The effect of head phantom size on the B-10 and H-1[n,gamma]H-2 dose distributions for a broad epithermal neutron radiation field generated by an accelerator-based epithermal neutron source for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) have been studied. Also two techniques for calculating the absorbed gamma dose from a measured gamma-ray source distribution are compared: a Monte Carlo technique, which is well accepted in the BNCT community, and a Point Kernel technique. The count-rate distribution in the central plane of three rectangular parallelopiped head water phantoms irradiated with an epithermal neutron field was measured with a boron trifluoride (BF3) detector. This epithermal neutron field was produced at the Ohio State University Van de Graaff Accelerator Facility. The B-10 absorbed dose and the gamma-ray source have the same distribution in the head phantom as the BF3 count-rate distribution. The absorbed gamma dose from the measured source distribution was calculated using MCNP, a Monte Carlo code, and QAD-CGGP, a Point Kernel code. The most pronounced effect of phantom size on B-10 absorbed dose was on the dose rate at the depth of maximum dose, d(max). An increase in dose rate at d(max) was observed with a decrease in phantom size, the dose rate in the smallest phantom being larger by a factor of 1.4 than the dose rate in the largest phantom. Also, d(max) for the phantoms shifted deeper with a decrease in phantom dimensions. The shift between the largest and the smallest phantoms was 6 mm. Finally, the smaller phantoms had lower entrance B-10 dose as a percent of the dose at d(max), or better skin sparing. Our calculations for the gamma dose show that a Point Kernel technique can be used to calculate the dose distribution as accurately as a Monte Carlo technique, in much shorter computation times.
