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At least 19 records

Extending molecular simulation time scales: Parallel in time integrations for high-level quantum chemistry and complex force representations

Parallel in time simulation algorithms are presented and applied to conventional molecular dynamics (MD) and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) models of realistic complexity. Assuming that a forward time integrator, f (e.g., Verlet algorithm), is available to propagate the system from time t{sub i} (trajectory positions and velocities x{sub i} = (r{sub i}, v{sub i})) to time t{sub i+1} (x{sub i+1}) by x{sub i+1} = f{sub i}(x{sub i}), the dynamics problem spanning an interval from t{sub 0}…t{sub M} can be transformed into a root finding problem, F(X) = [x{sub i} − f(x{sub (i−1})]{sub i} {sub =1,M} = 0, for the trajectory variables. The root finding problem is solved using a variety of root finding techniques, including quasi-Newton and preconditioned quasi-Newton schemes that are all unconditionally convergent. The algorithms are parallelized by assigning a processor to each time-step entry in the columns of F(X). The relation of this approach to other recently proposed parallel in time methods is discussed, and the effectiveness of various approaches to solving the root finding problem is tested. We demonstrate that more efficient dynamical models based on simplified interactions or coarsening time-steps provide preconditioners for the root finding problem. However, for MD and AIMD simulations, such preconditioners are not required to obtain reasonable convergence and their cost must be considered in the performance of the algorithm. The parallel in time algorithms developed are tested by applying them to MD and AIMD simulations of size and complexity similar to those encountered in present day applications. These include a 1000 Si atom MD simulation using Stillinger-Weber potentials, and a HCl + 4H{sub 2}O AIMD simulation at the MP2 level. The maximum speedup ((serial execution time)/(parallel execution time) ) obtained by parallelizing the Stillinger-Weber MD simulation was nearly 3.0. For the AIMD MP2 simulations, the algorithms achieved speedups of up to 14.3. The parallel in time algorithms can be implemented in a distributed computing environment using very slow transmission control protocol/Internet protocol networks. Scripts written in Python that make calls to a precompiled quantum chemistry package (NWChem) are demonstrated to provide an actual speedup of 8.2 for a 2.5 ps AIMD simulation of HCl + 4H{sub 2}O at the MP2/6-31G* level. Implemented in this way these algorithms can be used for long time high-level AIMD simulations at a modest cost using machines connected by very slow networks such as WiFi, or in different time zones connected by the Internet. The algorithms can also be used with programs that are already parallel. Using these algorithms, we are able to reduce the cost of a MP2/6-311++G(2d,2p) simulation that had reached its maximum possible speedup in the parallelization of the electronic structure calculation from 32 s/time step to 6.9 s/time step.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

CHERENCUBE: Concept definition and implementation challenges of a Cherenkov-based detector block for PET

Purpose: A new concept for a depth-of-interaction (DOI) capable time-of-flight (TOF) PET detector is defined, based only on the detection of Cherenkov photons. The proposed “CHERENCUBE” consists of a cubic Cherenkov radiator with position-sensitive photodetectors covering each crystal face. By means of the spatial distribution of the detected photons and their time of arrival, the point of interaction of the gamma-ray in the crystal can be determined. This study analyzes through theoretical calculations and Monte Carlo simulations the potential advantages of the concept toward reaching a Cherenkov-only detector for TOF-PET with DOI capability. Furthermore, an algorithm for the DOI estimation is presented and the requirements for a practical implementation of the proposed concept are defined. Methods: The Monte Carlo simulations consisted of a cubic crystal with one photodetector coupled to each one of the faces of the cube. The sensitive area of the detector matched exactly the crystal size, which was varied in 1 mm steps between 1 × 1 × 1 mm{sup 3} and 10 × 10 × 10 mm{sup 3}. For each size, five independent simulations of ten thousand 511 keV gamma-rays were triggered at a fixed distance of 10 mm. The crystal chosen was PbWO{sub 4}. Its scintillation properties were simulated, but only Cherenkov photons were analyzed. Photodetectors were simulated having perfect photodetection efficiency and infinite time resolution. For every generated particle, the analysis considered its creation process, parent and daughter particles, energy, origin coordinates, trajectory, and time and position of detection. The DOI determination is based on the distribution of the emission time of all photons per event. These values are calculated as a function of the coordinates of detection and origin for every photon. The common origin is estimated by finding the distribution with the most similar emission time-points. Results: Detection efficiency increases with crystal size from 8.2% (1 × 1 × 1 mm{sup 3}) to 58.6% (10 × 10 × 10 mm{sup 3}) and decreases applying a photon detection threshold of 5/10/20 photons to 6.3%/4.3%/0.7% and 49.3%/30.4%/2.8%, respectively. The detection rate in the six photodetectors is uniform due to the nearly isotropic cone emission. Most cones originated after a photoelectric effect interaction, with two dominating peaks for the kinetic energy of the electron at 422.99 and 441.47 keV. The detection distance between same-event photons defines the spatial resolution of the detector required for individual photon recognition, with 20% of the detected photons having their closest neighbor within a distance of 5% of the length of the cube. Same-event photons are detected within a time window whose width is determined by the crystal size, with values of 30 and 150 ps for a 1 × 1 × 1 mm{sup 3} and a 10 × 10 × 10 mm{sup 3} cube, respectively. The DOI reconstruction has an accuracy of approximately 23% of the length of the cube, with an average value of 2.2 mm for a 10 × 10 × 10 mm{sup 3} CHERENCUBE. Conclusions: The proposed concept requires a detector with high photodetection efficiency. The structure of the sensitive surface of the detector should be a two dimensional array of microcells, able to provide individual detection coordinates and time stamps. The microcell size determines the ability to recognize individual photons, influencing detection efficiency. The 3D DOI recognition relies on the accuracy of the time stamps and detection coordinates, without the need for a recognition of the projected patterns of photons. The refractive index of the material defines a detector intrinsic energy-based rejection of scattered PET events at the cost of reduced sensitivity.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Dissipative quantum trajectories in complex space: Damped harmonic oscillator

Dissipative quantum trajectories in complex space are investigated in the framework of the logarithmic nonlinear Schrödinger equation. The logarithmic nonlinear Schrödinger equation provides a phenomenological description for dissipative quantum systems. Substituting the wave function expressed in terms of the complex action into the complex-extended logarithmic nonlinear Schrödinger equation, we derive the complex quantum Hamilton–Jacobi equation including the dissipative potential. It is shown that dissipative quantum trajectories satisfy a quantum Newtonian equation of motion in complex space with a friction force. Exact dissipative complex quantum trajectories are analyzed for the wave and solitonlike solutions to the logarithmic nonlinear Schrödinger equation for the damped harmonic oscillator. These trajectories converge to the equilibrium position as time evolves. It is indicated that dissipative complex quantum trajectories for the wave and solitonlike solutions are identical to dissipative complex classical trajectories for the damped harmonic oscillator. This study develops a theoretical framework for dissipative quantum trajectories in complex space.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

ANALYZING METEOROID FLIGHTS USING PARTICLE FILTERS

Fireball observations from camera networks provide position and time information along the trajectory of a meteoroid that is transiting our atmosphere. The complete dynamical state of the meteoroid at each measured time can be estimated using Bayesian filtering techniques. A particle filter is a novel approach to modeling the uncertainty in meteoroid trajectories and incorporates errors in initial parameters, the dynamical model used, and observed position measurements. Unlike other stochastic approaches, a particle filter does not require predefined values for initial conditions or unobservable trajectory parameters. The Bunburra Rockhole fireball, observed by the Australian Desert Fireball Network (DFN) in 2007, is used to determine the effectiveness of a particle filter for use in fireball trajectory modeling. The final mass is determined to be 2.16±1.33 kg with a final velocity of 6030±216 m s{sup −1}, similar to previously calculated values. The full automatability of this approach will allow an unbiased evaluation of all events observed by the DFN and lead to a better understanding of the dynamical state and size frequency distribution of asteroid and cometary debris in the inner solar system.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Time dependent semiclassical tunneling through one dimensional barriers using only real valued trajectories

The time independent semiclassical treatment of barrier tunneling has been understood for a very long time. Several semiclassical approaches to time dependent tunneling through barriers have also been presented. These typically involve trajectories for which the position variable is a complex function of time. In this paper, a method is presented that uses only real valued trajectories, thus avoiding the complications that can arise when complex trajectories are employed. This is accomplished by expressing the time dependent wave packet as an integration over momentum. The action function in the exponent in this expression is expanded to second order in the momentum. The expansion is around the momentum, p{sub 0{sup *}}, at which the derivative of the real part of the action is zero. The resulting Gaussian integral is then taken. The stationary phase approximation requires that the derivative of the full action is zero at the expansion point, and this leads to a complex initial momentum and complex tunneling trajectories. The “pseudo-stationary phase” approximation employed in this work results in real values for the initial momentum and real valued trajectories. The transmission probabilities obtained are found to be in good agreement with exact quantum results.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Crossing the dividing surface of transition state theory. II. Recrossing times for the atom–diatom interaction

We consider a triatomic system with zero total angular momentum and demonstrate that, no matter how complicated the anharmonic part of the potential energy function, classical dynamics in the vicinity of a saddle point is constrained by symmetry properties. At short times and at not too high energies, recrossing dynamics is largely determined by elementary local structural parameters and thus can be described in configuration space only. Conditions for recrossing are given in the form of inequalities involving structural parameters only. Explicit expressions for recrossing times, valid for microcanonical ensembles, are shown to obey interesting regularities. In a forward reaction, when the transition state is nonlinear and tight enough, one-fourth of the trajectories are expected to recross the plane R = R{sub *} (where R{sub *} denotes the position of the saddle point) within a short time. Another fourth of them are expected to have previously recrossed at a short negative time, i.e., close to the saddle point. These trajectories do not contribute to the reaction rate. The reactive trajectories that obey the transition state model are to be found in the remaining half. However, no conclusion can be derived for them, except that if recrossings occur, then they must either take place in the distant future or already have taken place in the remote past, i.e., far away from the saddle point. Trajectories that all cross the plane R = R{sub *} at time t = 0, with the same positive translational momentum P{sub R{sub *}} can be partitioned into two sets, distinguished by the parity of their initial conditions; both sets have the same average equation of motion up to and including terms cubic in time. Coordination is excellent in the vicinity of the saddle point but fades out at long (positive or negative) times, i.e., far away from the transition state.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Probing multirescattering dynamics and electron quantum paths for below- and near-threshold harmonic generation of H 2 in an intense laser field

Most previous studies of high-order-harmonic generation have focused on the regime beyond the ionization threshold; the dynamical origin of below- and near-threshold harmonics, particularly for the molecular systems, is less understood and largely unexplored. Here, we report a self-interaction free time-dependent density-functional-theory study along with an extended semiclassical study for the nonperturbative probing of the dynamical origin of below- and near-threshold harmonic generation of the H 2 molecule in an intense near-infrared laser field. Our approach allows an accurate study of the electron trajectories as a function of energy, time, and position for below-, near-, and above-threshold harmonics for electrons departing initially from each of the individual hydrogen cores of the H 2 molecule. We discover that short trajectories are multiphoton dominated and can have multiple returns for below-threshold harmonics, and excited-state resonances can have significant effects on the generation of neighboring below-threshold harmonics. Furthermore, we find that the electron dynamics for below-threshold long, short, and resonant trajectories differ greatly depending upon which hydrogen core (left or right) the electron was released from initially. An intuitive and appealing picture of near- and below-threshold harmonic generation discovered in our study can give guidance to future experiments in this forefront area of ultrafast atomic, molecular, and optical physics.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Trajectory analysis with geometric features

Described herein are various technologies pertaining to extracting one or more features from trajectory data recorded during motion of a body, and further, generating a n-dimensional feature vector based upon the one or more extracted features. The n-dimensional feature vector enables expedited analysis of the trajectory data from which the feature vector was generated. For example, rather than having to analyze a trajectory curve comprising a large number of time-position data points, the n-dimensional feature vector can be compared with one or more search parameters to facilitate clustering of the trajectory data associated with the n-dimensional feature vector with other trajectory data which also satisfies the search request. The trajectory data can be plotted on a screen in combination with the n-dimensional feature vector, and other pertinent information. The trajectory data, etc., can be displayed using heat maps or other graphical representation.

Wilson, Andrew T.↗

Trajectory prediction via a feature vector approach

Described herein are various technologies pertaining to extracting one or more features from trajectory data recorded during motion of a body, and further, generating a n-dimensional feature vector based upon the one or more extracted features. The n-dimensional feature vector enables expedited analysis of the trajectory data from which the feature vector was generated. For example, rather than having to analyze a trajectory curve comprising a large number of time-position data points, the n-dimensional feature vector can be compared with one or more search parameters to facilitate clustering of the trajectory data associated with the n-dimensional feature vector with other trajectory data which also satisfies the search request. The trajectory data can be plotted on a screen in combination with the n-dimensional feature vector, and other pertinent information. The trajectory data, etc., can be displayed using heat maps or other graphical representation.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

TH-AB-202-05: BEST IN PHYSICS (JOINT IMAGING-THERAPY): First Online Ultrasound-Guided MLC Tracking for Real-Time Motion Compensation in Radiotherapy

Purpose: While MLC tracking has been successfully used for motion compensation of moving targets, current real-time target localization methods rely on correlation models with x-ray imaging or implanted electromagnetic transponders rather than direct target visualization. In contrast, ultrasound imaging yields volumetric data in real-time (4D) without ionizing radiation. We report the first results of online 4D ultrasound-guided MLC tracking in a phantom. Methods: A real-time tracking framework was installed on a 4D ultrasound station (Vivid7 dimension, GE) and used to detect a 2mm spherical lead marker inside a water tank. The volumetric frame rate was 21.3Hz (47ms). The marker was rigidly attached to a motion stage programmed to reproduce nine tumor trajectories (five prostate, four lung). The 3D marker position from ultrasound was used for real-time MLC aperture adaption. The tracking system latency was measured and compensated by prediction for lung trajectories. To measure geometric accuracy, anterior and lateral conformal fields with 10cm circular aperture were delivered for each trajectory. The tracking error was measured as the difference between marker position and MLC aperture in continuous portal imaging. For dosimetric evaluation, 358° VMAT fields were delivered to a biplanar diode array dosimeter using the same trajectories. Dose measurements with and without MLC tracking were compared to a static reference dose using a 3%/3 mm γ-test. Results: The tracking system latency was 170ms. The mean root-mean-square tracking error was 1.01mm (0.75mm prostate, 1.33mm lung). Tracking reduced the mean γ-failure rate from 13.9% to 4.6% for prostate and from 21.8% to 0.6% for lung with high-modulation VMAT plans and from 5% (prostate) and 18% (lung) to 0% with low modulation. Conclusion: Real-time ultrasound tracking was successfully integrated with MLC tracking for the first time and showed similar accuracy and latency as other methods while holding the potential to measure target motion non-invasively. SI was supported by the Graduate School for Computing in Medicine and Life Science, German Excellence Initiative [grant DFG GSC 235/1].

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Muon reconstruction in the Daya Bay water pools

Muon reconstruction in the Daya Bay water pools would serve to verify the simulated muon fluxes and offer the possibility of studying cosmic muons in general. This reconstruction is, however, complicated by many optical obstacles and the small coverage of photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) as compared to other large water Cherenkov detectors. The PMTs’ timing information is useful only in the case of direct, unreflected Cherenkov light. This requires PMTs to be added and removed as an hypothesized muon trajectory is iteratively improved, to account for the changing effects of obstacles and direction of light. Therefore, muon reconstruction in the Daya Bay water pools does not lend itself to a general fitting procedure employing smoothly varying functions with continuous derivatives. Here, we describe an algorithm which overcomes these complications. It employs the method of Least Mean Squares to determine an hypothesized trajectory from the PMTs’ charge-weighted positions. This initially hypothesized trajectory is then iteratively refined using the PMTs’ timing information. Reconstructions with simulated data reproduce the simulated trajectory to within about 5° in direction and about 45 cm in position at the pool surface, with a bias that tends to pull tracks away from the vertical by about 3°.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Chaotic and integrable magnetic fields in one-dimensional hybrid Vlasov–Maxwell equilibria

The construction of kinetic equilibrium states is important for studying stability and wave propagation in collisionless plasmas. Thus, many studies over the past decades have been focused on calculating Vlasov–Maxwell equilibria using analytical and numerical methods. However, the problem of kinetic equilibrium of hybrid models is less studied, and self-consistent treatments often adopt restrictive assumptions ruling out cases with irregular and chaotic behaviour, although such behaviour is observed in spacecraft observations of space plasmas. In this paper, we develop a one-dimensional (1-D), quasineutral, hybrid Vlasov–Maxwell equilibrium model with kinetic ions and massless fluid electrons and derive associated solutions. The model allows for an electrostatic potential that is expressed in terms of the vector potential components through the quasineutrality condition. The equilibrium states are calculated upon solving an inhomogeneous Beltrami equation that determines the magnetic field, where the inhomogeneous term is the current density of the kinetic ions and the homogeneous term represents the electron current density. We show that the corresponding 1-D system is Hamiltonian, with position playing the role of time, and its trajectories have a regular, periodic behaviour for ion distribution functions that are symmetric in the two conserved particle canonical momenta. For asymmetric distribution functions, the system is nonintegrable, resulting in irregular and chaotic behaviour of the fields. The electron current density can modify the magnetic field phase space structure, inducing orbit trapping and the organization of orbits into large islands of stability. Thus, the electron contribution can be responsible for the emergence of localized electric field structures that induce ion trapping. We also provide a paradigm for the analytical construction of hybrid equilibria using a rotating two-dimensional harmonic oscillator Hamiltonian, enabling the calculation of analytic magnetic fields and the construction of the corresponding distribution functions in terms of Hermite polynomials.

Kaltsas, Dimitrios A. (ORCID:0000000300769015)↗

Kilovoltage Intrafraction Monitoring for Prostate Intensity Modulated Arc Therapy: First Clinical Results

Purpose: Most linear accelerators purchased today are equipped with a gantry-mounted kilovoltage X-ray imager which is typically used for patient imaging prior to therapy. A novel application of the X-ray system is kilovoltage intrafraction monitoring (KIM), in which the 3-dimensional (3D) tumor position is determined during treatment. In this paper, we report on the first use of KIM in a prospective clinical study of prostate cancer patients undergoing intensity modulated arc therapy (IMAT). Methods and Materials: Ten prostate cancer patients with implanted fiducial markers undergoing conventionally fractionated IMAT (RapidArc) were enrolled in an ethics-approved study of KIM. KIM involves acquiring kV images as the gantry rotates around the patient during treatment. Post-treatment, markers in these images were segmented to obtain 2D positions. From the 2D positions, a maximum likelihood estimation of a probability density function was used to obtain 3D prostate trajectories. The trajectories were analyzed to determine the motion type and the percentage of time the prostate was displaced {>=}3, 5, 7, and 10 mm. Independent verification of KIM positional accuracy was performed using kV/MV triangulation. Results: KIM was performed for 268 fractions. Various prostate trajectories were observed (ie, continuous target drift, transient excursion, stable target position, persistent excursion, high-frequency excursions, and erratic behavior). For all patients, 3D displacements of {>=}3, 5, 7, and 10 mm were observed 5.6%, 2.2%, 0.7% and 0.4% of the time, respectively. The average systematic accuracy of KIM was measured at 0.46 mm. Conclusions: KIM for prostate IMAT was successfully implemented clinically for the first time. Key advantages of this method are (1) submillimeter accuracy, (2) widespread applicability, and (3) a low barrier to clinical implementation. A disadvantage is that KIM delivers additional imaging dose to the patient.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

SU-E-J-60: Evaluation of Temporal Lag in Radiotherapy Gating for Tumor Motion Trajectories

Purpose: Evaluating timing differences between LINAC beam ON/OFF and the estimation of tumor positioning using gating systems is essential for establishing confidence when treating with gating during radiotherapy, and is an annual requirement of TG-142. Temporal discrepancies between the trajectories of external marker surrogates and beam delivery may vary depending upon the type of external marker motion, which is quantified in this work for several trajectories. Methods: A precise robotic 3D motion stage performed several trajectories typically used for gating phantoms, including sinusoidal and Lujan-type motion; a commercial respiratory motion simulator was also employed. The true motions were monitored using variable resistors. The beam ON/OFF was controlled separately by two RPM (Varian) systems, an integrated version delivered by a Varian Truebeam LINAC and version 1.6 delivered by a Varian Trilogy, and measured using a diode. The resistor and diode signals were read by a multichannel digital oscilloscope, and timing differences between beam ON/OFF as measured by the diode and the phantom motion were determined using a peak detection algorithm. Results: Timing differences between beam ON/OFF and 3D stage motion peaks (diode—true motion timing) were computed to be 79.4 & 57.7ms for sinusoidal motion and 109.1 & 63.6ms for Lujan-type motion on the Truebeam LINAC, for beam ON and OFF, respectively. Timing differences for the Trilogy LINAC were 34.4 & 55.2ms for the sinusoidal motion and 29.0 & 26.3ms for the Lujan-type motion, for beam ON and OFF, respectively. With the commercial motion simulator, the timing differences were found to be −9ms and −78ms for beam ON/OFF, respectively, with the Truebeam, and −97.6ms and −60.9ms for beam ON/OFF, respectively, with the Trilogy. Conclusion: Setup-dependent temporal lags were found using this methodology. These discrepancies have the potential to influence quality assurance on gating systems and ultimately the treatment dose during radiotherapy. NIH National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering grant T32 EB002103-21.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Sensitivity of back‐projection algorithm (BPA) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image formation to initial position, velocity, and attitude navigation errors

Abstract The Back‐Projection Algorithm (BPA) is a time‐domain‐matched filtering technique to form synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. To produce high‐quality BPA images, precise navigation data for the radar platform must be known. Errors in position, velocity, or attitude result in improperly formed images that are corrupted by shifting and blurring. The contribution of this paper is the development of analytical expressions that characterise the relationship between navigation errors and image formation errors from an inertial navigation point of view, where trajectory estimation errors in position, velocity, and attitude propagate through time and cause compounding errors in the vehicle state vector. These analytical expressions are verified via simulated image formation and real‐data image formation.

Lindstrom, Colton↗

SU-E-P-13: Quantifying the Geometric Error Due to Irregular Motion in Four-Dimensional Computed Tomography (4DCT)

Purpose: Respiratory correlated 4DCT images are generated under the assumption of a regular breathing cycle. This study evaluates the error in 4DCT-based target position estimation in the presence of irregular respiratory motion. Methods: A custom-made programmable externally-and internally-deformable lung motion phantom was placed inside the CT bore. An abdominal pressure belt was placed around the phantom to mimic clinical 4DCT acquisitio and the motion platform was programmed with a sinusoidal (±10mm, 10 cycles per minute) motion trace and 7 motion traces recorded from lung cancer patients. The same setup and motion trajectories were repeated in the linac room and kV fluoroscopic images were acquired using the on-board imager. Positions of 4 internal markers segmented from the 4DCT volumes were overlaid upon the motion trajectories derived from the fluoroscopic time series to calculate the difference between estimated (4DCT) and “actual” (kV fluoro) positions. Results: With a sinusoidal trace, absolute errors of the 4DCT estimated markers positions vary between 0.78mm and 5.4mm and RMS errors are between 0.38mm to 1.7mm. With irregular patient traces, absolute errors of the 4DCT estimated markers positions increased significantly by 100 to 200 percent, while the corresponding RMS error values have much smaller changes. Significant mismatches were frequently found at peak-inhale or peak-exhale phase. Conclusion: As expected, under conditions of well-behaved, periodic sinusoidal motion, the 4DCT yielded much better estimation of marker positions. When an actual patient trace is used 4DCT-derived positions showed significant mismatches with the fluoroscopic trajectories, indicating the potential for geometric and therefore dosimetric errors in the presence of cycle-to-cycle respiratory variations.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

First evaluation of the feasibility of MLC tracking using ultrasound motion estimation

Purpose: To quantify the performance of the Clarity ultrasound (US) imaging system (Elekta AB, Stockholm, Sweden) for real-time dynamic multileaf collimator (MLC) tracking. Methods: The Clarity calibration and quality assurance phantom was mounted on a motion platform moving with a periodic sine wave trajectory. The detected position of a 30 mm hypoechogenic sphere within the phantom was continuously reported via Clarity’s real-time streaming interface to an in-house tracking and delivery software and subsequently used to adapt the MLC aperture. A portal imager measured MV treatment field/MLC apertures and motion platform positions throughout each experiment to independently quantify system latency and geometric error. Based on the measured range of latency values, a prostate stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) delivery was performed with three realistic motion trajectories. The dosimetric impact of system latency on MLC tracking was directly measured using a 3D dosimeter mounted on the motion platform. Results: For 2D US imaging, the overall system latency, including all delay times from the imaging and delivery chain, ranged from 392 to 424 ms depending on the lateral sector size. For 3D US imaging, the latency ranged from 566 to 1031 ms depending on the elevational sweep. The latency-corrected geometric root-mean squared error was below 0.75 mm (2D US) and below 1.75 mm (3D US). For the prostate SBRT delivery, the impact of a range of system latencies (400–1000 ms) on the MLC tracking performance was minimal in terms of gamma failure rate. Conclusions: Real-time MLC tracking based on a noninvasive US input is technologically feasible. Current system latencies are higher than those for x-ray imaging systems, but US can provide full volumetric image data and the impact of system latency was measured to be small for a prostate SBRT case when using a US-like motion input.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Seismic Recovery of Acoustic Source Height During the OSIRIS-REx Sample Return Capsule Re-Entry

Controlled hypersonic reentries with well‐constrained trajectories are exceedingly rare, yet they provide valuable reference cases for validating geophysical source characterization methods applicable to bolides and space debris. The 24 September 2023 re‐entry of the OSIRIS‐REx Sample Return Capsule, the first interplanetary capsule to return over the contiguous United States in nearly two decades, presented such an opportunity. Here, we present seismic observations of this event recorded at 16 stations across three sites at ground distances of 7–20 km from the trajectory. Using eigenray tracing through ground‐to‐space atmospheric specifications, we invert picked acoustic‐to‐seismic travel times for effective shock‐generated acoustic source altitudes along the known trajectory. The method recovers source heights of 57.9–59.5 km with travel‐time residuals <1 s across all stations. The seismic‐derived source heights, when compared at their along‐track positions, fall within the range of previously published infrasound‐derived heights for the corresponding trajectory segment, with intermethod differences comparable with the timing‐based uncertainty. These results suggest that air‐to‐ground coupling does not introduce a resolvable systematic timing bias in the picked near‐field seismic arrivals, supporting seismic observations as a complementary tool for altitude estimation of bolides, re‐entry vehicles, and other hypersonic atmospheric sources.

Silber, Elizabeth Allaryce [Sandia National Labora↗