Phantoms with 10BF3 detectors for boron neutron capture therapy applications

Two acrylic cube phantoms have been constructed for BNCT applications that allow the depth distribution of neutrons to be measured with miniature 10BF3 detectors in 0.5-cm steps beginning at 1-cm depth. Sizes and weights of the cubes are 14 cm, 3.230 kg, and 11 cm, 1.567 kg. Tests were made with the epithermal neutron beam from the patient treatment port of the Brookhaven Medical Research Reactor. Thermal neutron depth profiles were measured with a bare 10BF3 detector at a reactor power of 50 W, and Cd-covered detector profiles were measured at a reactor power of 1 kW. The resulting plots of counting rate versus depth illustrate the dependence of neutron moderation on the size of the phantom. But more importantly the data can serve as benchmarks for testing the thermal and epithermal neutron profiles obtained with accelerator-based BNCT facilities. Such tests could be made with these phantoms at power levels about five orders of magnitude lower than that required for the treatment of patients with brain tumors.