Scientific and technological applications of proton therapy beams Daniel Errandonea ICMUV, Fund. Gen. Univ. Valencia IFIMED’09 Symposium, 10-11 June 2009, Valencia
Dec 31, 2015
Scientific and technological
applications of proton therapy beams
Daniel Errandonea
ICMUV, Fund. Gen. Univ. Valencia
IFIMED’09 Symposium, 10-11 June 2009, Valencia
Radiation effects research programme
Materials testing
Environmental studies
Geophysical studies
Biological effects of radiation
Archeometric applications
Testing detectors and components for HEP physics
Basic Research
Scientific and technological applications
IFIMED’09 Symposium, 10-11 June 2009, Valencia
Scientific and technological applications
IFIMED’09 Symposium, 10-11 June 2009, Valencia
Space Radiation Effects on Materials
Radiation hardiness is a critical
issue for materials used in long-
duration space flight.
Proton beams allows the developer of space materials
to simulate radiation damages to structural, shielding,
and electronic materials
Scientific and technological applications
IFIMED’09 Symposium, 10-11 June 2009, Valencia
Proton environment in space detrimental effect on semiconductor components & other materials used in spacecraft.
The ability to simulate this environment on earth enables to take this hazard into consideration in the design stage.
Space Radiation Effects
Main sources of energetic particles concerning to spacecraft designers:
1) protons and electrons trapped in the Van Allen belts,2) cosmic ray protons and heavy ions, and4) protons and heavy ions from solar flares.
Scientific and technological applications
Space Radiation Effects
IFIMED’09 Symposium, 10-11 June 2009, Valencia
Single Event Effects: occur randomly at low irradiation levels, software or hardware, permanent or not
Radiation effects:• Total Ionization Dose (protons, electrons)• Single Event Effects (heavy ions, protons, neutrons)
Single Event Upset
102-103 MeV
Cosmic rays interactions cause malfunctioning of
electronic components in space missions and at
earthCosmic Rays
Cosmic rays arriving:• 89% protons• 10% 4He• 1% others
Solar cycle variation
Scientific and technological applications
Space Radiation Effects
IFIMED’09 Symposium, 10-11 June 2009, Valencia
200 MeV proton beam
CASSINI Mission
Scientific and technological applications
Space Radiation Effects
IFIMED’09 Symposium, 10-11 June 2009, Valencia
Direct correlation between malfunctions & proton dose
Scientific and technological applications
Space Radiation Effects
IFIMED’09 Symposium, 10-11 June 2009, Valencia
Solar Cells Damage
Scientific and technological applications
Space Radiation Effects
GaAs Solar Cells are more resistant to radiation
IFIMED’09 Symposium, 10-11 June 2009, Valencia
Space Radiation Effects
Scientific and technological applications
IFIMED’09 Symposium, 10-11 June 2009, Valencia
Aluminium mirrorsHubble
Irradiation time
Reflectivity damageIn visible and near-IR
Scientific and technological applications
IFIMED’09 Symposium, 10-11 June 2009, Valencia
Space radiation may cause prolonged cellular damage to astronauts
Space Radiation Effects
High-energy radiation found in space may lead to premature aging and prolonged oxidative stress in cells.
Experiments suggest that astronauts may be at increased risk of colon cancer due to exposure to found in space.Current risk estimates for radiation exposure rely exclusively on the cumulative dose a person receives in his lifetime.
BNL scientists measured the level of free radicals present & the expression of stress response genes in the cells of mice exposed to proton radiation. They concluded that the cellular environment of the gastrointestinal tract was highly oxidative.
Scientific and technological applications
Space Radiation Effects
IFIMED’09 Symposium, 10-11 June 2009, Valencia
BNL NASA Space Radiation Laboratory beamline
Protons produced a spectrum of cellular damage very similar to the pattern caused by high-energy iron ions and other heavy charged particles.
Proton Dangers To Astronauts Underestimated
NASA is extending the research to human cells irradiated with 200 MeV proton beams.
Effects of Proton Beam Irradiation on Spirophenanthrooxazine
Scientific and technological applications
IFIMED’09 Symposium, 10-11 June 2009, Valencia
SPO used in optical memory storage, optical switching, and displays
Effects of Proton Beam Irradiation on Spirophenanthrooxazine
Scientific and technological applications
IFIMED’09 Symposium, 10-11 June 2009, Valencia
Under the proton-beam irradiation, SPO decomposes into two main products.
Proton interactions with matter When protons traverse matter:• they loose energy through collisions with atomic electrons• they change slightly direction trough nuclear elastic scattering• they “disappear” through nuclear reactions and create new nuclei
Coulomb Multiple Scattering
208Pb
56Fe
EL
EL
R
R
Range 5.8 cm
42.3 cm
230
MeV
800
MeV
IFIMED’09 Symposium, 10-11 June 2009, Valencia
Scientific and technological applicationsProton transmission radiography
Range 5.8 cm42.3 cm
230
MeV
800
MeV
X-Rays
800MeV-p
Airplane Diesel engine
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Proton transmission radiography
Can be applied also at 200 MeV
IFIMED’09 Symposium, 10-11 June 2009, Valencia
Particle Induced X-ray Emission
HMI-Berlin
Scientific and technological applications
IFIMED’09 Symposium, 10-11 June 2009, Valencia
Proton Induced Gamma-ray Emission
Scientific and technological applications
IFIMED’09 Symposium, 10-11 June 2009, Valencia
Scientific and technological applications
IFIMED’09 Symposium, 10-11 June 2009, Valencia
Here is a view of the proton beam emerging into the air in the target room. The blue light is from the interaction of the proton beam with the atoms and molecules in the air.
This allows to examine materials which could not be explored in vacuum, as would be required with some other ion beam analysis techniques.
Proton Induced Gamma-ray Emission
Scientific and technological applications
IFIMED’09 Symposium, 10-11 June 2009, Valencia
Concentrations of low-Z elements (Li, Be, B, F, Na, Mg and Al).
The degree of fluorine enrichment in Antarctic meteorites provides a quantitative measure for terrestrial contamination
Proton Induced Gamma-ray Emission
Scientific and technological applications
IFIMED’09 Symposium, 10-11 June 2009, Valencia
In addition to its high sensitivity, PIGE has the ability to determine simultaneously a number of low Z elements in health related environmental samples.
Proton Induced Gamma-ray Emission
Scientific and technological applications
IFIMED’09 Symposium, 10-11 June 2009, Valencia
Percentage of Ca and P in teeth from children with and without cystic fibrosis. Different variables: gender, age, type of teeth, fluoridation of water supply, term of pregnancy, maternal smoking & drinking habits.
Proton-induced gamma emission on tooth-crown samples.
Less Ca in the teeth of the population of cystic fibrosis + nontetracycline antibiotics than in that of noncystic fibrosis for the total tooth population.
Both Ca and P in teeth of NCF population living in fluoridated areas > than in those living in nonfluoridated area.
Ca is depleted in the teeth of CF + NT children whose mothers smoke and P is depleted in the teeth of NCF children whose mothers drink.
Proton Induced Gamma-ray Emission
Scientific and technological applications
IFIMED’09 Symposium, 10-11 June 2009, Valencia
Carbon can be determined in steel from 4439 keV -rays resulted from the reaction 12C (p, p’) 12C
The excellent peak to background ratio and the small number of peaks in the 3-4 MeV energy range lead to a good sensitivity.
Scientific and technological applications
IFIMED’09 Symposium, 10-11 June 2009, Valencia
Earth and Planetary Sciences
A very abundant mineral in rocks and meteorites
A conventional thermometer and barometer
Zircon – ZrSiO4
It is very stable, but structural changes are induced by P-T
Commonly used for nuclear waste storage.
Why don’t the effects of proton radiation on early ages of earth or during meteorite travel.
Scientific and technological applications
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Zircon – ZrSiO4
IFIMED’09 Symposium, 10-11 June 2009, Valencia
The combination of pressure and proton beams triggers drastic structural changes not caused by applied pressure or protons alone. The modifications comprise decomposition into nanocrystals and nucleation of the HP phase reidite.
Scientific and technological applications
IFIMED’09 Symposium, 10-11 June 2009, Valencia
Test the overall performance of detectors and detector components
Mineral oil used as a neutrino
detector medium at MiniBooNE
neutrino experiment at Fermilab
(800 tonnes) tested at the proton
beam of the The Indiana University
Cyclotron Facility (200 Mev).
Charged particles in the mineral oil predominantly produce Cerenkov light. However, a small amount of scintillation light is also produced.
A small prototype of a liquid scintillation imaging detector was illuminated with protons below the threshold for Cerenkov light production (Tth = 341 MeV).
Scintillation light from the oil was characterized
PSI Zurich
Facilities worldwide
IUCF Bloomington
Facilities worldwide
TRUMF Vancouver
Facilities worldwide
Conclusions:
A proton beam as a tool to analyze materials. Applications are probably only limited by our imagination.
Several examples presented. From space radiation effects in semiconductors to environmental studies.
Interdisciplinary research efforts can be built, with space research, archaeology, anthropology, geo-sciences, materials science, medicine, etc…
An applied proton beam could also provide analysis servicesto outside entities and be also a teaching tool.
Scientific and technological applications
IFIMED’09 Symposium, 10-11 June 2009, Valencia