New concepts for compact accelerator/target for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy

Two new target concepts, NIFTI and DISCOS, that enable a large reduction in the proton beam current needed to produce epithermal neutrons for BNCT (Boron Neutron Capture Therapy) are described. In the NIFTI concept, high energy neutrons produced by (p, n) reactions of 2.5 MeV protons on Li are down scattered to treatment energies ({approximately} 20 keV) by relatively thin layers of PbF{sub 2} and iron. In the DISCOS concept, treatment energy neutrons are produced directly in a succession of thin ({approximately} 1 micron) liquid Li films on rotating Be foils. These foils interact with a proton beam that operates just above threshold for the (p, n) reaction, with an applied DC field to re-accelerate the proton beam between the target foils.