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Bruce Power operates a first-of-its-kind isotope production system (IPS) that enables continuous production of 177Lu within Canada Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) commercial power reactors. Located on the reactivity mechanisms deck of Unit 7, just outside of reactor containment but in close proximity to the primary heat transport (PHT) pumps, this facility offers unique advantages for 177Lu production. However, employees working in this area encounter a radiation hazard which consists primarily of photoneutrons. These originate from the base of the PHT pumps and are only present when the reactor is operating. This study evaluates neutron exposure at Bruce Power's IPS by using a nested neutron spectrometer (NNS) to determine the neutron energy spectra and absolute dosimetric quantities such as the ambient dose equivalent, H*(10). The results from the NNS are then compared to surveys performed by a portable neutron rem meter (Model NP-2 by Nuclear Research Corporation), routinely used by Bruce Power staff for workplace monitoring. While the Model NP-2 generally showed consistent results across locations, a 50% dose correction factor was identified when operators were harvesting 177Lu from the IPS. This finding highlights an opportunity to reduce the neutron dose that is assigned to operators when producing 177Lu.

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A nested neutron spectrometer was used to measure the stray neutron fluence and ambient dose equivalent produced by protons from a 4 MV tandem accelerator on various target materials at the Reactor Materials Testing Laboratory (RMTL), Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario. The nested neutron spectrometer utilizes a Helium-3 proportional counter and measures the thermal neutron count rate as a function of moderator shell-thickness. Using custom unfolding software, neutron spectra and neutron dosimetric quantities were derived at various locations within the RMTL. The nested neutron spectrometer can be operated in both a pulse mode and current mode allowing for measurements over a wide range of accelerator beam currents. All measurements conducted at the facility were within the main accelerator chamber and experimental target rooms. Target room measurements were conducted with a variety of target materials representative of those to be used for research planned at the RMTL.

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The use of a custom-made cylindrical graphite proportional counter (Cy-GPC) along with a cylindrical tissue equivalent proportional counter (TEPC) for neutron-gamma mixed-field dosimetry has been studied in the following steps: first, the consistency of the gamma dose measurement between the Cy-TEPC and the Cy-GPC was investigated over a range of 20 keV (X-ray) to 0.661 MeV (Cs-137 gamma ray). Then, with both the counters used simultaneously, the neutron and gamma ray doses produced by a P385 Neutron Generator (Thermo Fisher Scientific) together with a Cs-137 gamma source were determined.

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The response of a multi-element tissue equivalent proportional counter (METEPC) was investigated at the high energy neutron facility EU-CERF, in Prevessin, France. This facility was established specifically to provide reference neutron fields typical of those found at high altitude. The METEPC measurements were conducted along with a commercially available spherical tissue equivalent proportional counter (TEPC) used for comparison. The measured microdosimetric spectra were analyzed and compared for various measurement locations, with substantially different neutron energy distributions resulting from the use of iron or concrete shielding. The absorbed dose rate measured by the two counters in the dominant lower-energy neutron field locations from the iron-shielded target was <27%. A significant difference in the range of 32-58% was observed between the two counters in the higher-energy neutron field produced by the concrete-shielded target. Interestingly, due to a combination of factors, including the geometry and structure of the METEPC, values of dose-equivalent derived from the METEPC and the TEPC were in closer agreement (within 30%) and are well within acceptable limits for neutron monitoring.

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Neutron dosimetry in reactor fields is currently mainly conducted with unwieldy flux monitors. Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counters (TEPCs) have been shown to have the potential to improve the accuracy of neutron dosimetry in these fields, and Multi-Element Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counters (METEPCs) could reduce the size of instrumentation required to do so. Complexity of current METEPC designs has inhibited their use beyond research. This work proposes a novel hemispherical counter with a wireless anode ball in place of the traditional anode wire as a possible solution for simplifying manufacturing. The hemispherical METEPC element was analyzed as a single TEPC to first demonstrate the potential of this new design by evaluating its performance relative to the reference spherical TEPC design and a single element from a cylindrical METEPC. Energy deposition simulations were conducted using the Monte Carlo code PHITS for both monoenergetic 2.5 MeV neutrons and the neutron energy spectrum of Cf-D2O moderated. In these neutron fields, the hemispherical counter appears to be a good alternative to the reference spherical geometry, performing slightly better than the cylindrical counter, which tends to underrespond to H*(10) for the lower neutron energies of the Cf-D2O moderated field. These computational results are promising, and if follow-up experimental work demonstrates the hemispherical counter works as anticipated, it will be ready to be incorporated into an METEPC design.

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It has been long stated that cellular inactivation through neutron irradiation is mainly caused by energy deposition in DNA molecules from recoiled secondary charged particles. Complexities associated with neutrons, such as the generally broad energy spectrum and the inherently wide energy spectrum of the induced charged particles, not to mention that the dependence of cellular inactivation by charged particles on radiation quality is yet to be fully understood, make it difficult to check this statement. Recently a molecular model has been proposed that improves the quantitative explanation of the dependence of cellular inactivation by charged particles on radiation quality. An attempt was made to apply this model for analysis of neutron cellular inactivation. As a preliminary result it is suggested that neutron cellular inactivation is caused not only by secondary charged particles but also by an "atomic deletion" effect, generated by a stripped atom recoiling from a DNA molecule. This effect seems to be of significant importance, the inactivation cross section of this effect for fission neutrons is as much as 15% (aerobic conditions) or 55% (hypoxic) of the total, and the severity of one occurrence of atomic deletion by a single neutron is estimated as much as 3.1 +/- 1.1 times (aerobic) or 6.8 +/- 1.2 times (hypoxic) higher than the severity of one event by a single track of a charged particle interacting with DNA.

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The dependence of the initial production of DNA damages on radiation quality was examined by using a proposed new model on the basis of target theory. For the estimation of DNA damage-production by different radiation qualities, five possible modes of radiation action, including both direct and indirect effects, were assumed inside a target the molecular structure of which was defined to consist of 10 base-pairs of DNA surrounded by water molecules. The induction of DNA damage was modeled on the basis of comparisons between the primary ionization mean free path and the distance between pairs of ionized atoms, such distance being characteristic on the mode of radiation action. The OH radicals per average energy to produce an ion pair on the nanosecond time scale was estimated and used for indirect action. Assuming a relation between estimated yields of DNA damages and experimental inactivation cross sections for AT-cells, the present model enabled the quantitative reproduction of experimental results for AT-cell killing under aerobic or hypoxic conditions. The results suggest a higher order organization of DNA in a way that there will be at least two types of water environment, one filling half the space surrounding DNA with a depth of 3.7-4.3 nm and the other filling all space with a depth 4.6-4.9 nm.

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A miniature tissue-equivalent proportional counter (TEPC) system has been developed to facilitate microdosimetric measurements in high-flux mixed fields. Counters with collecting volumes of 12.3 and 2.65 mm3 have been constructed using various tissue-equivalent wall materials, including those loaded with 10B for evaluation of the effects of the boron neutron capture reaction. These counters provide a measure of both the absorbed dose and associated radiation quality, allowing an assessment of the utility and relative effectiveness of various neutron radiotherapy techniques such as boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), boron neutron capture enhanced fast neutron therapy (BNCEFNT) and intensity modulated neutron radiotherapy (IMNRT). An evaluation of the physical parameters affecting the measured microdosimetric spectrum, the gas multiplication characteristics and the measurement of absorbed dose is presented. In addition, important aspects of the calibration and low energy extrapolation techniques for the microdosimetric spectrum are provided.

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