A NOVEL TEPC FOR MICRODOSIMETRY AT NANOMETRIC LEVEL: RESPONSE AGAINST DIFFERENT NEUTRON FIELDS

Radiat Prot Dosimetry. 2018 Aug 1;180(1-4):172-176. doi: 10.1093/rpd/ncx198.

Abstract

Tissue equivalent proportional counter (TEPC) is the most accurate device for measuring the microdosimetric properties of a particle beam, nevertheless no detailed information on the track structure of the impinging particles can be obtained, since the lower operation limit of common TEPCs is ~0.3 μm. On the other hand, the pattern of particle interactions at the nanometer level is measured by only three different nanodosimeters worldwide: practical instruments are not yet available. In order to partially fill the gap between microdosimetry and track-nanodosimetry, a low-pressure avalanche-confinement TEPC was recently designed and constructed for simulating tissue-equivalent sites down to the nanometric region. The present article aims at describing the response of this newly developed TEPC in the range 0.3 μm-25 nm against a fast neutron field from a 241Am-Be source and a quasi-monoenergetic neutron beam. The experimental results are in good agreement with Monte Carlo simulations carried out with the FLUKA code.

MeSH terms

  • Americium / analysis
  • Equipment Design
  • Microtechnology / instrumentation*
  • Nanotechnology / instrumentation*
  • Neutrons*
  • Radiation Dosage
  • Radiation Monitoring / instrumentation*
  • Radiation Protection / instrumentation*

Substances

  • Americium-241
  • Americium