Neutron production in the operation of a 16.5 MeV PETrace cyclotron

An experimental campaign was conducted to assess the neutron dose field inside the biological shield of the PETrace cyclotron at the S. Orsola-Malpighi hospital in Bologna. The results of the survey were analyzed to confirm that neutrons are emitted isotropically, thus validating the hypothesis of nuclear evaporation, as opposed to cascade, as the dominant mechanism for neutron emission.