Proton range monitoring based on picosecond detection using a Cherenkov radiation detector: A Monte Carlo study

Abstract

In this study, we analyzed the performance of a PbF2 crystal-based detector at proton range monitoring with Monte Carlo simulations. The correlations between the depth–dose and Cherenkov profiles showed that the changes in the peak position in the Cherenkov profiles corresponded to the changes in the corresponding depth–dose profiles. Moreover, the deviations between the changes in the peak positions in the two curves were generally less than 2 mm. The results also showed that the actual proton range could be obtained using flight time information. When the proton energy was 160 MeV, the peak position detected in the Cherenkov profile detected was 14.83 cm with a flight time of 5.3–5.4 ns (starting from the time when protons were emitted), and the actual proton range in polymethyl-methacrylate was 15 cm. Therefore, the accuracy of the proton range measurements could be improved and the absolute range obtained by using the fast and time-sensitive characteristics of the proposed Cherenkov radiator.