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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 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

2D potential measurements by applying automatic beam adjustment system to heavy ion beam probe diagnostic on the Large Helical Device

Two-dimensional potential profiles in the Large Helical Device (LHD) were measured with heavy ion beam probe (HIBP). To measure the two-dimensional profile, the probe beam energy has to be changed. However, this task is not easy, because the beam transport line of LHD-HIBP system is very long (∼20 m), and the required beam adjustment consumes much time. To reduce the probe beam energy adjustment time, an automatic beam adjustment system has been developed. Using this system, required time to change the probe beam energy is dramatically reduced, such that two-dimensional potential profiles were able to be successfully measured with HIBP by changing the probe beam energy shot to shot.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Spatial calibration of a tokamak neutral beam diagnostic using in situ neutral beam emission

Neutral beam injection is used in tokamaks to heat, apply torque, drive non-inductive current, and diagnose plasmas. Neutral beam diagnostics need accurate spatial calibrations to benefit from the measurement localization provided by the neutral beam. A new technique has been developed that uses in situ measurements of neutral beam emission to determine the spatial location of the beam and the associated diagnostic views. This technique was developed to improve the charge exchange recombination (CER) diagnostic at the DIII-D tokamak and uses measurements of the Doppler shift and Stark splitting of neutral beam emission made by that diagnostic. These measurements contain information about the geometric relation between the diagnostic views and the neutral beams when they are injecting power. This information is combined with standard spatial calibration measurements to create an integrated spatial calibration that provides a more complete description of the neutral beam-CER system. The integrated spatial calibration results are very similar to the standard calibration results and derived quantities from CER measurements are unchanged within their measurement errors. The methods developed to perform the integrated spatial calibration could be useful for tokamaks with limited physical access.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

Scattered hard X-ray and γ-ray generation from a chromatic electron beam

An array of photon diagnostics has been deployed on a high power relativistic electron beam diode. Electrons are extracted through a 17.8 cm diode from the surface discharge of a carbon fiber velvet cathode with a nominal diode voltage of 3.8 MV. <10% of the 100 ns electron pulse is composed of off energy electrons (1–3 MeV) accelerated during the rise and fall of the pulse that impact the stainless steel beam pipe and generate a Bremsstrahlung spectrum of 0.1–3 MeV photons with a total count of 10{sup 11}. The principal objective of these experiments is to quantify the electron beam dynamics and spatial dynamics of the hard X-ray and γ-ray flux generated in the diode region. A qualitative comparison of experimental and calculated results are presented, including time and energy resolved electron beam propagation and scattered photon measurements with X-ray PIN diodes and a photomultiplier tube indicating a dose dependence on the diode voltage >V{sup 4} and detected photon counts of nearly 10{sup 6} at a radial distance of 1 m which corresponds to dose ∼40 μrad at 1 m.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

A synthetic diagnostic for beam emission spectroscopy in the helically symmetric experiment stellarator

The Helically Symmetric Experiment (HSX) has a number of active spectroscopy diagnostics. Due to the relatively large beam width compared to the plasma minor radius, it is difficult to achieve good spatial resolution at the core of the HSX plasma. This is due to the fact that the optical sightline cuts through many flux surfaces with varying field vectors within the beam. In order to compare the experimental results with theoretical models it is important to accurately model the beam width effects. A synthetic diagnostic has been developed for this purpose. This synthetic diagnostic calculates the effect of spot size and beam width on the measurements of quantities of interest, including radial electric field, flow velocity, and Stark polarization.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2019

Transformation of double-half inverse Gaussian hollow beams into superposition of finite Airy beams using an optical Airy transform

In the present work, we investigate theoretically the transformation of a double-half inverse Gaussian hollow (DHIGH) beam into a superposition of finite Airy beams by using an optical Airy transform system. The analytical expression of the generated finite Airy beam is derived by means of the generalized Huygens–Fresnel integral diffraction. Numerical calculations show that the optical Airy transform system converts the central dark spot of the hollow incident beam into peak intensity. It is demonstrated that the characteristics of the transverse intensity distribution of the output finite Airy beam are determined by the phase pattern’s constants of the Airy transform system and the radius size of the incident DHIGH beam. Moreover, it is shown that the profile of the central peak intensity of the generated beam can be controlled by means of the radius size of the incident hollow DHIGH beam.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Beam-driven acceleration in ultra-dense plasma media

Accelerating parameters of beam-driven wakefield acceleration in an extremely dense plasma column has been analyzed with the dynamic framed particle-in-cell plasma simulator, and compared with analytic calculations. In the model, a witness beam undergoes a TeV/m scale alternating potential gradient excited by a micro-bunched drive beam in a 10{sup 25 }m{sup −3} and 1.6 × 10{sup 28 }m{sup −3} plasma column. The acceleration gradient, energy gain, and transformer ratio have been extensively studied in quasi-linear, linear-, and blowout-regimes. The simulation analysis indicated that in the beam-driven acceleration system a hollow plasma channel offers ∼20% higher acceleration gradient by enlarging the channel radius (r) from 0.2 λ{sub p} to 0.6 λ{sub p} in a blowout regime. This paper suggests a feasibility of TeV/m scale acceleration with a hollow crystalline structure (e.g., nanotubes) of high electron plasma density.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

SU-E-J-99: Reconstruction of Cone Beam CT Image Using Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy Exit Beams

Purpose: To test the possibility of obtaining an image of the treated volume during volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) with exit beams. Method: Using a Varian Clinac 21EX and MVCT detector the following three sets of detector projection data were obtained for cone beam CT reconstruction with and without a Catphan 504 phantom. 1) 72 projection images from 20 × 16 cm{sup 2} open beam with 3 MUs, 2) 72 projection images from 20 × 16 cm{sup 2} MLC closed beam with 14 MUs. 3) 137 projection images from a test RapicArc QA plan. All projection images were obtained in ‘integrated image’ mode. We used OSCaR code to reconstruct the cone beam CT images. No attempts were made to reduce scatter or artifacts. Results: With projection set 1) we obtained a good quality MV CBCT image by optimizing the reconstruction parameters. Using projection set 2) we were not able to obtain a CBCT image of the phantom, which was determined to be due to the variation of interleaf leakage with gantry angle. From projection set 3), we were able to obtain a weak but meaningful signal in the image, especially in the target area where open beam signals were dominant. This finding suggests that one might be able to acquire CBCT images with rough body shape and some details inside the irradiated target area. Conclusion: Obtaining patient images using the VMAT exit beam is challenging but possible. We were able to determine sources of image degradation such as gantry angle dependent interleaf leakage and beams with a large scatter component. We are actively working on improving image quality.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

TH-C-BRD-04: Beam Modeling and Validation with Triple and Double Gaussian Dose Kernel for Spot Scanning Proton Beams

Purpose: To present the validity of our beam modeling with double and triple Gaussian dose kernels for spot scanning proton beams in Nagoya Proton Therapy Center. This study investigates the conformance between the measurements and calculation results in absolute dose with two types of beam kernel. Methods: A dose kernel is one of the important input data required for the treatment planning software. The dose kernel is the 3D dose distribution of an infinitesimal pencil beam of protons in water and consists of integral depth doses and lateral distributions. We have adopted double and triple Gaussian model as lateral distribution in order to take account of the large angle scattering due to nuclear reaction by fitting simulated inwater lateral dose profile for needle proton beam at various depths. The fitted parameters were interpolated as a function of depth in water and were stored as a separate look-up table for the each beam energy. The process of beam modeling is based on the method of MDACC [X.R.Zhu 2013]. Results: From the comparison results between the absolute doses calculated by double Gaussian model and those measured at the center of SOBP, the difference is increased up to 3.5% in the high-energy region because the large angle scattering due to nuclear reaction is not sufficiently considered at intermediate depths in the double Gaussian model. In case of employing triple Gaussian dose kernels, the measured absolute dose at the center of SOBP agrees with calculation within ±1% regardless of the SOBP width and maximum range. Conclusion: We have demonstrated the beam modeling results of dose distribution employing double and triple Gaussian dose kernel. Treatment planning system with the triple Gaussian dose kernel has been successfully verified and applied to the patient treatment with a spot scanning technique in Nagoya Proton Therapy Center.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

Development of a golden beam data set for the commissioning of a proton double-scattering system in a pencil-beam dose calculation algorithm

Purpose: The purpose of this investigation is to determine if a single set of beam data, described by a minimal set of equations and fitting variables, can be used to commission different installations of a proton double-scattering system in a commercial pencil-beam dose calculation algorithm. Methods: The beam model parameters required to commission the pencil-beam dose calculation algorithm (virtual and effective SAD, effective source size, and pristine-peak energy spread) are determined for a commercial double-scattering system. These parameters are measured in a first room and parameterized as function of proton energy and nozzle settings by fitting four analytical equations to the measured data. The combination of these equations and fitting values constitutes the golden beam data (GBD). To determine the variation in dose delivery between installations, the same dosimetric properties are measured in two additional rooms at the same facility, as well as in a single room at another facility. The difference between the room-specific measurements and the GBD is evaluated against tolerances that guarantee the 3D dose distribution in each of the rooms matches the GBD-based dose distribution within clinically reasonable limits. The pencil-beam treatment-planning algorithm is commissioned with the GBD. The three-dimensional dose distribution in water is evaluated in the four treatment rooms and compared to the treatment-planning calculated dose distribution. Results: The virtual and effective SAD measurements fall between 226 and 257 cm. The effective source size varies between 2.4 and 6.2 cm for the large-field options, and 1.0 and 2.0 cm for the small-field options. The pristine-peak energy spread decreases from 1.05% at the lowest range to 0.6% at the highest. The virtual SAD as well as the effective source size can be accurately described by a linear relationship as function of the inverse of the residual energy. An additional linear correction term as function of RM-step thickness is required for accurate parameterization of the effective SAD. The GBD energy spread is given by a linear function of the exponential of the beam energy. Except for a few outliers, the measured parameters match the GBD within the specified tolerances in all of the four rooms investigated. For a SOBP field with a range of 15 g/cm{sup 2} and an air gap of 25 cm, the maximum difference in the 80%–20% lateral penumbra between the GBD-commissioned treatment-planning system and measurements in any of the four rooms is 0.5 mm. Conclusions: The beam model parameters of the double-scattering system can be parameterized with a limited set of equations and parameters. This GBD closely matches the measured dosimetric properties in four different rooms.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2015

TU-CD-207-10: Dedicated Cone-Beam Breast CT: Design of a 3-D Beam-Shaping Filter

Purpose: To design a 3 -D beam-shaping filter for cone-beam breast CT for equalizing x-ray photon fluence incident on the detector along both fan and cone angle directions. Methods: The 3-D beam-shaping filter was designed as the sum of two filters: a bow-tie filter assuming cylindrical breast and a 3D difference filter equivalent to the difference in projected thickness between the cylinder and the real breast. Both filters were designed with breast-equivalent material and converted to Al for the targeted x-ray spectrum. The bow-tie was designed for the largest diameter cylindrical breast by determining the fan-angle dependent path-length and the filter thickness needed to equalize the fluence. A total of 23,760 projections (180 projections of 132 binary breast CT volumes) were averaged, scaled for the largest breast, and subtracted from the projection of the largest diameter cylindrical breast to provide the 3D difference filter. The 3 -D beam shaping filter was obtained by summing the two filters. Numerical simulations with semi-ellipsoidal breasts of 10–18 cm diameter (chest-wall to nipple length=0.75 x diameter) were conducted to evaluate beam equalization. Results: The proposed 3-D beam-shaping filter showed a 140% -300% improvement in equalizing the photon fluence along the chest-wall to nipple (cone-angle) direction compared to a bow-tie filter. The improvement over bow-tie filter was larger for breasts with longer chest-wall to nipple length. Along the radial (fan-angle) direction, the performance of the 3-D beam shaping filter was marginally better than the bow-tie filter, with 4%-10% improvement in equalizing the photon fluence. For a ray traversing the chest-wall diameter of the breast, the filter transmission ratio was >0.95. Conclusion: The 3-D beam shaping filter provided substantial advantage over bow-tie filter in equalizing the photon fluence along the cone-angle direction. In conjunction with a 2-axis positioner, the filter can accommodate breasts of varying dimensions and chest-wall inclusion. Supported in part by NIH R01 CA128906 and R21 CA134128. The contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not reflect the official views of the NIH or NCI.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

SU-F-T-511: Feasibility Study of Using Flattening-Filter-Free Photon Beams to Deliver Conventional Flat Beam

Purpose: Various dosimetric benefits such as increased dose rate, and reduced leakage and out of field dose has led to the growth of FFF technology in the clinic. In this study, we concentrate on investigating the feasibility of using flattening-filter-free (FFF) beams to deliver conventional flat beams (CFB), since completely getting rid of the flattening-filter module from the gantry head can not only simplify the gantry design but also decrease the workload on machine maintain and quality assurance. Methods: The sliding window based IMRT technique was utilized to generate the CFB from the FFF beam for various beam configurations on the Elekta Versa HD. The flat beam reproducibility and MU efficiency were compared for each beam configuration among FFF planning, delivery and CFB planning. Results: Compared to the CFB plan, the 3%3mm passing rates of the FFF beams from both measurement and plan are 100% and 95%(or better) for 15×15 cm{sup 2} or smaller field size and for any field size greater than 15×15 cm{sup 2}at 10 cm depth, respectively. The largest discrepancy is about 5% and typically appears at the field shoulder area. The MU increase average was 80% for FFF compared to CFB, however has a minimal impact on treatment delivery time. Conclusion: The ability to deliver conventional flat treatments is not absent when operating in FFF mode. With proper TPS manipulation and beam modulation, FFF mode can achieve reasonable flat profiles and comparable dose coverage as CFB does for various conventional treatment techniques, such as four field box, or long spine treatment techniques. The ability to deliver most clinical treatments from the same treatment unit, will allow for less quality assurance as well as maintenance, and completely eliminate the need for the flattening filter on modern linacs.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

Sci-Thur AM: YIS – 04: Stopping power-to-Cherenkov power ratios and beam quality specification for clinical Cherenkov emission dosimetry of electrons: beam-specific effects and experimental validation

Purpose: To advance towards clinical Cherenkov emission (CE)-based dosimetry by investigating beam-specific effects on Monte Carlo-calculated electron-beam stopping power-to-CE power ratios (SCRs), addressing electron beam quality specification in terms of CE, and validating simulations with measurements. Methods: The EGSnrc user code SPRRZnrc, used to calculate Spencer-Attix stopping-power ratios, was modified to instead calculate SCRs. SCRs were calculated for 6- to 22-MeV clinical electron beams from Varian TrueBeam, Clinac 21EX, and Clinac 2100C/D accelerators. Experiments were performed with a 20-MeV electron beam from a Varian TrueBeam accelerator, using a diffraction grating spectrometer with optical fiber input and a cooled back-illuminated CCD. A fluorophore was dissolved in the water to remove CE signal anisotropy. Results: It was found that angular spread of the incident beam has little effect on the SCR (≤ 0.3% at d{sub max}), while both the electron spectrum and photon contamination increase the SCR at shallow depths and decrease it at large depths. A universal data fit of R{sub 50} in terms of C{sub 50} (50% CE depth) revealed a strong linear dependence (R{sup 2} > 0.9999). The SCR was fit with a Burns-type equation (R{sup 2} = 0.9974, NRMSD = 0.5%). Below-threshold incident radiation was found to have minimal effect on beam quality specification (< 0.1%). Experiments and simulations were in good agreement. Conclusions: Our findings confirm the feasibility of the proposed CE dosimetry method, contingent on computation of SCRs from additional accelerators and on further experimental validation. This work constitutes an important step towards clinical high-resolution out-of-beam CE dosimetry.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS2015

Beamed-Energy Propulsion (BEP): Considerations for Beaming High Energy-Density Electromagnetic Waves Through the Atmosphere

A study to determine the feasibility of employing beamed electromagnetic energy for vehicle propulsion within and outside the Earth's atmosphere was co-funded by NASA and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency that began in June 2010 and culminated in a Summary Presentation in April 2011. A detailed report entitled "Beamed-Energy Propulsion (BEP) Study" appeared in February 2012 as NASA/TM-2012-217014. Of the very many nuances of this subject that were addressed in this report, the effects of transferring the required high energy-density electromagnetic fields through the atmosphere were discussed. However, due to the limitations of the length of the report, only a summary of the results of the detailed analyses were able to be included. It is the intent of the present work to make available the complete analytical modeling work that was done for the BEP project with regard to electromagnetic wave propagation issues. In particular, the present technical memorandum contains two documents that were prepared in 2011. The first one, entitled "Effects of Beaming Energy Through the Atmosphere" contains an overview of the analysis of the nonlinear problem inherent with the transfer of large amounts of energy through the atmosphere that gives rise to thermally-induced changes in the refractive index; application is then made to specific beamed propulsion scenarios. A brief portion of this report appeared as Appendix G of the 2012 Technical Memorandum. The second report, entitled "An Analytical Assessment of the Thermal Blooming Effects on the Propagation of Optical and Millimeter- Wave Focused Beam Waves For Power Beaming Applications" was written in October 2010 (not previously published), provides a more detailed treatment of the propagation problem and its effect on the overall characteristics of the beam such as its deflection as well as its radius. Comparisons are then made for power beaming using the disparate electromagnetic wavelengths of 1.06 microns and 2.0 millimeters..

Beamed Energy↗
DOE OSTI2015

Passive and active plasma deceleration for the compact disposal of electron beams

Plasma-based decelerating schemes are investigated as compact alternatives for the disposal of high-energy beams (beam dumps). Analytical solutions for the energy loss of electron beams propagating in passive and active (laser-driven) schemes are derived. These solutions, along with numerical modeling, are used to investigate the evolution of the electron distribution, including energy chirp and total beam energy. In the active beam dump scheme, a laser-driver allows a more homogeneous beam energy extraction and drastically reduces the energy chirp observed in the passive scheme. These concepts could benefit applications requiring overall compactness, such as transportable light sources, or facilities operating at high beam power.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Forward and backward stimulated Raman scattering in multi-speckled beams: Density dependence and effects on cross-beam energy transfer

Particle-in-cell simulations of cross-beam energy transfer (CBET) between multi-speckled beams reveal a potentially prominent energy loss from forward stimulated Raman scattering (FSRS) in the amplified seed beam [Yin et al., Phys. Plasmas 26, 082708 (2019)]. In this work, an intensity scan is used to examine this energy loss in the CBET-amplified seed beam at intensities of a few times 1014 W/cm2. Electron tracers demonstrate both the trapping in the electron plasma waves that is sustained over multiple speckles and the subsequent acceleration to velocities well beyond the phase velocity. Motivated by expanding our understanding of this energy loss mechanism, we isolate the FSRS density dependence by using a 2×1014 W/cm2 pulse to scan densities between 0.06 ncr and 0.12 ncr; a spectral analysis characterizes the energy losses from scattering with the changing densities. At saturation, both greater beam attenuation is measured at the laser frequency and larger scattering FSRS angles are observed as density increases, along with a rapid transition to primarily backscatter SRS between 0.10 ncr and 0.12 ncr, earlier than predicted by linear theory. Density gradients are shown to effectively mitigate oblique FSRS and beam energy losses in the two lower density cases, whereas 0° forward scattering is primarily suppressed in the higher density cases. Finally returning to the two-beam CBET system of interest, the interplay and mitigation of the secondary instabilities at larger domain and beam spatial scales are discussed, here also examining backward stimulated Brillouin scattering.

Stark, D. J. (ORCID:0000000203642733)↗
DOE OSTI2025

Incident beam optics optimization for the single crystal neutron diffractometer Pioneer with a polarized beam option

Pioneer, a next-generation single-crystal neutron diffractometer, is under development for Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Second Target Station. Designed to address a wide range of scientific questions, Pioneer will deliver homogeneous neutron beams with customizable size and divergence and provide a polarized beam option. This article introduces its incident beam optics, highlighting the optimization methodology and the simulated performance. Pioneer will utilize a modified elliptical-straight guide for neutron transport and deploy slit packages and insertable apertures to control beam size and divergence. The optimized guide geometry matches the optimal-and-full-sample-illumination condition, and the beam control system effectively filters out unwanted neutrons while preserving the desired ones. In addition, we have found that polygon-approximated guides provide satisfactory transport efficiency and beam homogeneity, eliminating the need for truly curved guides. Further, to enhance neutronics performance and reduce cost, the coatings of supermirror elements are individually optimized to the lowest half-integer m-values that are sufficient to deliver the desired neutrons. After evaluating polarizing V-cavities and 3 He spin filters over the default polarized wavelength band of 1.2–5.5 Å, we selected a translatable multichannel polarizing V-cavity as the incident beam polarizer. Strategically placed at a location where the beam divergence is low and a large in-guide gap has negligible impact on transport efficiency, the optimized V-cavity achieves an average P 2 T of ~35%.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2017

Beam-target double-spin asymmetry in quasielastic electron scattering off the deuteron with CLAS

The deuteron plays a pivotal role in nuclear and hadronic physics, as both the simplest bound multinucleon system and as an effective neutron target. Quasielastic electron scattering on the deuteron is a benchmark reaction to test our understanding of deuteron structure and the properties and interactions of the two nucleons bound in the deuteron. The experimental data presented here can be used to test state-of-the-art models of the deuteron and the two-nucleon interaction in the final state after two-body breakup of the deuteron. Focusing on polarization degrees of freedom, we gain information on spin-momentum correlations in the deuteron ground state (due to the D-state admixture) and on the limits of the impulse approximation (IA) picture as it applies to measurements of spin-dependent observables like spin structure functions for bound nucleons. Information on this reaction can also be used to reduce systematic uncertainties on the determination of neutron form factors or deuteron polarization through quasielastic polarized electron scattering. Furthermore, we measured the beam-target double-spin asymmetry (A || ) for quasielastic electron scattering off the deuteron at several beam energies (1.6–1.7, 2.5, 4.2, and 5.6–5.8GeV), using the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The deuterons were polarized along (or opposite to) the beam direction. The double-spin asymmetries were measured as a function of photon virtuality Q 2 (0.13–3.17(GeV/c) 2 ), missing momentum (p m =0.0–0.5GeV/c), and the angle between the (inferred) spectator neutron and the momentum transfer direction (θ nq ). We compare our results with a recent model that includes final-state interactions (FSI) using a complete parametrization of nucleon-nucleon scattering, as well as a simplified model using the plane wave impulse approximation (PWIA). We find overall good agreement with both the PWIA and FSI expectations at low to medium missing momenta (p m ≤0.25GeV/c), including the change of the asymmetry due to the contribution of the deuteron D state at higher momenta. At the highest missing momenta, our data clearly agree better with the calculations including FSI. Final-state interactions seem to play a lesser role for polarization observables in deuteron two-body electrodisintegration than for absolute cross sections. Our data, while limited in statistical power, indicate that PWIA models work reasonably well to understand the asymmetries at lower missing momenta. In turn, this information can be used to extract the product of beam and target polarization (P b P t ) from quasielastic electron-deuteron scattering, which is useful for measurements of spin observables in electron-neutron inelastic scattering. But, at the highest missing (neutron) momenta, FSI effects become important and must be accounted for.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Measuring uncertainty in dose delivered to the cochlea due to setup error during external beam treatment of patients with cancer of the head and neck

Purpose: To use Cone Beam CT scans obtained just prior to treatments of head and neck cancer patients to measure the setup error and cumulative dose uncertainty of the cochlea. Methods: Data from 10 head and neck patients with 10 planning CTs and 52 Cone Beam CTs taken at time of treatment were used in this study. Patients were treated with conventional fractionation using an IMRT dose painting technique, most with 33 fractions. Weekly radiographic imaging was used to correct the patient setup. The authors used rigid registration of the planning CT and Cone Beam CT scans to find the translational and rotational setup errors, and the spatial setup errors of the cochlea. The planning CT was rotated and translated such that the cochlea positions match those seen in the cone beam scans, cochlea doses were recalculated and fractional doses accumulated. Uncertainties in the positions and cumulative doses of the cochlea were calculated with and without setup adjustments from radiographic imaging. Results: The mean setup error of the cochlea was 0.04 ± 0.33 or 0.06 ± 0.43 cm for RL, 0.09 ± 0.27 or 0.07 ± 0.48 cm for AP, and 0.00 ± 0.21 or −0.24 ± 0.45 cm for SI with and without radiographic imaging, respectively. Setup with radiographic imaging reduced the standard deviation of the setup error by roughly 1–2 mm. The uncertainty of the cochlea dose depends on the treatment plan and the relative positions of the cochlea and target volumes. Combining results for the left and right cochlea, the authors found the accumulated uncertainty of the cochlea dose per fraction was 4.82 (0.39–16.8) cGy, or 10.1 (0.8–32.4) cGy, with and without radiographic imaging, respectively; the percentage uncertainties relative to the planned doses were 4.32% (0.28%–9.06%) and 10.2% (0.7%–63.6%), respectively. Conclusions: Patient setup error introduces uncertainty in the position of the cochlea during radiation treatment. With the assistance of radiographic imaging during setup, the standard deviation of setup error reduced by 31%, 42%, and 54% in RL, AP, and SI direction, respectively, and consequently, the uncertainty of the mean dose to cochlea reduced more than 50%. The authors estimate that the effects of these uncertainties on the probability of hearing loss for an individual patient could be as large as 10%.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗