On the feasibility of using an 8 MeV electron linac for beam designing in BNCT of head tumors

The continuing need for providing improved facilities for radiation therapies has made investigation of various neutron sources an interesting subject of study. The so-called photoneutron sources are one of the noteworthy candidates for this purpose. In the present study, the possibility of using the 8 MeV-10 mA linac, designed and constructed in Iran, was investigated for BNCT using MCNPX Monte Carlo simulations. By designing optimized target, an adequate neutron yield was achieved and the generated beam was shaped for BNCT. The results show that the proposed beam provides an acceptable agreement between the appropriate neutron intensity and penetrating in tissue. (author)