Single track coincidence measurements of fluorescent and plastic nuclear track detectors in therapeutic carbon beams

Abstract

In this paper we present a method for single trackcoincidence measurements using two different track detector materials. Weemployed plastic and fluorescent nuclear track detectors (PNTDs and FNTDs)in the entrance channel of a monoenergetic carbon ion beam covering thetherapeutic energy rangefrom 80 to 425 MeV/u. About 99% ofall primary particle tracks detected by both detectors were successfullymatched, while 1% of the particles were only detected by the FNTDsbecause of their superior spatial resolution. We conclude that both PNTDsand FNTDs are suitable for clinical carbon beam dosimetry with a detectionefficiency of at least 98.82% and 99.83% respectively, ifirradiations are performed with low fluence in the entrance channel of theion beam. The investigated method can be adapted to other nuclear trackdetectors and offers the possibility to characterize new track detectormaterials against well-known detectors. Further, by combining two detectorswith a restricted working range in the presented way a hybrid-detectorsystem can be created with an extended and optimized working range.