Optimized therapeutic neutron beam for accelerator-based BNCT by analyzing the neutron angular distribution from (7)Li(p,n)(7)Be reaction.

Perpendicular neutrons (i.e., solid angle bin of 50-150 degrees ) among ones generated from (7)Li(p,n)(7)Be reaction were used to produce an optimized therapeutic neutron beam for accelerator-based BNCT. A new beam port assembly was also designed to shape the fast neutrons into epithermal ones and to reduce unnecessary radiation including gammas. As a result of a simulation, it is found that a tumor at a depth of 60mm from the head skin could be treated within 5 minutes, if a typical tumor is assumed to be taken about 20RBEGy for therapeutic treatment. It is, thus, expected that the neutrons emitted into the solid angle bin of 50-150 degrees from (7)Li(p,n)(7)Be reaction are very effective in producing epithermal neutron beams for BNCT.