[en] An accelerator-driven, thermal neutron beam facility, aimed at the Boron Neutron Capture plus Photodynamic Therapy (BNCT+PDT) experimental treatment of extended skin melanoma, is currently under construction at the INFN Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro (LNL). New, boron loaded compounds have been at the purpose synthesized and a wide vitro and in vivo radiobiological investigation is under way. Special microdosimetric detectors have been developed and constructed at LNL, for properly on-line monitoring of all BNCT dose components and their qualities. Both microdosimetric and radiobiological measurements are being performed at the new, HYTHOR thermal irradiation facility at the ENEA-Casaccia TAPIRO fast reactor. (author)

[en] In the framework of the MUNES project, a prototype accelerator-based thermal neutron source was developed and installed at the Legnaro National Laboratories of INFN. The microdosimetric characterization of this radiation field was performed with a Tissue-Equivalent Proportional Counter with interchangeable cathode walls, either doped with 100 ppm of ¹⁰B or without boron doping. A suitable subtraction procedure allowed to discriminate the gamma, neutron and BNC dose components (Selva et al., 2022, Appl. Radiat. Isot. 182, 110144). The measured microdosimetric spectra can be weighted with a biological weighting function to estimate the Relative Biological Effectiveness of the radiation field, for the purpose of intercomparison between different thermal neutron sources. This work compares, therefore, the biological doses resulting from four different weighting functions applied to the same initial microdosimetric spectrum, discussing strengths and limitations of each of them. (authors)

[en] Highlights: ► For the IFMIF/EVEDA RFQ linac, engineering design of the RF input coupler is carried out. ► The RF input coupler with a cooling port (L = λ/4), based on a 6 1/8 in. co-axial waveguide, is designed for the CW operation. ► Three cooling channels are installed into the inside of loop antenna, the outer-conductor and the inner-conductor around RF window. ► For the RF transmitted tests, a coupling cavity with a ridge type structure is also designed. -- Abstract: For the IFMIF/EVEDA RFQ linac, engineering design of the RF input coupler is carried out. The RF input coupler with a cooling port (L = λ/4), based on a 6 1/8 in. co-axial waveguide, is designed for the CW operation. Three cooling channels are installed into the inside of loop antenna, the outer-conductor and the inner-conductor around RF window. For the loop size, RF coupling factors on beam loading are evaluated with based on the measured S₁₁ parameter and Q value on aluminum RFQ module. In order to fulfill the acceptance Q₀ value of 9000 for the RFQ, the insertion depth of L = 45 mm is chosen. For this loop antenna size, magnetic field strength around the loop and surface loss density on the loop are evaluated, it is found to satisfy with the RF coupler acceptance values. Coupling cavity with ridge-type structure is also designed for the RF transmitted power test. It is evaluated to be 7.2 kW and 0.5 W/cm² for RF power dissipation and RF surface loss density on the RF transmitted power of 200 kW