Nuclear fragmentation cross section measurements with the FOOT experiment

Abstract

Different fields can profit by nuclear fragmentation cross section measurements: among them hadrontherapy and space radioprotection are of particular interest. Hadrontherapy employs high-energy beams of charged particles (protons and heavier ions) to treat deep-seated tumours. In these treatments nuclear interactions have to be considered: beam particles can fragment in the human body releasing a non-zero dose beyond the tumour while fragments of human body nuclei can modify the dose released in healthy tissues. On the radioprotection side, the interest in long-term manned space missions beyond Low Earth Orbit is growing in these years but it has to cope with significant health concerns from radiation in space, necessitating an accurate cross section data description. The FOOT (FragmentatiOn Of Target) experiment was proposed to cover these gaps in data. It was designed to detect, track and identify nuclear fragments and aims to measure double differential cross sections both in angle and kinetic energy which is the most complete information to address existing questions. The FOOT experimental setups, the experimental program and a first cross section analysis of 400 MeV/u 16O beam on Carbon target data acquired in July 2021 at GSI (Darmstadt, Germany) will be presented.