Nuclear Particle Astrophysics (NPA) Seminar, Stephen Avery, University of PA Medical School, “Topics in Medical Physics: Proton beam characterization through acoustic measurements”

Thursday Nov 12, 2015, 3:45 PM → 4:45 PM US/Eastern

WLC 108

Protons traversing through water generate observable acoustic pressure waves.  Numerical simulations computed with varying proton beam spill time, beam diameter, and Bragg peak width reveal the information content and functional form of the propagating acoustic signal.  The pressure signal consists of two sets of peaks, labeled α and γ, which are generated by the pre-Bragg peak and Bragg peak portions of the characteristic proton beam energy deposition spatial profile.  The arrival time of the α peaks at a transducer reveals the distance from the beam propagation axis.  The arrival time of the γ peaks depends on the distance from the Bragg peak.  The temporal width of the α and γ peaks are linearly proportional to the beam diameter and Bragg peak width, respectively.  The temporal separation between compression and rarefaction peaks is proportional to the spill time width.  The pressure wave expected from a spread out Bragg peak dose is characterized.  Based on our preliminary results, acoustic monitoring can verify the proton beam dose distribution and range by characterizing the Bragg peak position to within ~1 mm.

Sponsored By: 

The Flint Fund, Yale Physics, and Yale Wright Lab

Host: 

keith.baker@yale.edu

Thursday, November 12, 2015 - 3:45pm

Avery_NPA_Seminar_11122015.pdf