Neutron Production Target for Accelerator - Based Boron Neutron Capture Therapy

L. GAGETTI; M. SUAREZ ANZORENA; M.F. DEL GROSSO; A. J. KREINER

Granada

Encuentro; 7th Young Researchers' Boron Neutron Capture Therapy Meeting; 2013

This work is part of a project for developing Accelerator?Based Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (AB- BNCT) for which the generation of neutrons through nuclear reactions like 9Be(d,n) is  necessary [1]. In this paper first results of the design and development of such neutron production targets are shown.   For this purpose, the neutron production target has to be able to withstand the mechanical and thermal stresses produced by intense beams of deuterons (of 1.4 MeV with a total current of about 30mA). In particular, the target should dissipate an energy density of up to 1 kW/cm2 and must preserve its physical and mechanical properties for a sufficient length of time under irradiation conditions and hydrogen damage.   To maximize  the adhesion of Be deposits on different substrates surface treatments were made, like blasting and metal deposits [2], to favor the affinity between Beryllium and the substrate, obtaining significant improvements in  adhesion.   Subsequently, Be deposits on different substrates were characterized by means of different techniques including Electron Microscopy (SEM), roughness, thickness, etc. Subsequently thermal stress tests were made to simulate operation regimes.   To satisfy the power dissipation requirements for the neutron production target, microchannel system simulations in a turbulent flow circulation regime using the physical model proposed in [3] are presented. The results obtained were compared with those in several publications [3,4,5] and discrepancies lower than 10% were found in all cases.   A prototype for model validation is designed here for which simulations of fluid and structural mechanics were carried out and is discussed in this paper. These simulations allow the determination of geometric parameters of the prototype complying with the requirements of a microchannel system.