Publication details

Characterization of the neutron flux on the surface of a liquid water target intended for 18F production

Authors

KOŠŤÁL Michal SCHULC Martin EVŽEN Losa MATĚJ Zdeněk CVACHOVEC František MRAVEC Filip BRIJAR Filip CZAKOJ Tomáš ŠIMON Jan VADJÁK Šimon ANTOŠ Michal PŘENOSIL Václav RYPAR Vojtěch ZMEŠKAL Marek CAPOTE Roberto

Year of publication 2021
Type Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source Radiation Physics and Chemistry
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Informatics

Citation KOŠŤÁL, Michal, Martin SCHULC, Losa EVŽEN, Zdeněk MATĚJ, František CVACHOVEC, Filip MRAVEC, Filip BRIJAR, Tomáš CZAKOJ, Jan ŠIMON, Šimon VADJÁK, Michal ANTOŠ, Václav PŘENOSIL, Vojtěch RYPAR, Marek ZMEŠKAL and Roberto CAPOTE. Characterization of the neutron flux on the surface of a liquid water target intended for 18F production. Radiation Physics and Chemistry. Elsevier, 2021, vol. 184, No 109475, p. 1-13. ISSN 0969-806X. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.radphyschem.2021.109475.
web https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969806X21001250
Doi http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.radphyschem.2021.109475
Keywords PET;IBA;XXL target;Neutron spectrometry;Cyclotron;Radiation protection
Description 8F is an important radioisotope used in nuclear medicine for diagnostic purposes. It is produced most often via 18O (p,n)18F reaction. During its production, the oxygen contained in the H218O molecules placed in the cooled target is irradiated by accelerated protons. The production of each 18F atom is accompanied by anisotropic highenergy neutron emission, which is a problem for ensuring radiation safety. These neutrons are responsible for the high radiation dose in a cyclotron pit during 18F production as well as for activation of cyclotron components or might be responsible even for target material changes due to their high penetration properties. A precise characterization of a neutron field on the surface of the liquid water target, used for 18F production, is presented. The neutron flux characterization is performed both by using large-area activation detectors and stilbene detectors at 1 m from the target in a forward direction. The experiments show significant discrepancies between calculated and measured reaction rates in higher threshold reactions 58Ni(n,x)57Co and 51V (n,alpha)48Sc, confirming that the current neutron production reaction models are not suitable for the characterization of the secondary neutrons leaking from the target.
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