Photoneutron yields from tungsten in the energy range of the giant dipole resonance

Phys Med Biol. 2003 Oct 21;48(20):3345-52. doi: 10.1088/0031-9155/48/20/006.

Abstract

Photoneutron production on the nuclei of high-Z components of medical accelerator heads can lead to a significant secondary dose during a course of bremsstrahlung radiotherapy. However, a quantitative evaluation of secondary neutron dose requires improved data on the photoreaction yields. These have been measured as a function of photon energy, neutron energy and neutron angle for natW, using tagged photons at the MAX-Lab photonuclear facility in Sweden. This work presents neutron yields for natW(gamma, n) and compares these with the predictions of the Monte Carlo code MCNP-GN, developed specifically to simulate photoneutron production at medical accelerators.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Monte Carlo Method
  • Neutrons*
  • Photons*
  • Radiotherapy Dosage
  • Radiotherapy, High-Energy* / methods
  • Software
  • Tungsten / radiation effects*

Substances

  • Tungsten