Primary Proton Beam Research Articles

The SPES radioactive ion beam project of LNL: status and perspectives

A new Radioactive Ion Beam (RIB) facility (SPES) is presently under construction at the Legnaro National Laboratories of INFN. The SPES facility is based on the ISOL method using an UCx Direct Target able to sustain a power of 8 kW. The primary proton beam is provided by a high current Cyclotron accelerator with energy of 35-70 MeV and a beam current of 0.2-0.7 mA. Neutron-rich radioactive ions are produced by proton induced fission on an Uranium target at an expected fission rate of the order of 1013 fissions per second. After ionization and selection the exotic isotopes are re-accelerated by the ALPI superconducting LINAC at energies of 10A MeV for masses in the region A=130 amu. The expected secondary beam rates are of the order of 107 - 109 pps. Aim of the SPES facility is to deliver high intensity radioactive ion beams of neutron rich nuclei for nuclear physics research as well as to be an interdisciplinary research centre for radio-isotopes production for medicine and for neutron beams.

Measured Neutron Spectra and Dose Equivalents From a Mevion Single-Room, Passively Scattered Proton System Used for Craniospinal Irradiation

To measure, in the setting of typical passively scattered proton craniospinal irradiation (CSI) treatment, the secondary neutron spectra, and use these spectra to calculate dose equivalents for both internal and external neutrons delivered via a Mevion single-room compact proton system. Secondary neutron spectra were measured using extended-range Bonner spheres for whole brain, upper spine, and lower spine proton fields. The detector used can discriminate neutrons over the entire range of the energy spectrum encountered in proton therapy. To separately assess internally and externally generated neutrons, each of the fields was delivered with and without a phantom. Average neutron energy, total neutron fluence, and ambient dose equivalent [H* (10)] were calculated for each spectrum. Neutron dose equivalents as a function of depth were estimated by applying published neutron depth-dose data to in-air H* (10) values. For CSI fields, neutron spectra were similar, with a high-energy direct neutron peak, an evaporation peak, a thermal peak, and an intermediate continuum between the evaporation and thermal peaks. Neutrons in the evaporation peak made the largest contribution to dose equivalent. Internal neutrons had a very low to negligible contribution to dose equivalent compared with external neutrons, largely attributed to the measurement location being far outside the primary proton beam. Average energies ranged from 8.6 to 14.5 MeV, whereas fluences ranged from 6.91 × 10(6) to 1.04 × 10(7) n/cm(2)/Gy, and H* (10) ranged from 2.27 to 3.92 mSv/Gy. For CSI treatments delivered with a Mevion single-gantry proton therapy system, we found measured neutron dose was consistent with dose equivalents reported for CSI with other proton beamlines.

Preliminary design of a RFQ direct injection scheme for the IsoDAR high intensity H2+ cyclotron

IsoDAR (Isotope Decay-At-Rest) is a novel experiment designed to measure neutrino oscillations through ν̄(e) disappearance, thus providing a definitive search for sterile neutrinos. In order to generate the necessary anti-neutrino flux, a high intensity primary proton beam is needed. In IsoDAR, H2(+) is accelerated and is stripped into protons just before the target, to overcome space charge issues at injection. As part of the design, we have refined an old proposal to use a RFQ to axially inject bunched H2(+) ions into the driver cyclotron. This method has several advantages over a classical low energy beam transport (LEBT) design: (1) The bunching efficiency is higher than for the previously considered two-gap buncher and thus the overall injection efficiency is higher. This relaxes the constraints on the H2(+) current required from the ion source. (2) The overall length of the LEBT can be reduced. (3) The RFQ can also accelerate the ions. This enables the ion source platform high voltage to be reduced from 70 kV to 15 kV, making underground installation easier. We are presenting the preliminary RFQ design parameters and first beam dynamics simulations from the ion source to the spiral inflector entrance.

High intensity proton injector for facility of antiproton and ion research.

The high current ion source with the low energy beam transport (LEBT) will serve as injector into the proton LINAC to provide primary proton beam for the production of antiprotons. The pulsed ion source developed and built in CEA/Saclay operates with a frequency of 2.45 GHz based on ECR plasma production with two coils with 87.5 mT magnetic field necessary for the electron cyclotron resonance. The compact LEBT consists of two solenoids with a maximum magnetic field of 500 mT including two integrated magnetic steerers to adjust the horizontal and vertical beam positions. The total length of the compact LEBT is 2.3 m and was made as short as possible to reduced emittance growth along the beam line. To measure ion beam intensity behind the pentode extraction system, between solenoids and at the end of the beam line, two current transformers and a Faraday cup are installed. To get information about the beam quality and position, the diagnostic chamber with different equipment will be installed between the two solenoids. This article reports the current status of the proton injector for the facility of antiproton and ion research.

Design and simulation of the nuSTORM pion beamline

The nuSTORM (neutrinos from STORed Muons) proposal presents a detailed design for a neutrino facility based on a muon storage ring, with muon decay in the production straight section of the ring providing well defined neutrino beams. The facility includes a primary high-energy proton beam line, a target station with pion production and collection, and a pion beamline for pion transportation and injection into a muon decay ring. The nuSTORM design uses “stochastic injection”, in which pions are directed by a chicane, referred to as the Orbit Combination Section (OCS), into the production straight section of the storage ring. Pions that decay within that straight section provide muons within the circulating acceptance of the ring. The design enables injection without kickers or a separate pion decay transport line. The beam line that the pions traverse before being extracted from the decay ring is referred to as the pion beamline. This paper describes the design and simulation of the pion beamline, and includes full beam dynamics simulations of the system.

Local Recurrence After Primary Proton Beam Therapy in Uveal Melanoma: Risk Factors, Retreatment Approaches, and Outcome

To evaluate the risk factors, recurrence rates, retreatments, and long-term patient outcomes following proton beam therapy for uveal melanoma. Retrospective interventional case series. All patients treated with primary proton beam therapy for uveal melanoma at the oncology service at Charité-Berlin and Helmholtz-Zentrum-Berlin between May 1998 and December 2008 were reviewed for local recurrence. Of 982 patients, 982 eyes matched the inclusion criteria. The data were obtained from electronic health records, operative reports, discharge letters, and radiation planning. Comparisons of fundus photographs and ultrasound measurements were performed to assess the growth pattern of the tumor and to determine the success of retreatment, in the case that a globe-retaining therapy was undertaken. Of 982 patients, 35 patients (3.6%) developed local recurrence. The median follow-up was 60.7 months (6.0-170.4 months). Local control rate was 96.4% and the overall eye retention rate was 95.0% in this cohort. Local recurrence was correlated with a higher risk for metastasis and reduced survival. Largest tumor diameter was identified as the sole statistically significant risk factor for local recurrence (P = .00001). All globe-retaining retreatment approaches for local recurrence, including proton beam therapy, brachytherapy, and transpupillary thermotherapy used for recurrences at the tumor margins, showed good local tumor control and similar metastasis-free survivals. This study showed that each globe-retaining retreatment approach can result in satisfying local tumor control. In case of early detection of local recurrence, preservation of the globe can be warranted. Therefore, regularly performed follow-ups should be ensured.

The Beamline DAQ System for the T2K Experiment

The T2K (Tokai-to-Kamioka) experiment is a long baseline neutrino experiment designed to observe oscillations from mu neutrinos to electron neutrinos. Through 2013, the system showed stable operation, with 230 kW of beam power and $1.2\times{10^{14}}$ protons per bunch, the highest intensity in the world. This manuscript describes the data acquisition system used to monitor the high-intensity proton beam that produces the neutrino beam. This paper describes the data acquisition system for the monitoring of the primary proton beam and the secondary muon beam.

SU‐E‐T‐594: Out‐Of‐Field Neutron and Gamma Dose Estimated Using TLD‐600/700 Pairs in the Wobbling Proton Therapy System

Purpose:Secondary fast neutrons and gamma rays are mainly produced due to the interaction of the primary proton beam with the beam delivery nozzle. These secondary radiation dose to patients and radiation workers are unwanted. The purpose of this study is to estimate the neutron and gamma dose equivalent out of the treatment volume during the wobbling proton therapy system.Methods:Two types of thermoluminescent (TL) dosimeters, TLD‐600 (6LiF: Mg, Ti) and TLD‐700 (7LiF: Mg, Ti) were used in this study. They were calibrated in the standard neutron and gamma sources at National Standards Laboratory. Annealing procedure is 400°C for 1 hour, 100°C for 2 hours and spontaneously cooling down to the room temperature in a programmable oven. Two‐peak method (a kind of glow curve analysis technique) was used to evaluate the TL response corresponding to the neutron and gamma dose. The TLD pairs were placed outside the treatment field at the neutron‐gamma mixed field with 190‐MeV proton beam produced by the wobbling system through the polyethylene plate phantom. The results of TLD measurement were compared to the Monte Carlo simulation.Results:The initial experiment results of calculated dose equivalents are 0.63, 0.38, 0.21 and 0.13 mSv per Gy outside the field at the distance of 50, 100, 150 and 200 cm.Conclusion:The TLD‐600 and TLD‐700 pairs are convenient to estimate neutron and gamma dosimetry during proton therapy. However, an accurate and suitable glow curve analysis technique is necessary. During the wobbling system proton therapy, our results showed that the neutron and gamma doses outside the treatment field are noticeable.This study was supported by the grants from the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (CMRPD1C0682).

Heavy ion linac as a high current proton beam injector

A significant part of the experimental program at Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) is dedicated to pbar physics requiring a high number of cooled pbars per hour. The primary proton beam has to be provided by a 70 MeV proton linac followed by two synchrotrons. The new FAIR proton linac will deliver a pulsed proton beam of up to 35 mA of $36\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{s}$ duration at a repetition rate of 4 Hz (maximum). The GSI heavy ion linac (UNILAC) is able to deliver world record uranium beam intensities for injection into the synchrotrons, but it is not suitable for FAIR relevant proton beam operation. In an advanced machine investigation program it could be shown that the UNILAC is able to provide for sufficient high intensities of ${\mathrm{CH}}_{3}$ beam, cracked (and stripped) in a supersonic nitrogen gas jet into protons and carbon ions. This advanced operational approach will result in up to 3 mA of proton intensity at a maximum beam energy of 20 MeV, $100\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{s}$ pulse duration and a repetition rate of up to 2.7 Hz delivered to the synchrotron SIS18. Recent linac beam measurements will be presented, showing that the UNILAC is able to serve as a proton FAIR injector for the first time, while the performance is limited to 25% of the FAIR requirements.

On the use of CR-39 PNTD with AFM analysis in measuring proton-induced target fragmentation particles

In addition to energy loss by ionization process, protons of energy >∼50MeV, such as those used in proton radiotherapy, can undergo nuclear interactions with nuclei of Z>1, resulting in the production of short range (<20μm), high-LET (linear energy transfer) target fragment particles. One of the few methods to detect these short-range particles is by means of CR-39 plastic nuclear track detector (PNTD) analyzed with an atomic force microscope (AFM). However, due to the LET-dependent angular sensitivity of CR-39 PNTD, multiple detectors exposed at a range of incident angles to the primary proton beam, must be analyzed in order to accurately determine the LET spectrum, absorbed dose and dose equivalent. The LET spectrum of 160MeV proton-induced secondary particles was experimentally measured with CR-39 PNTDs, which were exposed at six different incident angles to take into account the intrinsic sensitivity of the critical angle for track registration. The irradiated detectors were chemically processed to remove a 1μm thick volume of CR-39 PNTD. The measured LET range of short range tracks was from 15keV/μm up to 1.5MeV/μm. The absorbed dose contribution (Ds/Dp) from secondary particles to primary proton dose was ∼1%, while the dose equivalent contribution (Hs/Dp) was found to be ∼20%. Analysis of CR-39 PNTD by AFM yielded ∼60% higher value for absorbed dose compared to standard optical microscopy analysis.

Nuclear Structure Studies with Stable and Radioactive Beams: The SPES radioactive ion beam project

A new Radioactive Ion Beam (RIB) facility (SPES) is presently under construction at the Legnaro National Laboratories of INFN. The SPES facility is based on the ISOL method using an UCx Direct Target able to sustain a power of 10 kW. The primary proton beam is provided by a high current Cyclotron accelerator with energy of 35-70 MeV and a beam current of 0.2-0.5 mA. Neutron-rich radioactive ions are produced by proton induced fission on an Uranium target at an expected fission rate of the order of 1013 fissions per second. After ionization and selection the exotic isotopes are re-accelerated by the ALPI superconducting LINAC at energies of 10A MeV for masses in the region A=130 amu. The expected secondary beam rates are of the order of 107 – 109 pps. Aim of the SPES facility is to deliver high intensity radioactive ion beams of neutron rich nuclei for nuclear physics research as well as to be an interdisciplinary research centre for radio-isotopes production for medicine and for neutron beams.

The SPES Radioactive Ion Beam facility of INFN

A new Radioactive Ion Beam (RIB) facility (SPES) is presently under construction at the Legnaro National Laboratories of INFN. The SPES facility is based on the ISOL method using an UCx Direct Target able to sustain a power of 10 kW. The primary proton beam is provided by a high current Cyclotron accelerator with energy of 40 MeV and a beam current of 0.2-0.5 mA. Neutron-rich radioactive ions are produced by proton induced fission at an expected fission rate of the order of 1013 fissions per second. After ionization and selection the exotic isotopes are re-accelerated by the ALPI superconducting LINAC at energies of 10A MeV for masses in the region A=130 amu. The expected secondary beam rates are of the order of 107 – 109 pps. Aim of the SPES facility is to deliver high intensity radioactive ion beams of neutron rich nuclei for nuclear physics research as well as to be an interdisciplinary research center for radio-isotopes production for medicine and for neutron beams.

In situ radiation test of silicon and diamond detectors operating in superfluid helium and developed for beam loss monitoring

As a result of the foreseen increase in the luminosity of the Large Hadron Collider, the discrimination between the collision products and possible magnet quench-provoking beam losses of the primary proton beams is becoming more critical for safe accelerator operation. We report the results of ongoing research efforts targeting the upgrading of the monitoring system by exploiting Beam Loss Monitor detectors based on semiconductors located as close as possible to the superconducting coils of the triplet magnets. In practice, this means that the detectors will have to be immersed in superfluid helium inside the cold mass and operate at 1.9K. Additionally, the monitoring system is expected to survive 20 years of LHC operation, resulting in an estimated radiation fluence of 1×1016 proton/cm2, which corresponds to a dose of about 2MGy. In this study, we monitored the signal degradation during the in situ irradiation when silicon and single-crystal diamond detectors were situated in the liquid/superfluid helium and the dependences of the collected charge on fluence and bias voltage were obtained. It is shown that diamond and silicon detectors can operate at 1.9K after 1×1016p/cm2 irradiation required for application as BLMs, while the rate of the signal degradation was larger in silicon detectors than in the diamond ones. For Si detectors this rate was controlled mainly by the operational mode, being larger at forward bias voltage.

Indirectly water-cooled production target at J-PARC hadron facility

After the radioactive material leak accident at the J-PARC hadron experimental facility on May 23, 2013, we designed a new production target, which is capable of a primary proton beam with the energy of 30 GeV and power of 50 kW. It is made of gold and cooled by water through a copper block. For the countermeasures of the recurrence of the accident, the target is enclosed by an airtight chamber and helium gas is circulated to monitor the target soundness. In this paper, technical details of the new target design are presented.

The SPES project of INFN: Facility and detectors

The SPES Radioactive Ion Beam facility at INFN-LNL is presently in the construction phase. The facility is based on the Isol (Isotope separation on-line) method with an UCx Direct Target able to sustain a power of 10 kW. The primary proton beam is provided by a high current Cyclotron accelerator with energy of 35-70 MeV and a beam current of 0.2-0.5 mA. Neutron-rich radioactive ions are produced by proton induced Uranium fission at an expected fission rate of the order of 1013 fissions per second. After ionization and selection the exotic isotopes are re-accelerated by the ALPI superconducting Linac at energies of 10A MeV for masses in the region A = 130 amu. The expected secondary beam rates are of the order of 107 - 109 pps. Aim of the SPES project is to provide a facility for high intensity radioactive ion beams for nuclear physics research as well as to develop an interdisciplinary research center based on the cyclotron proton beam.

Development of Manual Multi-Leaf Collimator for Proton Therapy in National Cancer Center

Multi-leaf collimator (MLC) systems are frequently used to deliver photon-based radiation, and allow conformal shaping of treatment beams. Many proton beam centers currently make use of aperture and snout systems, which involve use of a snout to shape and focus the proton beam, a brass aperture to modify field shape, and an acrylic compensator to modulate depth. However, it needs a lot of time and cost of preparing treatment, therefore, we developed the manual MLC for solving this problem. This study was carried out with the intent of designing an MLC system as an alternative to an aperture block system. Radio-activation and dose due to primary proton beam leakage and the presence of secondary neutrons were taken into account during these iterations. Analytical calculations were used to study the effects of leaf material on activation. We have fabricated tray model for adoption with a wobbling snout (30×40 cm2) system which used uniform scanning beam. We designed the manual MLC and tray and can reduce the cost and time for treatment. After leakage test of new tray, we upgrade the tray with brass and made the safety tool. First, we have tested the radio-activation with usually brass and new brass for new manual MLC. It shows similar behavior and decay trend. In addition, we have measured the leakage test of a gantry with new tray and MLC tray, while we exposed the high energy with full modulation process on film dosimetry. The radiation leakage is less than 1%. From these results, we have developed the design of the tray and upgrade for safety. Through the radio-activation behavior, we figure out the proton beam leakage level of safety, where there detects the secondary particle, including neutron. After developing new design of the tray, it will be able to reduce the time and cost of proton treatment. Finally, we have applied in clinic test with original brass aperture and manual MLC and calculated the gamma index, 99.74% between them.

The physics of Cerenkov light production during proton therapy

There is increasing interest in using Cerenkov emissions for quality assurance and in vivo dosimetry in photon and electron therapy. Here, we investigate the production of Cerenkov light during proton therapy and its potential applications in proton therapy. A primary proton beam does not have sufficient energy to generate Cerenkov emissions directly, but we have demonstrated two mechanisms by which such emissions may occur indirectly: (1) a fast component from fast electrons liberated by prompt gamma (99.13%) and neutron (0.87%) emission; and (2) a slow component from the decay of radioactive positron emitters. The fast component is linear with dose and doserate but carries little spatial information; the slow component is non-linear but may be localised.The properties of the two types of emission are explored using Monte Carlo modelling in GEANT4 with some experimental verification. We propose that Cerenkov emissions could contribute to the visual sensation reported by some patients undergoing proton therapy of the eye and we discuss the feasibility of some potential applications of Cerenkov imaging in proton therapy.

Verification of the use of GEANT4 and MCNPX Monte Carlo Codes for Calculations of the Depth-Dose Distributions in Water for the Proton Therapy of Eye Tumours

Abstract Verification of calculations of the depth-dose distributions in water, using GEANT4 (version of 4.9.3) and MCNPX (version of 2.7.0) Monte Carlo codes, was performed for the scatterer-phantom system used in the dosimetry measurements in the proton therapy of eye tumours. The simulated primary proton beam had the energy spectra distributed according to the Gauss distribution with the cut at energy greater than that related to the maximum of the spectrum. The energy spectra of the primary protons were chosen to get the possibly best agreement between the measured relative depth-dose distributions along the central-axis of the proton beam in a water phantom and that derived from the Monte Carlo calculations separately for the both tested codes. The local depth-dose differences between results from the calculations and the measurements were mostly less than 5% (the mean value of 2.1% and 3.6% for the MCNPX and GEANT4 calculations). In the case of the MCNPX calculations, the best fit to the experimental data was obtained for the spectrum with maximum at 60.8 MeV (more probable energy), FWHM of the spectrum of 0.4 MeV and the energy cut at 60.85 MeV whereas in the GEANT4 calculations more probable energy was 60.5 MeV, FWHM of 0.5 MeV, the energy cut at 60.7 MeV. Thus, one can say that the results obtained by means of the both considered Monte Carlo codes are similar but they are not the same. Therefore the agreement between the calculations and the measurements has to be verified before each application of the MCNPX and GEANT4 codes for the determination of the depth-dose curves for the therapeutic protons.

The SPES radioactive ion beam project of INFN

The SPES Radioactive Ion Beam facility at INFN-LNL is presently in the construction phase. The facility is based on the Isol (Isotope separation on-line) method with an UCx Direct Target able to sustain a power of 10 kW. The primary proton beam is provided by a high current Cyclotron accelerator with energy of 35-70 MeV and a beam current of 0.20.5 mA. Neutron-rich radioactive ions are produced by proton induced Uranium fission at an expected fission rate of the order of 1013 fissions per second. After ionization and selection the exotic isotopes are re-accelerated by the ALPI superconducting Linac at energies of 10A MeV for masses in the region A = 130 amu. The expected secondary beam rates are of the order of 107 – 109 pps. Aim of the SPES project is to provide a facility for high intensity radioactive ion beams for nuclear physics research as well as to develop an interdisciplinary research center based on the cyclotron proton beam.

Measurements of Cross Sections for Neutron-induced Reactions on Chromium and Yttrium Targets at 197 MeV

Reaction cross sections for Cr and Y induced by neutrons at 197 MeV were measured by using 7Li(p,n) reaction at N0 beam line in the Research Center for Nuclear Physics (RCNP), Osaka University. To estimate quasi-monoenergetic neutron cross sections, Cr and Y samples were irradiated on the two angles of 0∘ and 25∘ relative to the axis of the primary proton beam. The measured cross section data in the natCr(n,x) and 89Y(n,x) reactions are compared to the JENDL high-energy file and the literature proton values, respectively. The results obtained are also compared to the cross section data for the same target materials with 287 and 386 MeV neutrons in our previous work.