Shielding experiment of heavy-ion produced neutrons using a tissue-equivalent proportional counter.

A shielding experiment was performed at the HIMAC (Heavy Ion Medical Accelerator in Chiba), of National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS), to measure neutron dose using a spherical TEPC (tissue-equivalent proportional counter) of 12.55 cm inner diameter. Neutrons are produced from a 5 cm thick stopping length Cu target bombarded by 400 MeV/nucleon C6+ ions and penetrate concrete or iron shields of various thicknesses at 0 degree to the beam direction. From this shielding experiment. y-distribution, mean lineal energy, absorbed dose, dose equivalent and mean-quality factor were obtained behind the shield as a function of shield thickness. The neutron dose attenuation lengths were also obtained as 126 g cm(-2) for concrete and 211 g cm(-2) for iron. The measured results were compared with the calculated results using the MARS Monte Carlo code.