Intense beams of epithermal neutrons, at sites close to major medical centers, are needed to advance the development of the boron neutron capture modality of cancer therapy. Particle accelerators are the top candidates to meet this need. This project will develop a new rf-focused drift tube linear accelerator structure as an economical source for these neutron beams. The source will consist of a compact proton linac to accelerate an intense beam of protons, a neutron production target to produce the neutrons, and a moderator to moderate their energy. Phase I will identifying the basic parameters of the neutron source, including the ion source, proton linac, and the neutron target/moderator assembly. Mechanical designs for the proton linac will be produced, with particular emphasis on the requirement for high intensity, continuous operation. An operating prototype of the compact proton linac will be developed, built and tested in Phase II.
Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: An accelerator-based source of neutrons should have application to the production of intense beams of epithermal neutrons for cancer therapy. Industrial applications include thermal neutron radiography, non-destructive testing, and explosive and land mine detection
