Scientific and technological applications of proton therapy beams

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




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



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.




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




200 MeV proton beam

CASSINI Mission




Direct correlation between malfunctions & proton dose




Solar Cells Damage



GaAs Solar Cells are more resistant to radiation





Aluminium mirrorsHubble

Irradiation time

Reflectivity damageIn visible and near-IR



Space radiation may cause prolonged cellular damage to astronauts


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.




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



SPO used in optical memory storage, optical switching, and displays

Effects of Proton Beam Irradiation on Spirophenanthrooxazine



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


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


Particle Induced X-ray Emission

HMI-Berlin



Proton Induced Gamma-ray Emission





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.




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




In addition to its high sensitivity, PIGE has the ability to determine simultaneously a number of low Z elements in health related environmental samples.




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.




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.



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.


Earth and Planetary Sciences

Zircon – ZrSiO4


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.



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


TRUMF Vancouver


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.



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Scientific and technological applications of proton therapy beams