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ST: Fachverband Strahlen- und Medizinphysik

ST 9: Radiation Monitoring and Dosimetry

ST 9.1: Talk

Thursday, March 21, 2024, 15:00–15:15, PC 203

Neutron Dosimetry with Diamond Sensors — Claus Maximilian Bäcker², Christian Bäumer², Kevin Kröninger¹, Alina Landmann¹, •Jennifer Schlüß¹, Holger Stevens¹, and Jens Weingarten¹ — ¹TU Dortmund University — ²West German Proton Therapy Center Essen

Neutron dosimetry is becoming increasingly relevant in proton therapy. From the neutrons released, conclusions can be drawn about the deposited energy in the body. However, the dosimetry is complicated because of their physical characteristics. One way to convert neutrons is using diamond sensors. The natural carbon isotope ¹²C captures fast neutrons (E_kin > 5 MeV). ¹²C produces alpha particles which can be detected in the diamond detector itself. The detection spectrum of diamond sensors is limited to fast neutrons. The goal is to make the detector sensitive to fast and thermal neutrons. To make the detector sensitive to thermal neutrons, an attempt is made to coat the detector with a converter material such as ⁶LiF. ⁶LiF has a large neutron absorption cross-section for thermal neutrons. The simulation platform Geant4 is used to test carbon capture reactions as a tool for further detector development. The results of the Geant4 simulation show that a diamond sensor coated with ⁶LiF is suitable for measuring thermal and fast neutrons. A first prototype of a diamond sensor is ready to measure energy spectrums in proton therapy. To characterize the detection of the whole spectrum, the diamond sensor will be tested in a later step with a converter.

Keywords: neutron dosimetry; diamond; proton therapy