A NOVEL TEPC FOR MICRODOSIMETRY AT NANOMETRIC LEVEL: RESPONSE AGAINST DIFFERENT NEUTRON FIELDS

• Published in: Radiation protection dosimetry 2018-08, Vol.180 (1-4), p.172-176
• Main Authors: Bortot, D, Mazzucconi, D, Bonfanti, M, Agosteo, S, Pola, A, Pasquato, S, Fazzi, A, Colautti, P, Conte, V
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Americium - analysis; Equipment Design; Microtechnology - instrumentation; Nanotechnology - instrumentation; Neutrons; Radiation Dosage; Radiation Monitoring - instrumentation; Radiation Protection - instrumentation
• ISSN: 0144-8420; 1742-3406
• DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncx198

Tissue equivalent proportional counter (TEPC) is the most accurate device for measuring the microdosimetric properties of a particle beam, nevertheless no detailed information on the track structure of the impinging particles can be obtained, since the lower operation limit of common TEPCs is ~0.3 μm. On the other hand, the pattern of particle interactions at the nanometer level is measured by only three different nanodosimeters worldwide: practical instruments are not yet available. In order to partially fill the gap between microdosimetry and track-nanodosimetry, a low-pressure avalanche-confinement TEPC was recently designed and constructed for simulating tissue-equivalent sites down to the nanometric region. The present article aims at describing the response of this newly developed TEPC in the range 0.3 μm-25 nm against a fast neutron field from a 241Am-Be source and a quasi-monoenergetic neutron beam. The experimental results are in good agreement with Monte Carlo simulations carried out with the FLUKA code.