Neutron spectroscopy for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy beams characterization

Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is a therapeutic treatment for malignant tumors that utilizes the nuclear reactions that happen when thermal neutrons are captured by boron-10 atoms to selectively destroy designated cells. Boron-10 atoms are biochemically accumulated inside the tumor target, which is then irradiated with thermal neutrons. In recent years, the possibility to obtain accelerator based intense neutron beams has given a boost to the diffusion of BNCT also in Europe, removing the need of nuclear reactors. In this contest, the monitoring and characterization of the epithermal neutron beams dedicated to BNCT becomes an important issue. The directional neutron spectrometer called NCT-WES (Neutron Capture Therapy Wide Energy Spectrometer) is a single moderator neutron spectrometer composed of a polyethylene cylinder embedding six semiconductor-based detectors positioned at different depths along the cylinder axes. The position of the six detectors is studied in order to maximize the response of each one in a selected neutron energy range. The unfolding of the six simultaneous readings allows to reconstruct the incoming neutron energy spectrum as in a parallelized Bonner Sphere System. A cylindrical collimator situated in the front of the spectrometer makes the instrument sensitive to neutrons coming only from a given direction, which allows to exclude the contribution of the room scattered radiation. The experimental validation of the spectrometer, obtained through several measuring campaigns, is reported and discussed.