Ponente
Descripción
Neutrons are a highly penetrating type of radiation that can contribute significantly to the total absorbed dose in the human body. As a result, the monitoring of neutron dose rates is crucial to asses the risk of harm to workers, patients, and the public. Commercial portable neutron detectors, also known as ambient neutron dosimeters, are typically used for this purpose. However, there are concerns about the reliability of these detectors, particularly in modern facilities that produce radiation fields with high-energy contributions (E>20MeV) or complex time structures (pulsed or quasi-pulsed neutron fields). This issue is especially relevant in medical facilities, such as proton therapy centers, where high-energy neutrons of up to 250 MeV are produced as secondary stray radiation. Furthermore, the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU) recently recommended alternative definitions for operational quantities currently used for radiation protection. The new operational quantity has a direct impact on the performance of neutron dosimeters for energies lower than 100 eV and higher than 50 MeV. The LINrem project aims to provide solutions that meet the new requirements for energy sensitivity and time resolution in neutron dosimetry, in particular, focusing on applications for medical facilities. In this work, we review the technical challenges for active and time-resolved neutron dosimetry in particle therapy. We also present the status of the LINrem project, including validation of prototypes and our latest experimental results in proton therapy. Finally, we discuss the future of the LINrem project and the impact of the new ICRU recommendation for radioprotection in proton therapy centers.
