Charge measurement with nuclear emulsions spectrometers for hadron therapy fragmentation cross section measurements with the FOOT experiment

Abstract

Experimental data concerning projectile and target fragmentation is limited, increasing the uncertainty on the dose in the entrance channel in particle therapy treatments. The FOOT experiment measures nuclear fragmentation cross sections with two complementary detectors. The performance of the FOOT nuclear emulsion detectors in identifying the charge of nuclear fragments has recently been studied using 16O beams at 200 and 400MeV/n, directed at carbon and polyethylene targets. This work extends the previous analysis, comparing experimental data and FLUKA Monte Carlo predictions, focusing on the angular distribution and relative abundances of fragments with Z≤5 originating from the interactions of a 400MeV/n oxygen beam with a carbon target.