Measurements of photo-neutrons from a medical linear accelerator using CR-39 plastic nuclear track detectors

Photo-neutrons are produced when x-ray energies exceed 7 MeV. Photo-neutron production varies depending on x-ray beam energy. CR-39 PNTDs were used in this study to measure the neutron absorbed dose and dose equivalent produced by a Varian Clinac 23EX for x-ray beams of 6 and 18 MVp and with a Varian Trilogy using an x-ray beam of 10 MVp. Neutron absorbed dose and dose equivalent were measured at 100 cm SSD at 0, 20, and 40 cm off-axis from the primary beam in air. Using a polyethylene phantom the neutron absorbed dose and dose equivalent were measured at 100 cm SSD from the top of the phantom at 0, 5, and 10 cm from the surface, in the beam central axis and off-axis distances of 20 and 40 cm at a depth of 10 cm. The neutron absorbed dose and dose equivalent from medical linear accelerators have been measured from the LET spectrum of recoiled tracks produced in the CR-39 PNTDs for high energy neutrons (1-20 MeV) and the neutron dose equivalent for low energy (< 1 MeV) neutrons were measured using TRNDs. In this study, the experimentally measured absorbed dose and dose equivalent from photo-neutrons produced in a common medical linear accelerator operating at energies 10 and 18 MVp range from 0.2 microGy n/Gyx and 2 microSv n/Gyx to 495 microGy n/Gyx and 5500 microSv n/Gyx respectively. The neutron absorbed dose for the 6 MVp x-ray beam was measured to be 0 microGyn/Gyx. Low energy neutrons accounted for less than 1% of the neutron dose equivalent. Those detectors exposed inside of the phantom measured a higher contribution from high LET (> 100 keV/microm) particles than those detectors exposed in air.