Investigation of the usability of MGB2 filtered BeO dosimeters in neutron dosimetry

Thermal neutron sources produce neutron-gamma mixed fields due to the undesired gamma rays it contains. The main objective of patient dosimetry in neutron-gamma mixed fields is to separate the dose components due to interactions of neutrons and gamma rays with the tissue. In this thesis, patient dosimetry of neutrons involving prompt reactions in the tissue resulting as dose components, corresponding radiobiological effectiveness values (RBEs) were investigated with thermoluminescence techniques. The gamma dose component contribution to the total patient dose was measured with tissue-equivalent (Zeff=7,21) BeO dosimeters. Thermalox 995 BeO dosimeters were calibrated with PTW-Hp(10) and PTW-ISO calibration phantoms with ISO s-137Cs gamma-beam irradiator. Gamma-ray dose component of the mixed neutron-gamma field of 37 GBq 241Am-Be neutron sources manual and pneumatic irradiation sites were measured. Magnesium diboride (MgB2) filters were produced by the conventional solid-state reaction method. Dosimeters were irradiated in 241Am-Be mixed neutron-gamma field with and without the produced magnesium diboride (MgB2) filters to measure the gamma-rays (0.477 MeV (93,9%)) dose component in 241Am-Be mixed neutron-gamma field due to prompt 10B(n,α)7Li reactions. Gamma-ray dose component of neutron-gamma mixed field was measured. Gamma-ray dose due to 10B dose, 1H dose and 14N dose contributions to total dose were investigated.