Design status of an intense 14 MeV neutron source for cancer therapy

Design and development of an intense 14 MeV neutron source for cancer therapy is in progress at the Institute of Nuclear Research of Lanzhou University. The neutrons from the T(d,n)4He reaction are produced by bombarding a rotating titanium tritide target with a 40 mA deuteron beam at 600 keV. The designed neutron yield is 8×1012 n/s and the maximum dose rate at a 100 cm source-to-skin distance is 25 cGy/min. The HV terminal, accelerating column and HV power supply are enclosed inside a stainless steel pressure vessel containing 6 atm SF6 gas to provide the electrical insulation.