Continuous Energy Distribution Research Articles

Rejection-based sampling of inelastic neutron scattering

Distributions of inelastically scattered neutrons can be quantum dynamically described by a scattering kernel. We present an accurate and computationally efficient rejection method for sampling a given scattering kernel of any isotropic material. The proposed method produces continuous neutron energy and angular distributions, typically using just a single interpolation per sampling. We benchmark the results of this method against those from accurate analytical models and one of the major neutron transport codes. We also show the results of applying this method to the conventional discrete double differential cross sections.

On thermoluminescence mechanism and energy leakage in Lu2O3:Tb,V storage phosphor

The energy storage properties of Lu2O3:Tb,V sintered materials when exposed to X-rays were investigated for the first time using a number of thermoluminescent techniques. Thermoluminescence was generated exclusively by the Tb3+ ions, which served also as hole-trapping centers. Two TL peaks at ∼170 °C and 220 °C were found to be directly connected with V-electron traps and were assigned to the release of first (170 °C) and second (220 °C) electron from VXLu. It was evidenced that each of the two TL bands results from strongly overlapping components showing continuous distribution of energies. Significant contribution from semi-localized transitions to carriers annihilation was also proved.

LINUS, the Integrated LNL Neutron Source facility

LINUS is a project at the INFN Legnaro National Laboratories (LNL, Italy) to create a suite of different neutron sources (LSNS, NEPIR, SLOWNE) driven by existing accelerators. LSNS, driven by a 40 mA, 5 MeV proton RFQ, will use Li and Be targets to deliver cold, thermal, epithermal and fast neutrons. The SPES high current (0.75 mA), 70 MeV proton cyclotron will drive the NEPIR and SLOWNE facilities. NEPIR will alternatively deliver quasi mono-energetic neutrons with energy peak down to 20 MeV, and a neutron beam with a continuous energy distribution similar to that of neutrons present in the Earth atmosphere in the accessible energy range. SLOWNE is an intense neutron source for applications outside the LSNS range.

Experimental demonstration of multiple monoenergetic gamma radiography for effective atomic number identification in cargo inspection

The smuggling of special nuclear materials (SNMs) through international borders could enable nuclear terrorism and constitutes a significant threat to global security. This paper presents the experimental demonstration of a novel radiographic technique for quantitatively reconstructing the density and type of material present in commercial cargo containers, as a means of detecting such threats. Unlike traditional techniques which use sources of bremsstrahlung photons with a continuous distribution of energies, multiple monoenergetic gamma radiography utilizes monoenergetic photons from nuclear reactions, specifically the 4.4 and 15.1 MeV photons from the 11B(d,nγ)12C reaction. By exploiting the Z-dependence of the photon interaction cross sections at these two specific energies, it is possible to simultaneously determine the areal density and the effective atomic number as a function of location for a 2D projection of a scanned object. The additional information gleaned from using and detecting photons of specific energies for radiography substantially increases the resolving power between different materials. This paper presents results from the imaging of mock cargo materials ranging from Z≈5−92, demonstrating accurate reconstruction of the effective atomic number and areal density of the materials over the full range. In particular, the system is capable of distinguishing pure materials with Z≳70, such as lead and uranium—a critical requirement of a system designed to detect SNM. This methodology could be used to screen commercial cargoes with high material specificity, to distinguish most benign materials from SNM, such as uranium and plutonium.

Spectral characterization of laser-accelerated protons with CR-39 nuclear track detector.

CR-39 nuclear track material is frequently used for the detection of protons accelerated in laser-plasma interactions. The measurement of track densities allows for determination of particle angular distributions, and information on the kinetic energy can be obtained by the use of passive absorbers. We present a precise method of measuring spectral distributions of laser-accelerated protons in a single etching and analysis process. We make use of a one-to-one relation between proton energy and track size and present a precise calibration based on monoenergetic particle beams. While this relation is limited to proton energies below 1 MeV, we show that the range of spectral measurements can be significantly extended by simultaneous use of absorbers of suitable thicknesses. Examples from laser-plasma interactions are presented, and quantitative results on proton energies and particle numbers are compared to those obtained from a time-of-flight detector. The spectrum end points of continuous energy distributions have been determined with both detector types and coincide within 50-100 keV.

Energy distributions of electrons emitted by a biased laser-produced plasma at 1013 W cm−2

In this paper, we present the electron bunches extracted from a dense plasma produced by the interaction of a ns laser at an intensity of 1013 W cm−2 with a solid target, when this plasma expands in an electric field. The plasma expansion dynamics measured in the previous works [M. Comet et al., J. Appl. Phys. 119, 013301 (2016)] is used to determine the electron charge density profile at different instants after the laser shot. When applying the electric field, a few 1013 electrons are extracted with continuous energy distributions. Particle-In-Cell simulations are run to understand the extraction process and reproduce the measured energy distributions, with the electron charge density profiles used as inputs. These simulations show that the electron extraction proceeds from the plasma front edge throughout the plasma expansion.

Realistic dosimetry for studies on biological responses to X-rays and γ-rays

ABSTRACTA calibration coefficient R (= DA/DE) for photons was employed to characterize the photon dose in radiobiological experiments, where DA was the actual dose delivered to cells and DE was the dose recorded by an ionization chamber. R was determined using the Monte Carlo N-Particle version 5 (MCNP-5) code. Photons with (i) discrete energies, and (ii) continuous-energy distributions under different beam conditioning were considered. The four studied monoenergetic photons had energies E = 0.01, 0.1, 1 and 2 MeV. Photons with E = 0.01 MeV gave R values significantly different from unity, while those with E > 0.1 MeV gave R ≈ 1. Moreover, R decreased monotonically with increasing thickness of water medium above the cells for E = 0.01, 1 or 2 MeV due to energy loss of photons in the medium. For E = 0.1 MeV, the monotonic pattern no longer existed due to the dose delivered to the cells by electrons created through the photoelectric effect close to the medium–cell boundary. The continuous-energy distributions from the X-Rad 320 Biological Irradiator (voltage = 150 kV) were also studied under three different beam conditions: (a) F0: no filter used, (b) F1: using a 2 mm-thick Al filter, and (c) F2: using a filter made of (1.5 mm Al + 0.25 mm Cu + 0.75 mm Sn), giving mean output photon energies of 47.4, 57.3 and 102 keV, respectively. R varied from ~1.04 to ~1.28 for F0, from ~1.13 to ~1.21 for F1, and was very close to unity for F2.

Explosive Nucleosynthesis Study Using Laser Driven γ-ray Pulses

We propose nuclear experiments using γ-ray pulses provided from high field plasma generated by high peak power laser. These γ-ray pulses have the excellent features of extremely short pulse, high intensity, and continuous energy distribution. These features are suitable for the study of explosive nucleosyntheses in novae and supernovae, such as the γ process and ν process. We discuss how to generate suitable γ-ray pulses and the nuclear astrophysics involved.

Effect of point defects on luminescence characteristics of ZnO ceramics

Photo- and thermally stimulated luminescence of ZnO ceramics are produced by uniaxial hot pressing. The luminescence spectra of ceramics contain a wide band with a maximum at 500 nm, for which oxygen vacancies VO are responsible, and a narrow band with a maximum at 385 nm, which is of exciton nature. It follows from luminescence excitation spectra that the exciton energy is transferred to luminescence centers in ZnO. An analysis of the thermally stimulated luminescence curves allowed detection of a set of discrete levels of point defects with activation energies of 25, 45, 510, 590 meV, and defects with continuous energy distributions in the range of 50–100 meV. The parameters of some of the detected defects are characteristic of a lithium impurity and hydrogen centers. The photoluminescence kinetics are studied in a wide temperature range.

The Effect of Doping on the Electrophysical Properties of Polycrystalline Diamond Films Deposited from an Abnormal Glow Discharge

The paper is focused on the study of the boron doping effect on the electrical characteristics, on the mechanism of charge carrier transfer, and on the energy spectrum of the localized defect states in the polycrystalline diamond films (PDF) deposited from an abnormal glow discharge. PDF doping enables to form the semiconductor layers of p-type conductivity, which have as good properties as those of PDF produced by the alternative methods. The doping reduces the degree of disorder in the film material brought by the growth defects, which determine the film electrical characteristics and electrotransfer mechanism. The PDF electrical characteristics and electrotransfer mechanism are determined by the defects of different nature, whose band gap energy levels have a continuous energy distribution. A p-type activation component is realized in the exchange of charge carriers between the valence band and shallow acceptor levels with the activation energy of 0.013-0.022 eV. Doping increases the effect of the hopping mechanism of the conductivity involving the localized states with a density of (1-6)·1020 eV-1 •cm-3 distributed near the Fermi level, which is in the low half of the band gap.

Synthesis of Polycrystalline Diamond Films in Abnormal Glow Discharge and their Properties

The optical and electrophysical properties of polycrystalline diamond films (PDF) deposited from the abnormal glow discharge have been studied. The dominating mechanisms of absorption and charge carrier transfer and the energy spectrum of the localized states (LS) of defects which determine the properties of the films have been specified. The parameters of the interband absorption and electrical conductivity are determined by the continuous energy distribution in the band gap (BG) of the states of defects of different nature. The absorption edge of the crystalline phase of the films is separated from the absorption zone determined by the electron transitions between LS defects. The width of BG is narrowed to 0.2-0.5 eV from the quantity typical to the diamond. An additional film absorption edge is formed in the energy interval 1.2-3.3 eV, where Urbach rule is fulfilled and the interband absorption is realized at direct transitions through the optical gap 1.1-1.5 eV. The average width of BG is 2.6-3.24 eV estimated within semiclassical interband model. The interaction of the parameters of the interband and exponential absorption is determined by the crystal lattice static disorder. The dominating n-type of the activation component of the electrical conductivity is complemented by the hopping mechanism with the participation of the localized states of the defects distributed near the Fermi level with a density 5.6T017-2.1·1021 eV-1-cm-3.

Formation of the Baltic Sea level spectrum

The Baltic Sea is an internal shelf basin of theAtlantic Ocean. Almost complete closure of the basin,which is connected with the open ocean only throughshallow narrow Danish straits, leads to the formationof sea level variation absolutely not typical for the openocean [1]. The fluctuation of the sea level is the oceanbreathing [2] formed under the influence of differentfactors: tidal and meteorological forcing, componentsof the water balance, and variations in the water density. These factors cover a wide range of periods; therelative role of different processes varies in differentbasins.In order to understand the water dynamics of theBaltic Sea, one has to have an idea about the formationof the entire spectrum of the sea level fluctuations withperiods from hours to tens of years. According to [3],one can distinguish the following five variability rangesin the classification of the sea level fluctuations withperiods smaller than 10 years: mesoscale (from 2 hoursto 2 days), synoptic (from 2 days to one month), intraannual (from 1 month to 1 year), seasonal (annualperiod and divisible harmonics), and interannual(from 1 year to 10 years). The tides make the greatestenergetic contribution to the dispersion of the sea levelfluctuations in the open ocean (approximately 85%).Due to the narrowness of the Danish straits, the tidesalmost do not propagate to the Baltic Sea and themesoscale variability of the sea level is determinedmainly by internal oscillations, which are generatedwithin the sea [4]. However, the longrange fluctuations of the sea level penetrate from the North Seaalmost without distortions.The research object of this work is the North Sea–Baltic Sea system. Such an approach allows us to studyin detail the mechanisms of the formation of the BalticSea level spectrum in various frequency ranges and todistinguish its main peculiarities.It is convenient to consider the sea level fluctuations as a probability process. One can use the spectralanalysis methods of random processes to estimate thefrequency distribution of the energy of sea level fluctuations. The fluctuations of the sea level are not strictlya stochastic process because tides have a strong influence on them. The tide is a regular deterministic process, which is manifested in the sea level spectra assharp deltashaped peaks (discrete spectrum). Theseasonal fluctuations also have a discrete spectrum, inwhich the annual and semiannual harmonics dominate, although these fluctuations are not strictly deterministic [5]. The pole tide is a special type of sea leveloscillations, which is anomalous in the Baltic andNorth seas [6]: this process also has a harmonic character (with a period of approximately 14 monthscaused by the Chandler wobble of the Earth’s axis ofrotation); however, its dominant period has specifictime variations. The other components of the sea levelfluctuations are characterized by random noise andform a continuous energy distribution by frequency(continuum).In this work, we apply spectral analysis to describethe spectrum of the sea level variations and estimatethe energy contribution of different frequency bandsto the total dispersion of fluctuations. With this inmind, we considered longterm time series of hourlyand monthly observations of the sea level at fourcoastal tide gauge stations: Cuxhaven (Germany) inthe North Sea, Stockholm, Furuogrund, and Kronstadt in the Baltic Sea (Table 1, Fig. 1) Joint application of longterm monthly mean time series togetherwith the hourly data of high quality (the percentage ofgaps at all stations did not exceed 1%) gave us the possibility to estimate the energy of sea level fluctuationsin a wide range of periods with the maximum highspectral resolution.The Danish straits separating the Baltic Sea fromthe North Sea serve as a lowfrequency filter that letthe longperiod sea level fluctuations propagate to theBaltic Sea (longterm and seasonal) and suppress thesynoptic and mesoscale sea level fluctuations [7]. Thisis the reason why synoptic and mesoscale sea levelvariations are formed within the Baltic Sea and arecharacterized as eigen (internal) oscillations [8]. Thestructure of internal oscillations of the Baltic Sea level

Translation of Ludwig Boltzmann’s Paper “On the Relationship between the Second Fundamental Theorem of the Mechanical Theory of Heat and Probability Calculations Regarding the Conditions for Thermal Equilibrium” Sitzungberichte der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften. Mathematisch-Naturwissen Classe. Abt. II, LXXVI 1877, pp 373-435 (Wien. Ber. 1877, 76:373-435). Reprinted in Wiss. Abhandlungen, Vol. II, reprint 42, p. 164-223, Barth, Leipzig, 1909

Translation of the seminal 1877 paper by Ludwig Boltzmann which for the first time established the probabilistic basis of entropy. Includes a scientific commentary.

Electrical and photoelectric properties of polycrystalline diamond films deposited from an abnormal glow discharge

Electrical and photovoltaic properties of polycrystalline diamond films (PDF), deposited from the abnormal glow discharge were analysed. Features of charge carrier transfer in PDF are determined by continuous energy distribution in the band gap of defect states of different nature. Dominated n-type conductivity activation component of electrical conduction and photoconductivity is complemented by a hopping mechanism with the participation of states near the Fermi level with a density 5.6·1017–2.1·1021 eV−1 cm−3. Activation transfer is realized in the exchange of charge carriers between the allowed bands and donor levels with the activation energy 0.007-0.21 eV, which are sparsely populated and have wide variation in their parameters. Trapping centers and carriers recombination are heterogeneously distributed in grain boundaries. Under lighting, the state density increases 3-5 times and probable jump length decreases by 1-3 nm. Spectral distribution centers of photosensitivity are correlated with the distribution of deep-level defects, determining the absorption spectra.

Dual Energy Imaging in Cardiovascular CT: Current Status and Impact on Radiation, Contrast and Accuracy

Dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) exploits the continuous energy distribution of x-rays to improve differentiation of tissues beyond what is possible with single-energy CT (SECT). DECT often uses smaller volumes of iodinated contrast agent and lower radiation doses than SECT. Clinical applications of DECT in cardiovascular imaging are emerging and include myocardial perfusion imaging, myocardial infarct and viability imaging, coronary plaque characterization, coronary stent assessment, and myocardial iron quantification. In this review, we discuss the available methods for acquiring and processing DECT data, the current status of DECT in cardiovascular imaging, and its impact on the dose of radiation and contrast agent.

SU-E-T-186: Feasibility Study of Glass Cherenkov Detector for Prompt Gamma Detection in Proton Therapy

Purpose: To simulate a Cherenkov glass detector system utilizing prompt gamma (PG) technique to quantify range uncertainties in proton radiation therapy. Methods: A simulation of high energy photons typically produced in proton interactions with materials incident onto a block of Cherenkov glass was performed with the Geant4 toolkit. The standard electromagnetic package was used along with several decay modules (G4Decay, G4DecayPhysics, and G4RadioactiveDecayPhysics) and the optical photon components (G4OpticalPhysics). Our setup included a pencil beam consisting of a hundred thousand 6 MeV photons (approximately the deexcitation energy released from 16O) incident onto a 2.5 ⊗ 2.5 ⊗ 1.5 cm3 of a Cherenkov glass (7.2 g of In2O3 + 90 g cladding, density of 2.82 g/cm3, Zeff = 33.7, index of refraction 1.56). The energy deposited from incident 6 MeV photons as well as secondary electrons and resulting optical photons were recorded. Results: The energy deposited by 6 MeV photons in glass material showed several peaks that included the photoelectric, the single and double escape peaks. About 11% of incident photons interacted with glass material to deposit energy. Most of the photons collected were in the region of double escape peak (approximately 4.98 MeV). The secondary electron spectrum produced from incidentmore » photons showed a high energy peak located near 6 MeV and a sharp peak located ∼120 keV with a continuous distribution between these two points. The resulting Cherenkov photons produced showed a continuous energy distribution between 2 and 5 eV with a slight increase in yield beginning about 3 eV. The amount of Cherenkov photons produced per interacting incident 6 MeV photon was ∼240.7. Conclusion: This study suggests the viability of utilizing the Cherenkov glass material as a possible prompt gamma photon detection device. Future work will include optimization of the detector system to maximize photon detection efficiency.« less

Kinetic analysis of thermoluminescence glow curves in feldspar: evidence for a continuous distribution of energies

The thermoluminescence (TL) glow curves from feldspars have been the subject of numerous studies, because of their importance in luminescence dating and dosimetry. This paper presents new experimental TL glow curves in a plagioclase feldspar, measured using the T max-T stop technique of glow curve analysis. Kinetic analysis of the experimental results is carried out for a freshly irradiated sample, as well as for a sample which has undergone optical treatment using infrared light for 100 s at 50°C. Application of the initial rise method of analysis indicates that the TL signals from both samples can be characterized by a continuous distribution of energy levels. By subtracting the TL glow curves measured at successive T stop values, a series of TL glow curves is obtained which are analyzed using the empirical general order kinetics. It is found that all TL glow curves obtained by this subtractive procedure can be described accurately by the same general order parameter b ∼1.7. In a second attempt to analyze the same TL glow curves and possibly extract information about the underlying luminescence process, the shape of TL glow curves is analyzed using a recently proposed physical kinetic model which describes localized electronic recombination in donor-acceptor pairs. Within this model, recombination is assumed to take place via the excited state of the donor, and nearest-neighbor recombinations take place within a random distribution of centers. This recent model has been used recently to describe successfully several types of luminescence signals. This paper shows that it is possible to obtain good fits to the experimental data using either one of these two approaches.

A collimator optimization method for quantitative imaging: application to Y-90 bremsstrahlung SPECT.

Post-therapy quantitative 90Y bremsstrahlung single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) has shown great potential to provide reliable activity estimates, which are essential for dose verification. Typically 90Y imaging is performed with high- or medium-energy collimators. However, the energy spectrum of 90Y bremsstrahlung photons is substantially different than typical for these collimators. In addition, dosimetry requires quantitative images, and collimators are not typically optimized for such tasks. Optimizing a collimator for 90Y imaging is both novel and potentially important. Conventional optimization methods are not appropriate for 90Y bremsstrahlung photons, which have a continuous and broad energy distribution. In this work, the authors developed a parallel-hole collimator optimization method for quantitative tasks that is particularly applicable to radionuclides with complex emission energy spectra. The authors applied the proposed method to develop an optimal collimator for quantitative 90Y bremsstrahlung SPECT in the context of microsphere radioembolization. To account for the effects of the collimator on both the bias and the variance of the activity estimates, the authors used the root mean squared error (RMSE) of the volume of interest activity estimates as the figure of merit (FOM). In the FOM, the bias due to the null space of the image formation process was taken in account. The RMSE was weighted by the inverse mass to reflect the application to dosimetry; for a different application, more relevant weighting could easily be adopted. The authors proposed a parameterization for the collimator that facilitates the incorporation of the important factors (geometric sensitivity, geometric resolution, and septal penetration fraction) determining collimator performance, while keeping the number of free parameters describing the collimator small (i.e., two parameters). To make the optimization results for quantitative 90Y bremsstrahlung SPECT more general, the authors simulated multiple tumors of various sizes in the liver. The authors realistically simulated human anatomy using a digital phantom and the image formation process using a previously validated and computationally efficient method for modeling the image-degrading effects including object scatter, attenuation, and the full collimator-detector response (CDR). The scatter kernels and CDR function tables used in the modeling method were generated using a previously validated Monte Carlo simulation code. The hole length, hole diameter, and septal thickness of the obtained optimal collimator were 84, 3.5, and 1.4 mm, respectively. Compared to a commercial high-energy general-purpose collimator, the optimal collimator improved the resolution and FOM by 27% and 18%, respectively. The proposed collimator optimization method may be useful for improving quantitative SPECT imaging for radionuclides with complex energy spectra. The obtained optimal collimator provided a substantial improvement in quantitative performance for the microsphere radioembolization task considered.

Optimization of energy window for 90Y bremsstrahlung SPECT imaging for detection tasks using the ideal observer with model‐mismatch

In yttrium-90 ((90)Y) microsphere brachytherapy (radioembolization) of unresectable liver cancer, posttherapy (90)Y bremsstrahlung single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) has been used to document the distribution of microspheres in the patient and to help predict potential side effects. The energy window used during projection acquisition can have a significant effect on image quality. Thus, using an optimal energy window is desirable. However, there has been great variability in the choice of energy window due to the continuous and broad energy distribution of (90)Y bremsstrahlung photons. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for the ideal observer (IO) is a widely used figure of merit (FOM) for optimizing the imaging system for detection tasks. The IO implicitly assumes a perfect model of the image formation process. However, for (90)Y bremsstrahlung SPECT there can be substantial model-mismatch (i.e., difference between the actual image formation process and the model of it assumed in reconstruction), and the amount of the model-mismatch depends on the energy window. It is thus important to account for the degradation of the observer performance due to model-mismatch in the optimization of the energy window. The purpose of this paper is to optimize the energy window for (90)Y bremsstrahlung SPECT for a detection task while taking into account the effects of the model-mismatch. An observer, termed the ideal observer with model-mismatch (IO-MM), has been proposed previously to account for the effects of the model-mismatch on IO performance. In this work, the AUC for the IO-MM was used as the FOM for the optimization. To provide a clinically realistic object model and imaging simulation, the authors used a background-known-statistically and signal-known-statistically task. The background was modeled as multiple compartments in the liver with activity parameters independently following a Gaussian distribution; the signal was modeled as a tumor with a Gaussian-distributed activity parameter located randomly with equal probability at one of three positions. The IO test statistics (i.e., likelihood ratios) were estimated using Markov-chain Monte Carlo methods. The authors realistically modeled human anatomy using a digital phantom code, and realistically simulated (90)Y bremsstrahlung SPECT imaging with a clinical SPECT system and typical imaging parameters using a previously validated Monte Carlo bremsstrahlung simulation method. Model-mismatch was included by modeling image formation process in the calculation of IO test statistics using an analytic modeling method previously developed for quantitative (90)Y bremsstrahlung SPECT. To demonstrate the effects of the model-mismatch on the detection task, the authors optimized the energy window both with and without model-mismatch included in the IO. For all the energy windows, the AUC values for the IO-MM were smaller than that for the IO. The optimal windows for the IO-MM and the IO were 80-180 and 60-400 keV, respectively. The authors have demonstrated the degradation of the ideal performance due to model-mismatch and optimized the energy window for (90)Y bremsstrahlung SPECT for detection tasks by accounting for the effects of the model-mismatch. The obtained optimal window was much narrower when taking into account the model-mismatch and similar to that obtained previously for estimation tasks.

Measurement of the proton light response of various LAB based scintillators and its implication for supernova neutrino detection via neutrino–proton scattering

The proton light output function in electron-equivalent energy of various scintillators based on linear alkylbenzene (LAB) has been measured in the energy range from 1 MeV to 17.15 MeV for the first time. The measurement was performed at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) using a neutron beam with continuous energy distribution. The proton light output data is extracted from proton recoil spectra originating from neutron-proton scattering in the scintillator. The functional behavior of the proton light output is described succesfully by Birks' law with a Birks constant kB between (0.0094 +/- 0.0002) cm/MeV and (0.0098 +/- 0.0003) cm/MeV for the different LAB solutions. The constant C, parameterizing the quadratic term in the generalized Birks law, is consistent with zero for all investigated scintillators with an upper limit (95% CL) of about 10^{-7} cm^2/MeV^2. The resulting quenching factors are especially important for future planned supernova neutrino detection based on the elastic scattering of neutrinos on protons. The impact of proton quenching on the supernova event yield from neutrino-proton scattering is discussed.