},
keywords = {{epithermal neutron beam; BNCT; nuclear reactor; Monte Carlo}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{12}},
pages = {{3107--3117}},
publisher = {{American Association of Physicists in Medicine}},
series = {{Medical Physics}},
title = {{Monte Carlo model of the Studsvik BNCT clinical beam : Description an validation}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1118/1.1626120}},
doi = {{10.1118/1.1626120}},
volume = {{30}},
year = {{2003}},
}