Objective: In this study we introduce Spatiotemporal Emission Reconstruction Prompt Gamma Timing (SER-PGT), a new method to directly reconstruct the prompt photon emission in the space and time domains inside the patient in proton therapy. Approach: SER-PGT is based on the numerical optimisation of a multidimensional Likelihood function, followed by a post-processing of the results. The current approach relies on a specific implementation of the Maximum-Likelihood Expectation Maximisation algorithm. The robustness of the method is guaranteed by the complete absence of any information about the target composition in the algorithm. Main Results: Accurate Monte Carlo simulations indicate a range resolution of about 0.5 cm (standard deviation) when considering 107 primary protons impinging on an homogeneous phantom. Preliminary results on an anthropomorphic phantom are also reported. Significance: By showing the feasibility for the reconstruction of the primary particle range using PET detectors, this study provides significant basis for the development of an hybrid in-beam PET and prompt photon device.
A new photonuclear thermal neutron facility has been developed at the Physics Department of University of Torino. The facility is based on a medical electron LINAC coupled to a compact converter and moderator assembly. A homogenous thermal neutron field of the order of 10 6 cm −2 s −1 is achievable in the enclosed irradiation cavity with low gamma and fast neutron contaminations. Its intensity can be tuned varying the LINAC current. These characteristics make the source appropriate for several applications like detectors development, material studies and BNCT preclinical research. This work describes the project and the experimental characterization of the facility. This includes the measurement of the thermal neutron fluence rate, the determination of the neutron energy spectrum and of the thermal neutron field uniformity and the evaluation of the gamma contamination.
The HOmogeneous Thermal NEutron Source (HOTNES) is a new type of thermal neutron irradiation assembly developed by the ENEA-INFN collaboration.The facility is fully characterized in terms of neutron field and dosimetric quantities, by either computational and experimental methods. This paper reports the results of the first "HOTNES users program", carried out in 2016, and covering a variety of thermal neutron active detectors such as scintillators, solid-state, single crystal diamond and gaseous detectors.
This paper presents the first determination of the spatial
resolution of the ANET Compact Neutron Collimator, obtained with a
measuring campaign at the LENA Mark-II TRIGA reactor in Pavia. This
novel collimator consists of a sequence of collimating and absorbing
channels organised in a chessboard-like geometry. It has a scalable
structure both in length and in the field of view. It is
characterized by an elevated collimation power within a limited
length. Its scalability and compactness are added values with
respect to traditional collimating system. The prototype tested in
this article is composed of 4 concatenated stages, each 100 mm
long, with a channel width of 2.5 mm, delivering a nominal L/D
factor of 160. This measuring campaign illustrates the use of the
ANET collimator and its potential application in neutron imaging for
facilities with small or medium size neutron sources.
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