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A compact accelerator-based neutron source has been proposed and created at the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics in Novosibirsk, Russia. An original vacuum insulated tandem accelerator (VITA) is used to provide a proton/deuteron beam. As a result of scientific research and modernization, the power of the ion beam was increased, an operation mode without high-voltage breakdowns was achieved, and the operation of the accelerator in a wide range of changes in the energy and current of ions was ensured. The proton/deuteron beam energy can be varied within a range of 0.6-2.3 MeV, keeping a high-energy stability of 0.1%. The beam current can also be varied in a wide range (from 0.3 mA to 10 mA) with high current stability (0.4%). VITA is used to obtain epithermal neutrons for the development of boron neutron capture therapy, thermal neutrons for the determination of impurities in ITER materials by activation analysis method; fast neutrons for radiation testing of materials; 478 keV photons to measure the 7Li(p, p’g)7Li reaction cross section, etc. VITA is planned to be used for boron imaging with monoenergetic neutron beam, for characterizing of neutron detectors designed for fusion studies, for in-depth investigation of the promising 11B(p, alfa)alfa alfa neutronless fusion reaction, for studying the crystal structure of materials by neutron diffraction, etc., Proceedings of the 27th Russian Particle Accelerator Conference, RuPAC2021, Alushta, Russia

The accelerator-based epithermal neutrons source, proposed and created in the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, provides the generation and formation of a neutron flux suitable for testing the boron neutron capture therapy of malignant tumors. The paper presents and discusses the results of studies using activation techniques. Using activation foils from the SWX-1552 kit (Shieldwerx, USA), an iterative grid method for reconstructing the neutron spectrum was tested. It was found that the use of activation foils for determining the spectrum of epithermal neutrons is questionable, since the main part of the interaction falls on the high-energy part of the spectrum, instead of the resonance of the foil. The number of neutrons is equal to the number of activated beryllium-7 nuclei (it has been proven by measurements that beryllium-7 is not sputtered from the lithium layer). The neutron yield was monitored by registering gamma quanta from the 7Li(p, n)7Be reaction. Depending on the number of registered gamma quanta, recalculation was made for the amount of activated beryllium. In this paper it was measured the number of neutrons depending on different geometries, different parameters of the proton beam and target material, there is a good agreement with the theory., Proceedings of the 27th Russian Particle Accelerator Conference, RuPAC2021, Alushta, Russia

In The Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics the accelerator-based source of epithermal neutrons was invented and now operates to be used in the boron neutron capture therapy. Neutrons on the facility are generated during the threshold reaction 7Li(p, n)7Be which occurs when the proton beam is thrown on the lithium target. To control the neutron output it is necessary to monitor the parameters of the accelerated proton beam. The spatial distribution of the accelerated proton beam was measured exactly on the lithium target. Due to the interaction of protons and lithium there is an accumulation of a radioactive isotope of beryllium takes place. After experiments about neutrons generation it seems possible to track an area of beryllium storage and then restore the proton beam profile. The monitoring of gamma-quants with the energy of 0,477 MeV arising during the beryllium decay was carried out via the gamma-spectrometric complex. The main part of this complex is NaI-scintillation detector, which was pre-calibrated with energy. As a result of such kind of diagnostic the profile of the beam, its shape and characteristic size were determined and the results are depicted in this paper. Afterwards it could be used for an estimation of the total neutrons flux, its quantity, also to assess the target state and restore the proton beam profile., Proceedings of the 25th Russian Particle Accelerator Conf., RuPAC2016, St. Petersburg, Russia

In BINP neutron source for boron neutron capture therapy of cancer based on the vacuum insulation tandem accelerator and lithium target for neutron generation was constructed. After optimization of the injection of negative hydrogen ions and modernization of the stripping target 1.6 mA 2 MeV proton beam was obtained. Improvements of the accelerator to suppress accompanying electron current were introduced, and after making changes to protection system of high voltage power supply a stable proton beam with a current of 4.5 mA was obtained. Analysis of the experimental results shows that the beam is accelerated without losses. Obtaining of proton beam with the current of more than 3 mA offers the prospects of using of accelerators for BNCT in cancer clinics., Proceedings of the 7th Int. Particle Accelerator Conf., IPAC2016, Busan, Korea