Monte Carlo simulation of the radiation source term from [O-18]H2O cyclotron target bombardment with protons of 16.5 MeV

PET cyclotrons are widely used for producing medical diagnostic radionuclides. The main radionuclide produced in these facilities is the F-18, which is obtained from the [O-18 (p,n)F-18] reaction when O-18-enriched water is bombarded with the proton beams. This work aimed to estimate the radiation source term from the bombardment of an O-18-enriched water target with protons of 16.5 MeV to determine the radiation neutron field around the accelerator.