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At least 1,621 records · Page 90

High-Voltage Breakdown Penalties for the Beam-Breakup Instability

The strength of the dangerous beam breakup (BBU) instability in linear induction accelerators (LIAs) is determined by the transverse coupling impedance Z ⊥ of the induction cell cavity. For accelerating gap width w less than the beam pipe radius b, the transverse impedance is theoretically proportional to w/b, favoring narrow gaps to suppress BBU. On the other hand, cells with narrow gaps cannot support high accelerating gradients, because of electrical breakdown and shorting of the gap. Thus, there is an engineering trade-off between BBU growth and accelerating gradient, which must be considered for next generation LIAs now being designed. In this article this tradeoff is explored, using a simple pillbox cavity as an illustrative example. For this model, widening the gap to reduce the probability of breakdown increases BBU growth, unless higher magnetic focusing fields are used to further suppress the instability.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Towards Efficient Alternating Current Optimal Power Flow Analysis on Graphical Processing Units

We present a solution of sparse ACOPF analysis on GPU. In particular, we discuss the performance bottlenecks and detail our efforts to accelerate the linear solver, a core component of ACOPF that dominates the computational time. ACOPF solutions of two large-scale systems, synthetic Northeast (25,000 buses) and Eastern (70,000 buses) \cite{birchfield2017tamu-cases} on GPU show promising speed-up compared to CPU based solution using a state-of-the-art solver. To our knowledge, this is the first result demonstrating acceleration of sparse ACOPF on GPUs.

Power grid analysis, GPU↗

Integral dose investigation of non-coplanar treatment beam geometries in radiotherapy

Purpose: Automated planning and delivery of non-coplanar plans such as 4π radiotherapy involving a large number of fields have been developed to take advantage of the newly available automated couch and gantry on C-arm gantry linacs. However, there is an increasing concern regarding the potential changes in the integral dose that needs to be investigated. Methods: A digital torso phantom and 22 lung and liver stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) patients were included in the study. The digital phantom was constructed as a water equivalent elliptical cylinder with a major axis length of 35.4 cm and minor axis of 23.6 cm. A 4.5 cm diameter target was positioned at varying depths along the major axis. Integral doses from intensity modulated, non-coplanar beams forming a conical pattern were compared against the equally spaced coplanar beam plans. Integral dose dependence on the phantom geometry and the beam number was also quantified. For the patient plans, the non-coplanar and coplanar beams and fluences were optimized using a column generation and pricing approach and compared against clinical VMAT plans using two full (lung) or partial coplanar arcs (liver) entering at the side proximal to the tumor. Both the average dose to the normal tissue volume and the total volumes receiving greater than 2 Gy (V2) and 5 Gy (V5) were evaluated and compared. Results: The ratio of integral dose from the non-coplanar and coplanar plans depended on the tumor depth for the phantom; for tumors shallower than 10 cm, the non-coplanar integral doses were lower than coplanar integral doses for non-coplanar angles less than 60°. Similar patterns were observed in the patient plans. The smallest non-coplanar integral doses were observed for tumor 6–8 cm deep. For the phantom, the integral dose was independent of the number of beams, consistent with the liver SBRT patients but the lung SBRT patients showed slight increase in the integral dose when more beams were used. Larger tumor size and larger patient body size did not change the overall relationship of integral doses between non-coplanar and coplanar cases. However, the thin disk-shaped tumor received at least 40% greater integral doses with the non-coplanar plans. Overall, patient non-coplanar integral doses and V5 were comparable to those of coplanar doses from the same optimization engine and 15%–20% lower than state of the art VMAT plans. However, non-coplanar beams significantly increased V2 in both the phantom and patients. On average, the lung and liver SBRT patient normal tissue volumes receiving dose greater than 2 Gy were increased by 749 and 532 cm{sup 3}, respectively. Conclusions: The authors used a digital phantom simulating a patient torso and 22 SBRT patients to show that the integral doses from the plans employing optimized non-coplanar beams are comparable to those of the coplanar plans using an equal number of discrete beams and are significantly lower than those of VMAT plans. The non-coplanar beams expose a larger normal tissue volume to non-zero doses, whose impact will need to be evaluated individually to determine the risk/benefit ratio of the non-coplanar plans.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗

Luminosity Limitations of Linear Colliders Based on Plasma Acceleration

Particle acceleration in plasma creates a possibility of exceptionally high accelerating gradients and appears as a very attractive option for future linear electron-positron and/or photon-photon colliders. These high accelerating gradients were already demonstrated in a number of experiments. Furthermore, a linear collider requires exceptionally high beam brightness which still needs to be demonstrated. In this article we discuss major phenomena which limit the beam brightness of accelerated beam and, consequently, the collider luminosity.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Improvement of dose distribution in breast radiotherapy using a reversible transverse magnetic field Linac-MR unit

Purpose: To investigate the improvement in dose distribution in tangential breast radiotherapy using a reversible transverse magnetic field that maintains the same direction of Lorentz force between two fields. The investigation has a potential application in future Linac-MR units. Methods: Computed tomography images of four patients and magnetic fields of 0.25–1.5 Tesla (T) were used for Monte Carlo simulation. Two patients had intact breast while the other two had mastectomy. Simulations of planning and chest wall irradiation were similar to the actual clinical process. The direction of superior-inferior magnetic field for the medial treatment beam was reversed for the lateral beam. Results: For the ipsilateral lung and heart mean doses were reduced by a mean (range) of 45.8% (27.6%–58.6%) and 26.0% (20.2%–38.9%), respectively, depending on various treatment plan setups. The mean V{sub 20} for ipsilateral lung was reduced by 55.0% (43.6%–77.3%). In addition acceptable results were shown after simulation of 0.25 T magnetic field demonstrated in dose-volume reductions of the heart, ipsilateral lung, and noninvolved skin. Conclusions: Applying a reversible magnetic field during breast radiotherapy, not only reduces the dose to the lung and heart but also produces a sharp drop dose volume histogram for planning target volume, because of bending of the path of secondary charged particles toward the chest wall by the Lorentz force. The simulations have shown that use of the magnetic field at 1.5 T is not feasible for clinical applications due to the increase of ipsilateral chest wall skin dose in comparison to the conventional planning while 0.25 T is suitable for all patients due to dose reduction to the chest wall skin.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Modeling the dosimetry of organ-at-risk in head and neck IMRT planning: An intertechnique and interinstitutional study

Purpose: To build a statistical model to quantitatively correlate the anatomic features of structures and the corresponding dose-volume histogram (DVH) of head and neck (HN) Tomotherapy (Tomo) plans. To study if the model built upon one intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) technique (such as conventional Linac) can be used to predict anticipated organs-at-risk (OAR) DVH of patients treated with a different IMRT technique (such as Tomo). To study if the model built upon the clinical experience of one institution can be used to aid IMRT planning for another institution. Methods: Forty-four Tomotherapy intensity modulate radiotherapy plans of HN cases (Tomo-IMRT) from Institution A were included in the study. A different patient group of 53 HN fixed gantry IMRT (FG-IMRT) plans was selected from Institution B. The analyzed OARs included the parotid, larynx, spinal cord, brainstem, and submandibular gland. Two major groups of anatomical features were considered: the volumetric information and the spatial information. The volume information includes the volume of target, OAR, and overlapped volume between target and OAR. The spatial information of OARs relative to PTVs was represented by the distance-to-target histogram (DTH). Important anatomical and dosimetric features were extracted from DTH and DVH by principal component analysis. Two regression models, one for Tomotherapy plan and one for IMRT plan, were built independently. The accuracy of intratreatment-modality model prediction was validated by a leave one out cross-validation method. The intertechnique and interinstitution validations were performed by using the FG-IMRT model to predict the OAR dosimetry of Tomo-IMRT plans. The dosimetry of OARs, under the same and different institutional preferences, was analyzed to examine the correlation between the model prediction and planning protocol. Results: Significant patient anatomical factors contributing to OAR dose sparing in HN Tomotherapy plans have been analyzed and identified. For all the OARs, the discrepancies of dose indices between the model predicted values and the actual plan values were within 2.1%. Similar results were obtained from the modeling of FG-IMRT plans. The parotid gland was spared in a comparable fashion during the treatment planning of two institutions. The model based on FG-IMRT plans was found to predict the median dose of the parotid of Tomotherapy plans quite well, with a mean error of 2.6%. Predictions from the FG-IMRT model suggested the median dose of the larynx, median dose of the brainstem and D2 of the brainstem could be reduced by 10.5%, 12.8%, and 20.4%, respectively, in the Tomo-IMRT plans. This was found to be correlated to the institutional differences in OAR constraint settings. Re-planning of six Tomotherapy patients confirmed the potential of optimization improvement predicted by the FG-IMRT model was correct. Conclusions: The authors established a mathematical model to correlate the anatomical features and dosimetric indexes of OARs of HN patients in Tomotherapy plans. The model can be used for the setup of patient-specific OAR dose sparing goals and quality control of planning results. The institutional clinical experience was incorporated into the model which allows the model from one institution to generate a reference plan for another institution, or another IMRT technique.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Low-Z linac targets for low-MV gold nanoparticle radiation therapy

Purpose: To investigate the potential of low-Z/low-MV (low-Z) linac targets for gold nanoparticle radiotherapy (GNPT) and to determine the microscopic dose enhancement ratio (DER) due to GNP for the alternative beamlines. In addition, to evaluate the degradation of dose enhancement arising from the increased attenuation of x rays and larger skin dose in water for the low-MV beams compared to the standard linac. Methods: Monte Carlo simulations were used to compute dose and DER for various flattening-filter-free beams (2.5, 4, 6.5 MV). Target materials were beryllium, diamond, and tungsten-copper high-Z target. Target thicknesses were selected based on 20%, 60%, 70%, and 80% of the continuous slowing down approximation electron ranges for a given target material and energy. Evaluation of the microscopic DER was carried out for 100 nm GNP including the degradation factors due to beam attenuation. Results: The greatest increase in DER compared to the standard 6.5 MV linac was for a 2.5 MV Be-target (factor of ∼2). Skin dose ranged from ∼10% (Be, 6.5 MV-80%) to ∼85% (Be, 2.5 MV-20%) depending on the target case. Attenuation of 2.5 MV beams at 22 cm was higher by ∼75% compared with the standard beam. Taking into account the attenuation at 22 cm depth, the effective dose enhancement was up to ∼60% above the DER of the high-Z target. For these cases the effective DER ranged between ∼1.6 and 6 compared with the standard linac. Conclusions: Low-Z (2.5 MV) GNPT is possible even after accounting for greater beam attenuation for deep-seated tumors (22 cm) and the increased skin dose. Further, it can lead to significant sparing of normal tissue while simultaneously escalating the dose in the tumor cells.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗

Electron-Beam Dynamics for an Advanced Flash-Radiography Accelerator

Beam dynamics issues were assessed for a new linear induction electron accelerator being designed for multipulse flash radiography of large explosively driven hydrodynamic experiments. Special attention was paid to equilibrium beam transport, possible emittance growth, and beam stability. Especially problematic would be high-frequency beam instabilities that could blur individual radiographic source spots, low-frequency beam motion that could cause pulse-to-pulse spot displacement, and emittance growth that could enlarge the source spots. Furthermore, beam physics issues were examined through theoretical analysis and computer simulations, including particle-in-cell codes. Beam instabilities investigated included beam breakup, image displacement, diocotron, parametric envelope, ion hose, and the resistive wall instability. The beam corkscrew motion and emittance growth from beam mismatch were also studied. It was concluded that a beam with radiographic quality equivalent to the present accelerators at Los Alamos National Laboratory will result if the same engineering standards and construction details are upheld.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Excitation of {sup 111m}Cd, {sup 113m}In, and {sup 115m}In isomeric states by photons of energy up to 8 MeV

Experimental results on the excitation of isomeric nuclear states in the reactions {sup 111}Cd(γ, γ′){sup 111m}Cd, {sup 113}In(γ, γ′){sup 113m}In, and {sup 115}In(γ, γ′){sup 115m}In studied by the activation method at photon energies of up to 8 MeV are presented. The respective experiments were performed at the LUE-8 linear electron accelerator of the Institute for Nuclear Research (INR, Moscow). A method for calculating cross sections per equivalent photon was developed with the aid of a simulation on the basis of the GEANT-4 code. The data obtained in this way are discussed from the point of view of the possibility of studying collective nuclear excitations of various multipolarity near the threshold.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Beam power scale-up in micro-electromechanical systems based multi-beam ion accelerators

We report on the development of multi-beam RF linear ion accelerators that are formed from stacks of low cost wafers and describe the status of beam power scale-up using an array of 120 beams. The total argon ion current extracted from the 120-beamlet extraction column was 0.5 mA. The measured energy gain in each RF gap reached as high as 7.25 keV. We present a path of using this technology to achieve ion currents >1 mA and ion energies >100 keV for applications in materials processing.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Development of an x-ray Talbot-Lau moiré deflectometer for fast density profile measurements of dense plasmas generated by beam-target interactions

We report that for the first time an x-ray Talbot-Lau moiré deflectometer is being developed that will use a flash tube source and fast detector for dynamic density gradient measurements. In Talbot-Lau moiré deflectometry, an x-ray grating makes an image of itself on a second grating (the Talbot effect) to produce a moiré pattern on a detector. The test object is placed between these gratings, with variations in index of refraction changing the pattern. A third grating in front of an incoherent x-ray source produces an array of coherent sources. With a 150 kV x-ray flash tube as the source, the gratings are placed in a glancing angle setup for performance at ~60 keV. The detector is a gated CCD with a fast scintillator for x-ray conversion. This diagnostic, designed for the Dual-Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test facility (DARHT) at Los Alamos National Laboratory, measures the density profile of dense plasma plumes ejected from beam-target interactions. DARHT has two high-current, pulsed, inductive linear electron accelerators with bremsstrahlung targets at the end of each beam line to create 2-D radiographic images of hydrodynamic tests. One multi-pulse accelerator has up to four beam pulses striking the same target within 2 μs. Computer simulations that model target evolution and ejected material between pulses are used to design these targets for optimal radiographic performance; the x-ray deflectometer will directly measure density gradients in the ejected plumes and provide the first experimental constraints to these models. During the first year, currently underway, the diagnostic systems are being designed. In year two, the flash tube and fast detector will be deployed at DARHT for radiographic imaging while the deflectometer is built and tested on the bench with a continuous source. In year three, the fast deflectometer will be installed on DARHT and density measurements will be performed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Optimization of commercial scale photonuclear production of radioisotopes

Photonuclear production of radioisotopes driven by bremsstrahlung photons using a linear electron accelerator in the suitable energy range is a promising method for producing radioisotopes. The photonuclear production method is capable of making radioisotopes more conveniently, cheaply and with much less radioactive waste compared to existing methods. Historically, photo-nuclear reactions have not been exploited for isotope production because of the low specific activity that is generally associated with this production process, although the technique is well-known to be capable of producing large quantities of certain radioisotopes. We describe an optimization technique for a set of parameters to maximize specific activity of the final product. This set includes the electron beam energy and current, the end station design (an integrated converter and target as well as cooling system), the purity of materials used, and the activation time. These parameters are mutually dependent and thus their optimization is not trivial. {sup 67}Cu photonuclear production via {sup 68}Zn({gamma}p){sup 67}Cu reaction was used as an example of such an optimization process.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

Dosimetry of an In-Line Kilovoltage Imaging System and Implementation in Treatment Planning

Purpose: To present the beam properties of the Siemens 70-kV and 121-kV linear accelerator-mounted imaging modalities and commissioning of the 121-kV beam in the Philips Pinnacle treatment planning system (TPS); measurements in an Alderson phantom were performed for verification of the model and to estimate the cone-beam CT (CBCT) imaging dose in the head and neck, thorax, and pelvis. Methods and Materials: The beam profiles and depth–dose curve were measured in an acrylic phantom using thermoluminescent dosimeters and a soft x-ray ionization chamber. Measurements were imported into the TPS, modeled, and verified by phantom measurements. Results: Modeling of the profiles and the depth–dose curve can be achieved with good quality. Comparison with the measurements in the Alderson phantom is generally good; only very close to bony structures is the dose underestimated by the TPS. For a 200° arc CBCT of the head and neck, a maximum dose of 7 mGy is measured; the thorax and pelvis 360° CBCTs give doses of 4-10 mGy and 7-15 mGy, respectively. Conclusions: Dosimetric characteristics of the Siemens kVision imaging modalities are presented and modeled in the Pinnacle TPS. Thermoluminescent dosimeter measurements in the Alderson phantom agree well with the calculated TPS dose, validating the model and providing an estimate of the imaging dose for different protocols.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Multidose Stereotactic Radiosurgery (9 Gy × 3) of the Postoperative Resection Cavity for Treatment of Large Brain Metastases

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical outcomes with linear accelerator-based multidose stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) to large postoperative resection cavities in patients with large brain metastases. Methods and Materials: Between March 2005 to May 2012, 101 patients with a single brain metastasis were treated with surgery and multidose SRS (9 Gy × 3) for large resection cavities (>3 cm). The target volume was the resection cavity with the inclusion of a 2-mm margin. The median cavity volume was 17.5 cm{sup 3} (range, 12.6-35.7 cm{sup 3}). The primary endpoint was local control. Secondary endpoints were survival and distant failure rates, cause of death, performance measurements, and toxicity of treatment. Results: With a median follow-up of 16 months (range, 6-44 months), the 1-year and 2-year actuarial survival rates were 69% and 34%, respectively. The 1-year and 2-year local control rates were 93% and 84%, with respective incidences of new distant brain metastases of 50% and 66%. Local control was similar for radiosensitive (non-small cell lung cancer and breast cancer) and radioresistant (melanoma and renal cell cancer) brain metastases. On multivariate Cox analysis stable extracranial disease, breast cancer histology, and Karnofsky performance status >70 were associated with significant survival benefit. Brain radionecrosis occurred in 9 patients (9%), being symptomatic in 5 patients (5%). Conclusions: Adjuvant multidose SRS to resection cavity represents an effective treatment option that achieves excellent local control and defers the use of whole-brain radiation therapy in selected patients with large brain metastases.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Matching an H{sup –} beam into a radio frequency quadrupole at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory

A major component of work being carried out to upgrade the ISIS spallation neutron source at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) is the Front End Test Stand (FETS). FETS is aimed at improving the luminosity of the linac, and consists of a Penning ion source, Low Energy Beam Transport (LEBT), Radio Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ), and Medium Energy Beam Transport (MEBT). It may serve as a first part of the accelerator chain providing a 60 mA, 3 MeV H{sup –} beam up to a 10% duty cycle. The current output of the source and the transmission of the LEBT are reasonable, but there are issues with the alignment to provide a centred beam matched into the acceptance of the RFQ. Improvements have been made to the post acceleration to address this problem. Measurements with a collimated beam have been performed to understand the behaviour of the solenoids and steerer magnets. Comparing these results with simulations proved that, besides possible mechanical imperfections of the ion source and post acceleration assembly, agreement can only be achieved if the magnetic fields are distorted.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Numerical modeling of a proton spin-flipping system in the spin transparency mode at an integer spin resonance in JINR's Nuclotron

In this paper we propose a lattice insertion for the Nuclotron ring called a “spin navigator” that can adjust any direction of the proton polarization in the orbital plane using weak solenoids. The polarization control is realized in the spin transparency mode at the energy of 108 MeV, which corresponds to the integer spin resonance γ G = 2. The requirements on the navigator solenoid fields are specified considering the criteria for stability of the spin motion during any manipulation of the polarization direction in an experiment. Additionally, this paper presents the results of numerical modeling of the proton spin dynamics in the Nuclotron ring operated in the spin transparency mode. The verified spin navigator is aimed at an experimental study of a spin-flipping system using the Nuclotron ring. The results are relevant to the NICA (JINR), EIC (BNL) and COSY (FZJ) facilities where the spin transparency mode can be applied for polarization control.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

WE-G-17A-08: Electron Gun Operation for in Line MRI-Linac Configurations: An Assessment of Beam Fidelity and Recovery Techniques for Different SIDs and Magnetic Field Strengths

Purpose: To test the functionality of medical electron guns within the fringe field of a purpose built superconducting MRI magnet, and to test different recovery techniques for a variety of imaging field strengths and SIDs. Methods: Three different electron guns were simulated using Finite Element Modelling; a standard diode gun, a standard triode gun, and a novel diode gun designed to operate within parallel magnetic fields. The approximate working regime of each gun was established by assessing exit current in constant magnetic fields of varying strength and defining ‘working’ as less than 10% change in injection current. Next, the 1.0T MRI magnet was simulated within Comsol Multiphysics. The coil currents in this model were also scaled to produce field strengths of .5, 1, 1.5 and 3T. Various magnetic shield configurations were simulated, varying the SID from 800 to 1300mm. The average magnetic field within the gun region was assessed together with the distortion in the imaging volume - greater than 150uT distortion was considered unacceptable. Results: The conventional guns functioned in fields of less than 7.5mT. Conversely, the redesigned diode required fields greater than .1T to function correctly. Magnetic shielding was feasible for SIDS of greater than 1000mm for field strengths of .5T and 1T, and 1100mm for 1.5 and 3.0T. Beyond these limits shielding resulted in unacceptable MRI distortion. In contrast, the redesigned diode could perform acceptably for SIDs of less than 812, 896, 931, and 974mm for imaging strengths of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 3.0T. Conclusions: For in-line MRIlinac configurations where the electron gun is operating in low field regions, shielding is a straight forward option. However, as magnetic field strength increases and the SID is reduced, shielding results in too great a distortion in the MRI and redesigning the electron optics is the preferable solution. The authors would like to acknowledge funding from the National Health and Research Council (AUS), National Institute of Health (NIH), and Cancer Institute NSW.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

SU-G-BRB-04: Automated Output Factor Measurements Using Continuous Data Logging for Linac Commissioning

Purpose: Linac commissioning is a time consuming and labor intensive process, the streamline of which is highly desirable. In particular, manual measurement of output factors for a variety of field sizes and energy greatly hinders the commissioning efficiency. In this study, automated measurement of output factors was demonstrated as ‘one-click’ using data logging of an electrometer. Methods: Beams to be measured were created in the recording and verifying (R&V) system and configured for continuous delivery. An electrometer with an automatic data logging feature enabled continuous data collection for all fields without human intervention. The electrometer saved data into a spreadsheet every 0.5 seconds. A Matlab program was developed to analyze the excel data to monitor and check the data quality. Results: For each photon energy, output factors were measured for five configurations, including open field and four wedges. Each configuration includes 72 fields sizes, ranging from 4×4 to 20×30 cm{sup 2}. Using automation, it took 50 minutes to complete the measurement of 72 field sizes, in contrast to 80 minutes when using the manual approach. The automation avoided the necessity of redundant Linac status checks between fields as in the manual approach. In fact, the only limiting factor in such automation is Linac overheating. The data collection beams in the R&V system are reusable, and the simplified process is less error-prone. In addition, our Matlab program extracted the output factors faithfully from data logging, and the discrepancy between the automatic and manual measurement is within ±0.3%. For two separate automated measurements 30 days apart, consistency check shows a discrepancy within ±1% for 6MV photon with a 60 degree wedge. Conclusion: Automated output factor measurements can save time by 40% when compared with conventional manual approach. This work laid ground for further improvement for the automation of Linac commissioning.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗