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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 1,171 records · Page 65
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

TH-EF-BRA-11: Feasibility of Super-Resolution Time-Resolved 4DMRI for Multi-Breath Volumetric Motion Simulation in Radiotherapy Planning

Purpose: To develop a novel super-resolution time-resolved 4DMRI technique to evaluate multi-breath, irregular and complex organ motion without respiratory surrogate for radiotherapy planning. Methods: The super-resolution time-resolved (TR) 4DMRI approach combines a series of low-resolution 3D cine MRI images acquired during free breathing (FB) with a high-resolution breath-hold (BH) 3DMRI via deformable image registration (DIR). Five volunteers participated in the study under an IRB-approved protocol. The 3D cine images with voxel size of 5×5×5 mm{sup 3} at two volumes per second (2Hz) were acquired coronally using a T1 fast field echo sequence, half-scan (0.8) acceleration, and SENSE (3) parallel imaging. Phase-encoding was set in the lateral direction to minimize motion artifacts. The BH image with voxel size of 2×2×2 mm{sup 3} was acquired using the same sequence within 10 seconds. A demons-based DIR program was employed to produce super-resolution 2Hz 4DMRI. Registration quality was visually assessed using difference images between TR 4DMRI and 3D cine and quantitatively assessed using average voxel correlation. The fidelity of the 3D cine images was assessed using a gel phantom and a 1D motion platform by comparing mobile and static images. Results: Owing to voxel intensity similarity using the same MRI scanning sequence, accurate DIR between FB and BH images is achieved. The voxel correlations between 3D cine and TR 4DMRI are greater than 0.92 in all cases and the difference images illustrate minimal residual error with little systematic patterns. The 3D cine images of the mobile gel phantom preserve object geometry with minimal scanning artifacts. Conclusion: The super-resolution time-resolved 4DMRI technique has been achieved via DIR, providing a potential solution for multi-breath motion assessment. Accurate DIR mapping has been achieved to map high-resolution BH images to low-resolution FB images, producing 2Hz volumetric high-resolution 4DMRI. Further validation and improvement are still required prior to clinical applications. This study is in part supported by the NIH (U54CA137788/U54CA132378).

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2012

Sensitive and Specific Peak Detection for SELDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry Using a Wavelet/Neural-Network Based Approach

SELDI-TOF mass spectrometer’s compact size and automated, high throughput design have been attractive to clinical researchers, and the platform has seen steady-use in biomarker studies. Despite new algorithms and preprocessing pipelines that have been developed to address reproducibility issues, visual inspection of the results of SELDI spectra preprocessing by the best algorithms still shows miscalled peaks and systematic sources of error. This suggests that there continues to be problems with SELDI preprocessing. In this work, we study the preprocessing of SELDI in detail and introduce improvements. While many algorithms, including the vendor supplied software, can identify peak clusters of specific mass (or m/z) in groups of spectra with high specificity and low false discover rate (FDR), the algorithms tend to underperform estimating the exact prevalence and intensity of peaks in those clusters. Thus group differences that at first appear very strong are shown, after careful and laborious hand inspection of the spectra, to be less than significant. Here we introduce a wavelet/neural network based algorithm which mimics what a team of expert, human users would call for peaks in each of several hundred spectra in a typical SELDI clinical study. The wavelet denoising part of the algorithm optimally smoothes the signal in each spectrum according to an improved suite of signal processing algorithms previously reported (the LibSELDI toolbox under development). The neural network part of the algorithm combines those results with the raw signal and a training dataset of expertly called peaks, to call peaks in a test set of spectra with approximately 95% accuracy. The new method was applied to data collected from a study of cervical mucus for the early detection of cervical cancer in HPV infected women. The method shows promise in addressing the ongoing SELDI reproducibility issues.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

The strong coupling from $e^+e^-\to$~hadrons

We use a new compilation of the hadronic R R -ratio from available data for the process e^+e^-\to e + e − → hadrons below the charm mass to determine the strong coupling \alpha_s α s , using finite-energy sum rules. Quoting our results at the \tau τ mass to facilitate comparison to the results obtained from similar analyses of hadronic \tau τ -decay data, we find \alpha_s(m_\tau^2)=0.298\pm 0.016\pm 0.006 α s ( m τ 2 ) = 0.298 ± 0.016 ± 0.006 in fixed-order perturbation theory, and \alpha_s(m_\tau^2)=0.304\pm 0.018\pm 0.006 α s ( m τ 2 ) = 0.304 ± 0.018 ± 0.006 in contour-improved perturbation theory, where the first error is statistical, and the second error combines various systematic effects. These values are in good agreement with a recent determination from the OPAL and ALEPH data for hadronic \tau τ decays. We briefly compare the R(s) R ( s ) -based analysis with the \tau τ -based analysis.

Boito, Diogo↗
DOE OSTI2015

Muon Antineutrino Disappearance in the MINOS Experiment

Antineutrinos from the set of 7.09$\times 10^{20}$ Protons-on-target (POT) of $\nu_\mu\textrm{-dominant}$ and 3.40$\times 10^{20}$ POT of $\bar\nu_\mu\textrm{-enhanced}$ MINOS beam data is analysed to extract the antineutrino atmospheric-scale oscillation parameters $\left|\Delta\bar m^2\right|$ and $\sin^2\left(2\bar\theta\right)$. Using the Feldman-Cousins statistical technique to account for systematic and statistical errors, $\left|\Delta\bar m^2\right|=2.58^{+0.26}_{-0.17} \times 10^{-3}~\textrm{eV}^2$ and $\sin^2\left(2\bar\theta\right)=0.96^{+0.04}_{-0.10}$ were measured. This measurement of $\left|\Delta\bar m^2\right|$ improves on the previous world limits from Super-K by a factor of five. Any observed difference between the neutrino and antineutrino oscillation parameters could be an indication of CPT violation, or otherwise physics beyond the standard model. This measurement is consistent with the global limits on $\left|\Delta m^2\right|$ and $\sin^2\left(2\theta\right)$ for neutrinos.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2017

CPHASE gate with Rydberg atoms (CPHAR)

We demonstrate a controlled phase gate approach to entangling neutral atoms using a tunable, Rydberg-dressed interaction. Previous approaches utilize a “dipole blockade” or a “spin-flip blockade” and thereby lack arbitrary phase control, and are less extensible to simultaneous entangling operations in many-atom systems. We systematically study major error mechanisms that limit the fidelity of the entangling interaction and find the dominant error mechanism to be phase noise in the coherent control of the single spins. Our work charts a definitive path to high fidelity entanglement using Rydberg-state-mediated interactions in neutral atoms.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Probabilistic Assembly of a Ball Screw

The assembly of ball screws is considered theoretically and experimentally in the case where the screw and nut are combined with an optimal combination of systematic and random errors in the screw pitch (optimal pitch error ratio).

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2017

The Physical Nature of Subdwarf A Stars: White Dwarf Impostors

We address the physical nature of subdwarf A-type (sdA) stars and their possible link to extremely low mass (ELM) white dwarfs (WDs). The two classes of objects are confused in low-resolution spectroscopy. However, colors and proper motions indicate that sdA stars are cooler and more luminous, and thus larger in radius, than published ELM WDs. We demonstrate that surface gravities derived from pure hydrogen models suffer a systematic ∼1 dex error for sdA stars, likely explained by metal line blanketing below 9000 K. A detailed study of five eclipsing binaries with radial velocity orbital solutions and infrared excess establishes that these sdA stars are metal-poor ≃1.2 M {sub ⊙} main sequence stars with ≃0.8 M {sub ⊙} companions. While WDs must exist at sdA temperatures, only ∼1% of a magnitude-limited sdA sample should be ELM WDs. We conclude that the majority of sdA stars are metal-poor A–F type stars in the halo, and that recently discovered pulsating ELM WD-like stars with no obvious radial velocity variations may be SX Phe variables, not pulsating WDs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Weak-lensing Power Spectrum Reconstruction by Counting Galaxies. I. The ABS Method

We propose an analytical method of blind separation (ABS) of cosmic magnification from the intrinsic fluctuations of galaxy number density in the observed galaxy number density distribution. The ABS method utilizes the different dependences of the signal (cosmic magnification) and contamination (galaxy intrinsic clustering) on galaxy flux to separate the two. It works directly on the measured cross-galaxy angular power spectra between different flux bins. It determines/reconstructs the lensing power spectrum analytically, without assumptions of galaxy intrinsic clustering and cosmology. It is unbiased in the limit of an infinite number of galaxies. In reality, the lensing reconstruction accuracy depends on survey configurations, galaxy biases, and other complexities due to a finite number of galaxies and the resulting shot noise fluctuations in the cross-galaxy power spectra. We estimate its performance (systematic and statistical errors) in various cases. We find that stage IV dark energy surveys such as Square Kilometre Array and Large Synoptic Survey Telescope are capable of reconstructing the lensing power spectrum at z≃1 and ℓ≲5000 accurately. This lensing reconstruction only requires counting galaxies and is therefore highly complementary to cosmic shear measurement by the same surveys.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

RedMaPPer: Evolution and Mass Dependence of the Conditional Luminosity Functions of Red Galaxies in Galaxy Clusters

In this work we characterize the luminosity distribution, halo-mass dependence, and redshift evolution of red galaxies in galaxy clusters using the SDSS Data Release 8 redMaPPer cluster sample. We propose a simple prescription for the relationship between the luminosity of both red central and red satellite galaxies and the mass of their host halos, and show that this model is well fit by the data. Using a larger galaxy cluster sample than previously employed in the literature, we find that the luminosities of red central galaxies scale as $\langle \mathrm{log}L\rangle \propto {A}_{L}\mathrm{log}({M}_{200b})$, with A L = 0.39 ± 0.04, and that the scatter of the red central galaxy luminosity at fixed M 200b (${\sigma }_{\mathrm{log}L| M}$) is ${0.23}_{-0.04}^{+0.05}$ dex, with the error bar including systematics due to mis-centering of the cluster finder, photometry, and photometric redshift estimation. Our data prefers a positive correlation between the luminosity of red central galaxies and the observed richness of clusters at a fixed halo mass, with an effective correlation coefficient ${d}_{\mathrm{eff}}={0.36}_{-0.16}^{+0.17}$. The characteristic luminosity of red satellites becomes dimmer from z = 0.3 to z = 0.1 by ~20% after accounting for passive evolution. We estimate the fraction of galaxy clusters where the brightest red galaxy is not the central to be P BNC ~ 20%. We discuss implications of these findings in the context of galaxy evolution and the galaxy–halo connection.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Essay: Bob Siemann-SLC Days at SLAC

Bob Siemann was a great experimentalist and an excellent teacher.We will greatly miss him. Bob came to SLAC in early 1991 to work on the Stanford Linear Collider (SLC). The SLC was a challenging accelerator which began operating in the late 1980's but still had numerous obstacles to be overcome years into operation. One of the compounding difficulties was making reproducible measurements, since the stability of the collider was poor and the diagnostics were insufficient. Bob dove into this challenge and helped design experiments and diagnostics that provided further clarity. I first got to know Bob while I was still a graduate student, trying to finish my thesis and performing some experimental studies on the SLC, which, at the time, was proving to be very difficult. Most of my expertise had been in beam theory and simulation. Dealing with the real issues of the accelerator was challenging. Bob helped me understand the difference between systematic and statistical errors, and separate operational issues from the fundamental physics. His way of teaching was not to provide an explanation but to ask enough questions so that I could find the answer on my own - this was the best way to learn. I later asked Bob to be a reader on my thesis. As in all things, he took this role extremely seriously. He read through the draft and marked every page to the point where I was regretting my decision. However, his questions again helped me understand my own work better and greatly improved my thesis. Bob was also the de facto leader of an effort focused on the damping rings and the bunch compressors. He was great to work with. He made people think for themselves and refused to simply provide answers. He also worked hard himself, expressing real interest and curiosity. After the studies of the SLC damping rings identified a sawtooth instability due to the vacuum chamber impedance as a source of many downstream fluctuations, Bob took charge of upgrading the rings. As part of this program, I suggested an extensive upgrade that also replaced the dipoles with combined function magnets which might have reduced the horizontal emittance another factor of 3. Although he was extremely busy, Bob helped me develop the proposal and understand the magnetic limitations as well as the potential impacts on the beam dynamics. He helped me consider issues well beyond my initial scope. While the proposal never went anywhere and I think Bob had been aware that there was no funding to pursue the option, he saw that it would be a great learning experience for me and it was. In the early 1990's I had simulated a new regime for the beam-ion instability and, with Frank Zimmermann, I developed a model for the effect which was predicted to occur within the high current, low emittance bunch trains in future storage rings or linear colliders. I thought this was pretty good work but Bob convinced me that the next step had to be confirming the theory with measurements. Because the growth rate was inversely dependent on beam sizes and proportional to the vacuum pressure, measurements required significantly increasing the vacuum pressure in existing facilities. Most people discounted trying such an experiment, but with Bob's urging and suggestions and John Byrd's excitement, we managed to make the measurements at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) at Berkeley. By the mid-1990's Bob was completely focused on advanced acceleration concepts and I was not interacting with him as often. At the time, SLAC was putting together a large effort in designing and documenting a design for the Next Linear Collider (NLC) while constructing the NLC Test Accelerator. Bob was worried that a straightforward extrapolation of the microwave technology would be difficult to bring to fruition because of the cost. He wanted to focus on more cost-effective approaches that could enable future accelerators for high energy physics. As usual, he was correct. The experimental programs that he started in direct laser acceleration and plasma-wakefield acceleration have made great progress. He accomplished this with lots of hard work and by engaging the people around him, especially students and postdocs. In the process, he created a group of extremely talented people which has enabled these technologies to be developed to the point where it seems likely that they are viable and will offer two cost-effective approaches to high-gradient acceleration.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Extended Forward Sensitivity Analysis for Uncertainty Quantification

This paper presents the extended forward sensitivity analysis as a method to help uncertainty qualification. By including time step and potentially spatial step as special sensitivity parameters, the forward sensitivity method is extended as one method to quantify numerical errors. Note that by integrating local truncation errors over the whole system through the forward sensitivity analysis process, the generated time step and spatial step sensitivity information reflect global numerical errors. The discretization errors can be systematically compared against uncertainties due to other physical parameters. This extension makes the forward sensitivity method a much more powerful tool to help uncertainty qualification. By knowing the relative sensitivity of time and space steps with other interested physical parameters, the simulation is allowed to run at optimized time and space steps without affecting the confidence of the physical parameter sensitivity results. The time and space steps forward sensitivity analysis method can also replace the traditional time step and grid convergence study with much less computational cost. Two well-defined benchmark problems with manufactured solutions are utilized to demonstrate the method.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Development and application of a standardized flow measurement uncertainty analysis framework to various low-head short-converging intake types across the United States federal hydropower fleet

Turbine discharges at low-head short converging intakes are difficult to measure accurately. The proximity of the measurement section to the intake entrance admits large uncertainties related to asymmetry of the velocity profile, swirl, and turbulence. Existing turbine performance codes [10, 24] do not address this special case and published literature is largely silent on rigorous evaluation of uncertainties associated with this measurement context. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Committee investigated the use of Acoustic transit time (ATT), Acoustic scintillation (AS), and Current meter (CM) in a short converging intake at the Kootenay Canal Generating Station in 2009. Based on their findings, a standardized uncertainty analysis (UA) framework for velocity-area method (specifically for CM measurements) is presented in this paper given the fact that CM is still the most fundamental and common type of measurement system. Typical sources of systematic and random errors associated with CM measurements are investigated, and the major sources of uncertainties associated with turbulence and velocity fluctuations, numerical velocity integration technique (bi-cubic spline), and the number and placement of current meters are being considered for an evaluation. Since the velocity measurements in a short converging intake are associated with complex nonlinear and time varying uncertainties (e.g., Reynolds stress in fluid dynamics), simply applying the law of propagation of uncertainty is known to overestimate the measurement variance while the Monte Carlo method does not. Therefore, a pseudo-Monte Carlo simulation method (random flow generation technique [8]) which was initially developed for the purpose of establishing upstream or initial conditions in the Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) and the Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) is used to statistically determine uncertainties associated with turbulence and velocity fluctuations. This technique is then combined with a bi-cubic spline interpolation method which converts point velocities into a continuous velocity distribution over the measurement domain. Subsequently the number and placement of current meters are simulated to investigate the accuracy of the estimated flow rates using the numerical velocity-area integration method outlined in ISO 3354 [12]. The authors herein consider that statistics on generated flow rates processed with bi-cubic interpolation and sensor simulations are the combined uncertainties which already accounted for the effects of all those three uncertainty sources. A preliminary analysis based on the current meter data obtained through an upgrade acceptance test of a single unit located in a mainstem plant has been presented.

Smith, Brennan T↗
DOE OSTI2016

Particle-image Velocimetry Sensitivity through Automatic Differentiation

A commonly encountered difficulty in modern experimental fluid dynamics experiments is the need for full-flow visualization and measurement; traditional techniques such as hot-wire probes and laser Doppler velocimetry cannot provide such information without difficult scanning procedures. Particle-image velocimetry (PIV) is a measurement technique which can overcome this spatial limitation to provide real-time three-dimensional fluid velocity vectors for an entire plane within the flow, as opposed to a single point that is provided by other measurement techniques. To accomplish this, a PIV system seeds the fluid flow with tracer particles; these must have nearly the same density as that of the fluid and a high drag coefficient to ensure that they follow the fluid flow without deviation. A laser is sent through optics to expand its beam into a sheet which illuminates the plane of interest in the fluid. The particles reflect more light than the fluid, and their image is recorded using a high speed camera. Due to limitations in bandwidth, video cannot be taken fast enough to be useful, and instead pairs of images are captured with a known separation in time. The illuminated particles will move between the two images taken by the camera, and their relative motion can be used to compute the fluid velocity at that point. When a single camera is used, only two-dimensional velocity vectors can be computed, but with the addition of another camera this can be improved to full three-dimensional vectors. The flow's time evolution can be measured by taking series of image pairs and processing each pair to get the velocity field at the time between each image pair. Only the two-dimensional version will be considered in this work. To compute the velocity vectors of the flow, the images are broken up into interrogation regions, usually in a uniform grid. In the most basic PIV algorithm, corresponding regions in the image pairs are cross-correlated to compute the most likely displacement from one image to the next. This is used since the cross correlation will achieve a maximum value when the two interrogation regions line up the best. The location of the peak in the correlation map and scaling information for the optical setup is used to compute the particle displacement from one image to the next. This process is similar to holding two semi-transparent images and moving one until they match as well as possible. Sub-pixel displacements between images can be obtained by fitting a Gaussian function to the correlation peak. Knowing the displacement vector for each set of interrogation regions in the image pair, it is a simple matter to divide by the time gap between the two images to compute the fluid velocity at the point in time and space. Since there are many interrogation regions in each image pair, the velocity field for a sheet is sampled according to the arrangement of the interrogation regions. The sensitivity of the final computed vector to the input images is difficult to compute, and has led most considerations of uncertainty in the PIV field to apply Monte Carlo methods and correlations to quantify the systematic and random errors which result from application of various PIV algorithms. In this work, automatic differentiation (AD) has been used to trace the dependence of velocity vectors computed using the correlation-peak PIV algorithm back to the input values given to an artificial image generator. These initial results form the foundation for continued work in the application of AD to algorithms in PIV. They demonstrate that AD methods can be successfully applied to PIV algorithms without undue complexity. The derivatives of each individual vector with regard to the coefficients of the velocity field used to create the artificial images can be computed and the statistics of them considered collectively, or correlated between each other to quantify the effectiveness of a PIV algorithm. With the initial implementation complete, adding extra algorithms is relatively simple and considerable data can be generated for analysis. It is hoped that application of these methods can lead to improved PIV algorithms which demonstrate better sensitivity to small variations in particle displacement. While these methods can be used as an analysis tool for refinement of new algorithms, computation of actual resultant vector sensitivities to input images' individual pixels is the next logical step of this work. Such information will be analyzed with experimental data to produce a better understanding of how output vectors' uncertainty relates to the actual image pairs, and lead to automatic bad vector removal. (authors)

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2013

Neutron-skin uncertainties of Skyrme energy density functionals

Neutron-skin thickness is an excellent indicator of isovector properties of atomic nuclei. As such, it correlates strongly with observables in finite nuclei that depend on neutron-to-proton imbalance and the nuclear symmetry energy that characterizes the equation of state of neutron-rich matter. A rich worldwide experimental program involving studies with rare isotopes, parity-violating electron scattering, and astronomical observations is devoted to pinning down the isovector sector of nuclear models. We assess the theoretical systematic and statistical uncertainties of neutron-skin thickness and relate them to the equation of state of nuclear matter, and in particular to nuclear symmetry energy parameters. We use the nuclear superfluid density functional theory with several Skyrme energy density functionals and density dependent pairing. To evaluate statistical errors and their budget, we employ the statistical covariance technique. We find that the errors on neutron skin increase with neutron excess. Statistical errors due to uncertain coupling constants of the density functional are found to be larger than systematic errors, the latter not exceeding 0.06 fm in most neutron-rich nuclei across the nuclear landscape. The single major source of uncertainty is the poorly determined slope $L$ of the symmetry energy that parametrizes its density dependence. To provide essential constraints on the symmetry energy of the nuclear energy density functional, next-generation measurements of neutron skins are required to deliver precision better than 0.06 fm.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Benchmarking machine learning strategies for phase-field problems

Abstract We present a comprehensive benchmarking framework for evaluating machine-learning approaches applied to phase-field problems. This framework focuses on four key analysis areas crucial for assessing the performance of such approaches in a systematic and structured way. Firstly, interpolation tasks are examined to identify trends in prediction accuracy and accumulation of error over simulation time. Secondly, extrapolation tasks are also evaluated according to the same metrics. Thirdly, the relationship between model performance and data requirements is investigated to understand the impact on predictions and robustness of these approaches. Finally, systematic errors are analyzed to identify specific events or inadvertent rare events triggering high errors. Quantitative metrics evaluating the local and global description of the microstructure evolution, along with other scalar metrics representative of phase-field problems, are used across these four analysis areas. This benchmarking framework provides a path to evaluate the effectiveness and limitations of machine-learning strategies applied to phase-field problems, ultimately facilitating their practical application.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

SU-G-BRB-11: On the Sensitivity of An EPID-Based 3D Dose Verification System to Detect Delivery Errors in VMAT Treatments

Purpose: To investigate the sensitivity of an EPID-based 3D dose verification system to detect delivery errors in VMAT treatments. Methods: For this study 41 EPID-reconstructed 3D in vivo dose distributions of 15 different VMAT plans (H&N, lung, prostate and rectum) were selected. To simulate the effect of delivery errors, their TPS plans were modified by: 1) scaling of the monitor units by ±3% and ±6% and 2) systematic shifting of leaf bank positions by ±1mm, ±2mm and ±5mm. The 3D in vivo dose distributions where then compared to the unmodified and modified treatment plans. To determine the detectability of the various delivery errors, we made use of a receiver operator characteristic (ROC) methodology. True positive and false positive rates were calculated as a function of the γ-parameters γmean, γ1% (near-maximum γ) and the PTV dose parameter ΔD{sub 50} (i.e. D{sub 50}(EPID)-D{sub 50}(TPS)). The ROC curve is constructed by plotting the true positive rate vs. the false positive rate. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) then serves as a measure of the performance of the EPID dosimetry system in detecting a particular error; an ideal system has AUC=1. Results: The AUC ranges for the machine output errors and systematic leaf position errors were [0.64 – 0.93] and [0.48 – 0.92] respectively using γmean, [0.57 – 0.79] and [0.46 – 0.85] using γ1% and [0.61 – 0.77] and [ 0.48 – 0.62] using ΔD{sub 50}. Conclusion: For the verification of VMAT deliveries, the parameter γmean is the best discriminator for the detection of systematic leaf position errors and monitor unit scaling errors. Compared to γmean and γ1%, the parameter ΔD{sub 50} performs worse as a discriminator in all cases.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2012

The self-calibrating Hubble diagram

As an increasing number of well measured type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) become available, the statistical uncertainty on w has been reduced to the same size as the systematic uncertainty. The statistical error will decrease further in the near future, and hence the improvement of systematic uncertainties needs to be addressed, if further progress is to be made. We study how uncertainties in the primary reference spectrum — which are a main contribution to the systematic uncertainty budget — affect the measurement of the Dark Energy equation of state parameter w from SNe Ia. The increasing number of SN observations can be used to reduce the uncertainties by including perturbations of the reference spectrum as nuisance parameters in a cosmology fit, thus 'self-calibrating' the Hubble diagram. We employ this method to real SNe data for the first time and find the perturbations of the reference spectrum consistent with zero at the 1%-level. For future surveys we estimate that ∼3500 SNe will be required for our method to outperform the standard method of deriving the cosmological parameters.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Inter- and Intrafraction Target Motion in Highly Focused Single Vocal Cord Irradiation of T1a Larynx Cancer Patients

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to verify clinical target volume–planning target volume (CTV-PTV) margins in single vocal cord irradiation (SVCI) of T1a larynx tumors and characterize inter- and intrafraction target motion. Methods and Materials: For 42 patients, a single vocal cord was irradiated using intensity modulated radiation therapy at a total dose of 58.1 Gy (16 fractions × 3.63 Gy). A daily cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan was performed to online correct the setup of the thyroid cartilage after patient positioning with in-room lasers (interfraction motion correction). To monitor intrafraction motion, CBCT scans were also acquired just after patient repositioning and after dose delivery. A mixed online-offline setup correction protocol (“O2 protocol”) was designed to compensate for both inter- and intrafraction motion. Results: Observed interfraction, systematic (Σ), and random (σ) setup errors in left-right (LR), craniocaudal (CC), and anteroposterior (AP) directions were 0.9, 2.0, and 1.1 mm and 1.0, 1.6, and 1.0 mm, respectively. After correction of these errors, the following intrafraction movements derived from the CBCT acquired after dose delivery were: Σ = 0.4, 1.3, and 0.7 mm, and σ = 0.8, 1.4, and 0.8 mm. More than half of the patients showed a systematic non-zero intrafraction shift in target position, (ie, the mean intrafraction displacement over the treatment fractions was statistically significantly different from zero; P<.05). With the applied CTV-PTV margins (for most patients 3, 5, and 3 mm in LR, CC, and AP directions, respectively), the minimum CTV dose, estimated from the target displacements observed in the last CBCT, was at least 94% of the prescribed dose for all patients and more than 98% for most patients (37 of 42). The proposed O2 protocol could effectively reduce the systematic intrafraction errors observed after dose delivery to almost zero (Σ = 0.1, 0.2, 0.2 mm). Conclusions: With adequate image guidance and CTV-PTV margins in LR, CC, and AP directions of 3, 5, and 3 mm, respectively, excellent target coverage in SVCI could be ensured.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗