https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-025-07017-1
Regular Article
A new hybrid model for accurate double differential neutron yield calculations on 9Be thick targets for proton-BNCT applications at low energies
1
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Pavia Unit, Via A. Bassi 6, 27100, Pavia, Italy
2
Physics Department, University of Pavia, Via A. Bassi 6, 27100, Pavia, Italy
a
alessandro.colombi@pv.infn.it
Received:
21
July
2025
Accepted:
30
October
2025
Published online:
28
November
2025
We present a new model for the accurate calculation of neutron thick target yields with the p+
Be reaction at low energy (E
5 MeV) for BNCT applications. The model is based on the available experimental data for the total yield and on calculations with state-of-art codes for the (p,n) reaction. A new data-driven parametrization for the (p,p
n) channel is introduced to reproduce experimental results for the yield: neutron energy and angle distributions are validated with existing data at low energies (E5 MeV) and preliminary new estimates are provided up to 10 MeV. The result is relevant for the design of an accurate neutron source module to be used in full MC simulations of p+Be BNCT beamlines.
Supplementary Information The online version supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-025-07017-1.
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© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2025
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
