Effects of turbulence, resistivity and boundary conditions on helicoidal flow collimation: Consequences for the Von-Kármán-Sodium dynamo experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varela, J.; Brun, S.; Dubrulle, B.; Nore, C.

2017-05-01

We present hydrodynamic and magneto-hydrodynamic simulations of a liquid sodium flow using the compressible MHD code PLUTO to investigate the magnetic field regeneration in the Von-Kármán-Sodium dynamo experiment. The aim of the study is to analyze the influence of the fluid resistivity and turbulence level on the collimation by helicoidal motions of a remnant magnetic field. We use a simplified Cartesian geometry to represent the flow dynamics in the vicinity of one cavity of a multi-blades impeller inspired by those used in the Von-Kármán-Sodium (VKS) experiment. We perform numerical simulations with kinetic Reynolds numbers up to 1000 for magnetic Prandtl numbers between 30 and 0.1. Our study shows that perfect ferromagnetic walls favour enhanced collimation of flow and magnetic fields even if the turbulence degree of the model increases. More specifically, the location of the helicoidal coherent vortex in between the blades changes with the impinging velocity. It becomes closer to the upstream blade and the impeller base if the flow incident angle is analogous to the TM73 impeller configuration rotating in the unscooping direction. This result is also obtained at higher kinetic Reynolds numbers when the helicoidal vortex undergoes a precessing motion, leading to a reinforced effect in the vortex evolution and in the magnetic field collimation when using again perfect ferromagnetic boundary conditions. Configurations with different materials used for the impeller blades and the impeller base confirm a larger enhancement of the magnetic field when perfect ferromagnetic boundary conditions are used compared with the perfect conductor case, although smaller compared to a perfect ferromagnetic impeller, as it was observed in the VKS experiment. We further estimate the efficiency of a hypothetical dynamo loop occurring in the vicinity of the impeller and discuss the relevance of our findings in the context of mean field dynamo theory.

Hard gamma-ray background from the coding collimator of a gamma-ray telescope during in conditions of a space experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aleksandrov, A. P.; Berezovoj, A. N.; Gal'Per, A. M.; Grachev, V. M.; Dmitrenko, V. V.; Kirillov-Ugryumov, V. G.; Lebedev, V. V.; Lyakhov, V. A.; Moiseev, A. A.; Ulin, S. E.; Shchvets, N. I.

1984-11-01

Coding collimators are used to improve the angular resolution of gamma-ray telescopes at energies above 50 MeV. However, the interaction of cosmic rays with the collimator material can lead to the appearance of a gramma-ray background flux which can have a deleterious effect on measurement efficiency. An experiment was performed on the Salyut-6-Soyuz spacecraft system with the Elena-F small-scale gamma-ray telescope in order to measure the magnitude of this background. It is shown that, even at a zenith angle of approximately zero degrees (the angle at which the gamma-ray observations are made), the coding collimator has only an insignificant effect on the background conditions.

Monte Carlo design of optimal wire mesh collimator for breast tumor imaging process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saad, W. H. M.; Roslan, R. E.; Mahdi, M. A.; Choong, W.-S.; Saion, E.; Saripan, M. I.

2011-08-01

This paper presents the modeling of breast tumor imaging process using wire mesh collimator gamma camera. Previous studies showed that the wire mesh collimator has a potential to improve the sensitivity of the tumor detection. In this paper, we extend our research significantly, to find an optimal configuration of the wire mesh collimator specifically for semi-compressed breast tumor detection, by looking into four major factors: weight, sensitivity, spatial resolution and tumor contrast. The numbers of layers in the wire mesh collimator is varied to optimize the collimator design. The statistical variations of the results are studied by simulating multiple realizations for each experiment using different starting random numbers. All the simulation environments are modeled using Monte Carlo N-Particle Code (MCNP). The quality of the detection is measured directly by comparing the sensitivity, spatial resolution and tumor contrast of the images produced by the wire mesh collimator and benchmarked that with a standard multihole collimator. The proposed optimal configuration of the wire mesh collimator is optimized by selecting the number of layers in wire mesh collimator, where the tumor contrast shows a relatively comparable value to the multihole collimator, when it is tested with uniformly semi-compressed breast phantom. The wire mesh collimator showed higher number of sensitivity because of its loose arrangement while the spatial resolution of wire mesh collimator does not shows much different compared to the multihole collimator. With a relatively good tumor contrast and spatial resolution, and increased in sensitivity, a new proposed wire mesh collimator gives a significant improvement in the wire mesh collimator design for breast cancer imaging process. The proposed collimator configuration is reduced to 44.09% from the total multihole collimator weight.

Evaluating Red Reflex and Surgeon Preference Between Nearly-Collimated and Focused Beam Microscope Illumination Systems

PubMed Central

Cionni, Robert J.; Pei, Ron; Dimalanta, Ramon; Lubeck, David

2015-01-01

Purpose To evaluate the intensity and stability of the red reflex produced by ophthalmic surgical microscopes with nearly-collimated versus focused illumination systems and to assess surgeon preference in a simulated surgical setting. Methods This two-part evaluation consisted of postproduction surgical video analysis of red reflex intensity and a microscope use and preference survey completed by 13 experienced cataract surgeons. Survey responses were based on bench testing and experience in a simulated surgical setting. A microscope with nearly-collimated beam illumination and two focused beam microscopes were assessed. Results Red reflex intensity and stability were greater with the nearly-collimated microscope illumination system. In the bench testing survey, surgeons reported that the red reflex was maintained over significantly greater distances away from pupillary center, and depth of focus was numerically greater with nearly-collimated illumination relative to focused illumination. Most participating surgeons (≥64%) reported a preference for the microscope with nearly-collimated illumination with regard to red reflex stability, depth of focus, visualization, surgical working distance, and perceived patient comfort. Conclusions The microscope with nearly-collimated illumination produced a more intense and significantly more stable red reflex and was preferred overall by more surgeons. Translational Relevance This is the first report of an attempt to quantify red reflex intensity and stability and to evaluate surgically-relevant parameters between microscope systems. The data and methods presented here may provide a basis for future studies attempting to quantify differences between surgical microscopes that may affect surgeon preference and microscope use in ophthalmic surgery. PMID:26290778

Anatomically shaped cranial collimation (ACC) for lateral cephalometric radiography: a technical report.

PubMed

Hoogeveen, R C; van der Stelt, P F; Berkhout, W E R

2014-01-01

Lateral cephalograms in orthodontic practice display an area cranial of the base of the skull that is not required for diagnostic evaluation. Attempts have been made to reduce the radiation dose to the patient using collimators combining the shielding of the areas above the base of the skull and below the mandible. These so-called "wedge-shaped" collimators have not become standard equipment in orthodontic offices, possibly because these collimators were not designed for today's combination panoramic-cephalometric imaging systems. It also may be that the anatomical variability of the area below the mandible makes this area unsuitable for standardized collimation. In addition, a wedge-shaped collimator shields the cervical vertebrae; therefore, assessment of skeletal maturation, which is based on the stage of development of the cervical vertebrae, cannot be performed. In this report, we describe our investigations into constructing a collimator to be attached to the cephalostat and shield the cranial area of the skull, while allowing the visualization of diagnostically relevant structures and markedly reducing the size of the irradiated area. The shape of the area shielded by this "anatomically shaped cranial collimator" (ACC) was based on mean measurements of cephalometric landmarks of 100 orthodontic patients. It appeared that this collimator reduced the area of irradiation by almost one-third without interfering with the imaging system or affecting the quality of the image. Further research is needed to validate the clinical efficacy of the collimator.

Benchmarking the MCNP code for Monte Carlo modelling of an in vivo neutron activation analysis system.

PubMed

Natto, S A; Lewis, D G; Ryde, S J

1998-01-01

The Monte Carlo computer code MCNP (version 4A) has been used to develop a personal computer-based model of the Swansea in vivo neutron activation analysis (IVNAA) system. The model included specification of the neutron source (252Cf), collimators, reflectors and shielding. The MCNP model was 'benchmarked' against fast neutron and thermal neutron fluence data obtained experimentally from the IVNAA system. The Swansea system allows two irradiation geometries using 'short' and 'long' collimators, which provide alternative dose rates for IVNAA. The data presented here relate to the short collimator, although results of similar accuracy were obtained using the long collimator. The fast neutron fluence was measured in air at a series of depths inside the collimator. The measurements agreed with the MCNP simulation within the statistical uncertainty (5-10%) of the calculations. The thermal neutron fluence was measured and calculated inside the cuboidal water phantom. The depth of maximum thermal fluence was 3.2 cm (measured) and 3.0 cm (calculated). The width of the 50% thermal fluence level across the phantom at its mid-depth was found to be the same by both MCNP and experiment. This benchmarking exercise has given us a high degree of confidence in MCNP as a tool for the design of IVNAA systems.

Experimental results from magnetized-jet experiments executed at the Jupiter Laser Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manuel, M. J.-E.; Kuranz, C. C.; Rasmus, A. M.; Klein, S. R.; MacDonald, M. J.; Trantham, M. R.; Fein, J. R.; Belancourt, P. X.; Young, R. P.; Keiter, P. A.; Drake, R. P.; Pollock, B. B.; Park, J.; Hazi, A. U.; Williams, G. J.; Chen, H.

2015-12-01

Recent experiments at the Jupiter Laser Facility investigated magnetization effects on collimated plasma jets. Laser-irradiated plastic-cone-targets produced collimated, millimeter-scale plasma flows as indicated by optical interferometry. Proton radiography of these jets showed no indication of strong, self-generated magnetic fields, suggesting a dominantly hydrodynamic collimating mechanism. Targets were placed in a custom-designed solenoid capable of generating field strengths up to 5 T. Proton radiographs of the well-characterized B-field, without a plasma jet, suggested an external source of trapped electrons that affects proton trajectories. The background magnetic field was aligned with the jet propagation direction, as is the case in many astrophysical systems. Optical interferometry showed that magnetization of the plasma results in disruption of the collimated flow and instead produces a hollow cavity. This result is a topic of ongoing investigation.

A new type industrial total station based on target automatic collimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lao, Dabao; Zhou, Weihu; Ji, Rongyi; Dong, Dengfeng; Xiong, Zhi; Wei, Jiang

2018-01-01

In the case of industrial field measurement, the present measuring instruments work with manual operation and collimation, which give rise to low efficiency for field measurement. In order to solve the problem, a new type industrial total station is presented in this paper. The new instrument can identify and trace cooperative target automatically, in the mean time, coordinate of the target is measured in real time. For realizing the system, key technology including high precision absolutely distance measurement, small high accuracy angle measurement, target automatic collimation with vision, and quick precise controlling should be worked out. After customized system assemblage and adjustment, the new type industrial total station will be established. As the experiments demonstrated, the coordinate accuracy of the instrument is under 15ppm in the distance of 60m, which proved that the measuring system is feasible. The result showed that the total station can satisfy most industrial field measurement requirements.

Crystal collimator systems for high energy frontier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sytov, A. I.; Tikhomirov, V. V.; Lobko, A. S.

2017-07-01

Crystalline collimators can potentially considerably improve the cleaning performance of the presently used collimator systems using amorphous collimators. A crystal-based collimation scheme which relies on the channeling particle deflection in bent crystals has been proposed and extensively studied both theoretically and experimentally. However, since the efficiency of particle capture into the channeling regime does not exceed ninety percent, this collimation scheme partly suffers from the same leakage problems as the schemes using amorphous collimators. To improve further the cleaning efficiency of the crystal-based collimation system to meet the requirements of the FCC, we suggest here a double crystal-based collimation scheme, to which the second crystal is introduced to enhance the deflection of the particles escaping the capture to the channeling regime in its first crystal. The application of the effect of multiple volume reflection in one bent crystal and of the same in a sequence of crystals is simulated and compared for different crystal numbers and materials at the energy of 50 TeV. To enhance also the efficiency of use of the first crystal of the suggested double crystal-based scheme, we propose: the method of increase of the probability of particle capture into the channeling regime at the first crystal passage by means of fabrication of a crystal cut and the method of the amplification of nonchanneled particle deflection through the multiple volume reflection in one bent crystal, accompanying the particle channeling by a skew plane. We simulate both of these methods for the 50 TeV FCC energy.

Experimental results from magnetized-jet experiments executed at the Jupiter Laser Facility

DOE PAGES

Manuel, M. J. -E.; Kuranz, C. C.; Rasmus, A. M.; ...

2014-08-20

Recent experiments at the Jupiter Laser Facility investigated magnetization effects on collimated plasma jets. Laser-irradiated plastic-cone-targets produced collimated, millimeter-scale plasma flows as indicated by optical interferometry. Proton radiography of these jets showed no indication of strong, self-generated magnetic fields, suggesting a dominantly hydrodynamic collimating mechanism. Targets were placed in a custom-designed solenoid capable of generating field strengths up to 5 T. Proton radiographs of the well-characterized B-field, without a plasma jet, suggested an external source of trapped electrons that affects proton trajectories. The background magnetic field was aligned with the jet propagation direction, as is the case in many astrophysicalmore » systems. Optical interferometry showed that magnetization of the plasma results in disruption of the collimated flow and instead produces a hollow cavity. Furthermore, this result is a topic of ongoing investigation.« less

Experimental results from magnetized-jet experiments executed at the Jupiter Laser Facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Manuel, M. J. -E.; Kuranz, C. C.; Rasmus, A. M.

Recent experiments at the Jupiter Laser Facility investigated magnetization effects on collimated plasma jets. Laser-irradiated plastic-cone-targets produced collimated, millimeter-scale plasma flows as indicated by optical interferometry. Proton radiography of these jets showed no indication of strong, self-generated magnetic fields, suggesting a dominantly hydrodynamic collimating mechanism. Targets were placed in a custom-designed solenoid capable of generating field strengths up to 5 T. Proton radiographs of the well-characterized B-field, without a plasma jet, suggested an external source of trapped electrons that affects proton trajectories. The background magnetic field was aligned with the jet propagation direction, as is the case in many astrophysicalmore » systems. Optical interferometry showed that magnetization of the plasma results in disruption of the collimated flow and instead produces a hollow cavity. Furthermore, this result is a topic of ongoing investigation.« less

Modeling of beam-induced damage of the LHC tertiary collimators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quaranta, E.; Bertarelli, A.; Bruce, R.; Carra, F.; Cerutti, F.; Lechner, A.; Redaelli, S.; Skordis, E.; Gradassi, P.

2017-09-01

Modern hadron machines with high beam intensity may suffer from material damage in the case of large beam losses and even beam-intercepting devices, such as collimators, can be harmed. A systematic method to evaluate thresholds of damage owing to the impact of high energy particles is therefore crucial for safe operation and for predicting possible limitations in the overall machine performance. For this, a three-step simulation approach is presented, based on tracking simulations followed by calculations of energy deposited in the impacted material and hydrodynamic simulations to predict the thermomechanical effect of the impact. This approach is applied to metallic collimators at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC), which in standard operation intercept halo protons, but risk to be damaged in the case of extraction kicker malfunction. In particular, tertiary collimators protect the aperture bottlenecks, their settings constrain the reach in β* and hence the achievable luminosity at the LHC experiments. Our calculated damage levels provide a very important input on how close to the beam these collimators can be operated without risk of damage. The results of this approach have been used already to push further the performance of the present machine. The risk of damage is even higher in the upgraded high-luminosity LHC with higher beam intensity, for which we quantify existing margins before equipment damage for the proposed baseline settings.

Image Reconstruction for a Partially Collimated Whole Body PET Scanner

PubMed Central

Alessio, Adam M.; Schmitz, Ruth E.; MacDonald, Lawrence R.; Wollenweber, Scott D.; Stearns, Charles W.; Ross, Steven G.; Ganin, Alex; Lewellen, Thomas K.; Kinahan, Paul E.

2008-01-01

Partially collimated PET systems have less collimation than conventional 2-D systems and have been shown to offer count rate improvements over 2-D and 3-D systems. Despite this potential, previous efforts have not established image-based improvements with partial collimation and have not customized the reconstruction method for partially collimated data. This work presents an image reconstruction method tailored for partially collimated data. Simulated and measured sensitivity patterns are presented and provide a basis for modification of a fully 3-D reconstruction technique. The proposed method uses a measured normalization correction term to account for the unique sensitivity to true events. This work also proposes a modified scatter correction based on simulated data. Measured image quality data supports the use of the normalization correction term for true events, and suggests that the modified scatter correction is unnecessary. PMID:19096731

Image Reconstruction for a Partially Collimated Whole Body PET Scanner.

PubMed

Alessio, Adam M; Schmitz, Ruth E; Macdonald, Lawrence R; Wollenweber, Scott D; Stearns, Charles W; Ross, Steven G; Ganin, Alex; Lewellen, Thomas K; Kinahan, Paul E

2008-06-01

Partially collimated PET systems have less collimation than conventional 2-D systems and have been shown to offer count rate improvements over 2-D and 3-D systems. Despite this potential, previous efforts have not established image-based improvements with partial collimation and have not customized the reconstruction method for partially collimated data. This work presents an image reconstruction method tailored for partially collimated data. Simulated and measured sensitivity patterns are presented and provide a basis for modification of a fully 3-D reconstruction technique. The proposed method uses a measured normalization correction term to account for the unique sensitivity to true events. This work also proposes a modified scatter correction based on simulated data. Measured image quality data supports the use of the normalization correction term for true events, and suggests that the modified scatter correction is unnecessary.

A four mirror anastigmat collimator design for optical payload calibration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rolt, Stephen; Calcines, Ariadna; Lomanowski, Bart A.; Bramall, David G.

2016-07-01

We present here a four mirror anastigmatic optical collimator design intended for the calibration of an earth observation satellite instrument. Specifically, the collimator is to be applied to the ground based calibration of the Sentinel-4/UVN instrument. This imaging spectrometer instrument itself is expected to be deployed in 2019 in a geostationary orbit and will make spatially resolved spectroscopic measurements of atmospheric contaminants. The collimator is to be deployed during the ground based calibration only and does not form part of the instrument itself. The purpose of the collimator is to provide collimated light within the two instrument passbands in the UV-VIS (305 - 500 nm) and the NIR (750 - 775 nm). Moreover, that collimated light will be derived from a variety of slit like objects located at the input focal (object) plane of the collimator which is uniformly illuminated by a number of light sources. The collimator must relay these objects with exceptionally high fidelity. To this end, the wavefront error of the collimator should be less than 30 nm rms across the collimator field of view. This field is determined by the largest object which is a large rectangular slit, 4.4° x 0.25°. Other important considerations affecting the optical design are the requirements for input telecentricity and the size (85 mm) and location (2500 mm `back focal distance') of the exit pupil. The design of the instrument against these basic requirements is discussed in detail. In addition an analysis of the straylight and tolerancing is presented in detail.

Design Studies of a CZT-based Detector Combined with a Pixel-Geometry-Matching Collimator for SPECT Imaging.

PubMed

Weng, Fenghua; Bagchi, Srijeeta; Huang, Qiu; Seo, Youngho

2013-10-01

Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) suffers limited efficiency due to the need for collimators. Collimator properties largely decide the data statistics and image quality. Various materials and configurations of collimators have been investigated in many years. The main thrust of our study is to evaluate the design of pixel-geometry-matching collimators to investigate their potential performances using Geant4 Monte Carlo simulations. Here, a pixel-geometry-matching collimator is defined as a collimator which is divided into the same number of pixels as the detector's and the center of each pixel in the collimator is a one-to-one correspondence to that in the detector. The detector is made of Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT), which is one of the most promising materials for applications to detect hard X-rays and γ -rays due to its ability to obtain good energy resolution and high light output at room temperature. For our current project, we have designed a large-area, CZT-based gamma camera (20.192 cm×20.192 cm) with a small pixel pitch (1.60 mm). The detector is pixelated and hence the intrinsic resolution can be as small as the size of the pixel. Materials of collimator, collimator hole geometry, detection efficiency, and spatial resolution of the CZT detector combined with the pixel-matching collimator were calculated and analyzed under different conditions. From the simulation studies, we found that such a camera using rectangular holes has promising imaging characteristics in terms of spatial resolution, detection efficiency, and energy resolution.

Small field measurements with a novel silicon position sensitive diode array.

PubMed

Manolopoulos, S; Wojnecki, C; Hugtenburg, R; Jaafar Sidek, M A; Chalmers, G; Heyes, G; Green, S

2009-02-07

DOSI, a novel dosimeter based on position sensitive detectors for particle physics experiments, was used for relative clinical dosimetry measurements in small radiotherapy fields. The device is capable of dynamic measurements in real time and provides sub-millimetre spatial resolution. The basic beam data for a stereotactic radiotherapy collimator system (BrainLAB) using 6 MV photons were measured and compared with the corresponding data acquired with a small diamond detector and a PinPoint ionization chamber. All measurements showed an excellent agreement between DOSI and the diamond detector. There was an increasing discrepancy between the relative output factors (ROF) measured with DOSI and those measured with the ionization chamber with decreasing field size, specifically for collimators with a diameter smaller than 15 mm. The percentage depth doses (PDD) were in agreement to better than 1% for all depths. The agreement on off-axis ratios (OAR) was better than 3% for all collimators, whereas the agreement on relative output factors (ROF) was at the 1% level. DOSI's fast read-out electronics made it possible for all measurements to be recorded within 45 min including time to change collimators. This should reduce the overall time for commissioning and QA measurements, an important factor especially for busy radiotherapy departments.

Dose characteristics of in-house-built collimators for stereotactic radiotherapy with a linear accelerator.

PubMed

Norrgård, F S; Sipilä, P M; Kulmala, J A; Minn, H R

1998-06-01

Dose characteristics of a stereotactic radiotherapy unit based on a standard Varian Clinac 4/100 4 MV linear accelerator, in-house-built Lipowitz collimators and the SMART stereotactic radiotherapy treatment planning software have been determined. Beam collimation is constituted from the standard collimators of the linear accelerator and a tertiary collimation consisting of a replaceable divergent Lipowitz collimator. Four collimators with isocentre diameters of 15, 25, 35 and 45 mm, respectively, were constructed. Beam characteristics were measured in air, acrylic or water with ionization chamber, photon diode, electron diode, diamond detector and film. Monte Carlo simulation was also applied. The radiation leakage under the collimators was less than 1% at 50 mm depth in water. Specific beam characteristics for each collimator were imported to SMART and dose planning with five non-coplanar converging 140 degrees arcs separated by 36 degrees angles was performed for treatment of a RANDO phantom. Dose verification was made with TLD and radiochromic film. The in-house-built collimators were found to be suitable for stereotactic radiotherapy and patient treatments with this system are in progress.

Collimated autostereoscopic displays for cockpit applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eichenlaub, Jesse B.

1995-06-01

The use of an autostereoscopic display (a display that produces stereoscopic images that the user can see without wearing special glasses) for cockpit applications is now under investigation at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. DTI reported on this display, built for testing in a simulator, at last year's conference. It is believed, based on testing performed at NASA's Langley Research Center, that collimating this type of display will accrue benefits to the user including a grater useful imaging volume and more accurate stereo perception. DTI has therefore investigated the feasibility of collimating an autostereoscopic display, and has experimentally demonstrated a proof of concept model of such a display. As in the case of conventional displays, a collimated autostereoscopic display utilizes an optical element located one focal length from the surface of the image forming device. The presence of this element must be taken into account when designing the optics used to create the autostereoscopic images. The major design issues associated with collimated 2D displays are also associated with collimated autostereoscopic displays.

High Sensitivity SPECT for Small Animals and Plants

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mitchell, Gregory S.

Imaging systems using single gamma-ray emitting radioisotopes typically implement collimators in order to form the images. However, a tradeoff in sensitivity is inherent in the use of collimators, and modern preclinical single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) systems detect a very small fraction of emitted gamma-rays (<0.3%). We have built a collimator-less system, which can reach sensitivity of 40% for 99mTc imaging, while still producing images of sufficient spatial resolution for certain applications in thin objects such as mice, small plants, and well plates used for in vitro experiments.

SU-E-T-187: Collimation Methods in Spot Scanning Proton Therapy: A Treatment Plan Comparison Between a Fixed Aperture and a Dynamic Collimation System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smith, B; Gelover, E; Wang, D

2015-06-15

Purpose: Low-energy treatments during spot scanning proton therapy (SSPT) suffer from poor conformity due to increased spot size. Collimation devices can reduce the lateral penumbra of a proton therapy dose distribution and improve the overall plan quality. The purpose of this work was to study the advantages of individual energy-layer collimation, which is unique to a recently proposed Dynamic Collimation System (DCS), in comparison to a standard, fixed aperture that allows only a single shape for all energy layers. Methods: Three brain patients previously planned and treated with SSPT were re-planned using an in-house treatment planning system capable of modelingmore » collimated and un-collimated proton beamlets. The un-collimated plans, which served as a baseline for comparison, reproduced the target coverage of the clinically delivered plans. The collimator opening for the aperture based plans included a 0.6 cm expansion of the largest cross section of the target in the Beam’s Eye View, while the DCS based plans were created by optimizing the collimator position for beam spots near the periphery of the target in each energy layer. Results: The reduction of mean dose to normal tissue adjacent to the target, as defined by a 10 mm ring, averaged 9.13% and 3.48% for the DCS and aperture plans, respectively. The conformity index, as defined by the ratio of the volume of the 50% isodose line to the target volume, yielded an average improvement of 16.42% and 8.16% for the DCS and aperture plans, respectively. Conclusion: Collimation reduces the dose to normal tissue adjacent to the target and increases dose conformity to the target region for low-energy SSPT. The ability of the DCS to provide collimation to each energy layer yields better conformity in comparison to fixed aperture plans. This work was partially funded by IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A.)« less

Review of SPECT collimator selection, optimization, and fabrication for clinical and preclinical imaging

PubMed Central

Van Audenhaege, Karen; Van Holen, Roel; Vandenberghe, Stefaan; Vanhove, Christian; Metzler, Scott D.; Moore, Stephen C.

2015-01-01

In single photon emission computed tomography, the choice of the collimator has a major impact on the sensitivity and resolution of the system. Traditional parallel-hole and fan-beam collimators used in clinical practice, for example, have a relatively poor sensitivity and subcentimeter spatial resolution, while in small-animal imaging, pinhole collimators are used to obtain submillimeter resolution and multiple pinholes are often combined to increase sensitivity. This paper reviews methods for production, sensitivity maximization, and task-based optimization of collimation for both clinical and preclinical imaging applications. New opportunities for improved collimation are now arising primarily because of (i) new collimator-production techniques and (ii) detectors with improved intrinsic spatial resolution that have recently become available. These new technologies are expected to impact the design of collimators in the future. The authors also discuss concepts like septal penetration, high-resolution applications, multiplexing, sampling completeness, and adaptive systems, and the authors conclude with an example of an optimization study for a parallel-hole, fan-beam, cone-beam, and multiple-pinhole collimator for different applications. PMID:26233207

Enhanced correlation of received power-signal fluctuations in bidirectional optical links

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minet, Jean; Vorontsov, Mikhail A.; Polnau, Ernst; Dolfi, Daniel

2013-02-01

A study of the correlation between the power signals received at both ends of bidirectional free-space optical links is presented. By use of the quasi-optical approximation, we show that an ideal (theoretically 100%) power-signal correlation can be achieved in optical links with specially designed monostatic transceivers based on single-mode fiber collimators. The theoretical prediction of enhanced correlation is supported both by experiments conducted over a 7 km atmospheric path and wave optics numerical analysis of the corresponding bidirectional optical link. In the numerical simulations, we also compare correlation properties of received power signals for different atmospheric conditions and for optical links with monostatic and bistatic geometries based on single-mode fiber collimator and on power-in-the-bucket transceiver types. Applications of the observed phenomena for signal fading mitigation and turbulence-enhanced communication link security in free-space laser communication links are discussed.

LOR-interleaving image reconstruction for PET imaging with fractional-crystal collimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yusheng; Matej, Samuel; Karp, Joel S.; Metzler, Scott D.

2015-01-01

Positron emission tomography (PET) has become an important modality in medical and molecular imaging. However, in most PET applications, the resolution is still mainly limited by the physical crystal sizes or the detector’s intrinsic spatial resolution. To achieve images with better spatial resolution in a central region of interest (ROI), we have previously proposed using collimation in PET scanners. The collimator is designed to partially mask detector crystals to detect lines of response (LORs) within fractional crystals. A sequence of collimator-encoded LORs is measured with different collimation configurations. This novel collimated scanner geometry makes the reconstruction problem challenging, as both detector and collimator effects need to be modeled to reconstruct high-resolution images from collimated LORs. In this paper, we present a LOR-interleaving (LORI) algorithm, which incorporates these effects and has the advantage of reusing existing reconstruction software, to reconstruct high-resolution images for PET with fractional-crystal collimation. We also develop a 3D ray-tracing model incorporating both the collimator and crystal penetration for simulations and reconstructions of the collimated PET. By registering the collimator-encoded LORs with the collimator configurations, high-resolution LORs are restored based on the modeled transfer matrices using the non-negative least-squares method and EM algorithm. The resolution-enhanced images are then reconstructed from the high-resolution LORs using the MLEM or OSEM algorithm. For validation, we applied the LORI method to a small-animal PET scanner, A-PET, with a specially designed collimator. We demonstrate through simulated reconstructions with a hot-rod phantom and MOBY phantom that the LORI reconstructions can substantially improve spatial resolution and quantification compared to the uncollimated reconstructions. The LORI algorithm is crucial to improve overall image quality of collimated PET, which can have significant implications in preclinical and clinical ROI imaging applications.

Dual-head gamma camera system for intraoperative localization of radioactive seeds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arsenali, B.; de Jong, H. W. A. M.; Viergever, M. A.; Dickerscheid, D. B. M.; Beijst, C.; Gilhuijs, K. G. A.

2015-10-01

Breast-conserving surgery is a standard option for the treatment of patients with early-stage breast cancer. This form of surgery may result in incomplete excision of the tumor. Iodine-125 labeled titanium seeds are currently used in clinical practice to reduce the number of incomplete excisions. It seems likely that the number of incomplete excisions can be reduced even further if intraoperative information about the location of the radioactive seed is combined with preoperative information about the extent of the tumor. This can be combined if the location of the radioactive seed is established in a world coordinate system that can be linked to the (preoperative) image coordinate system. With this in mind, we propose a radioactive seed localization system which is composed of two static ceiling-suspended gamma camera heads and two parallel-hole collimators. Physical experiments and computer simulations which mimic realistic clinical situations were performed to estimate the localization accuracy (defined as trueness and precision) of the proposed system with respect to collimator-source distance (ranging between 50 cm and 100 cm) and imaging time (ranging between 1 s and 10 s). The goal of the study was to determine whether or not a trueness of 5 mm can be achieved if a collimator-source distance of 50 cm and imaging time of 5 s are used (these specifications were defined by a group of dedicated breast cancer surgeons). The results from the experiments indicate that the location of the radioactive seed can be established with an accuracy of 1.6 mm  ±  0.6 mm if a collimator-source distance of 50 cm and imaging time of 5 s are used (these experiments were performed with a 4.5 cm thick block phantom). Furthermore, the results from the simulations indicate that a trueness of 3.2 mm or less can be achieved if a collimator-source distance of 50 cm and imaging time of 5 s are used (this trueness was achieved for all 14 breast phantoms which were used in this study). Based on these results we conclude that the proposed system can be a valuable tool for (real-time) intraoperative breast cancer localization.

Evaluation of Equivalent Vision Technologies for Supersonic Aircraft Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kramer, Lynda J.; Williams, Steven P.; Wilz, Susan P.; Arthur, Jarvis J., III; Bailey, Randall E.

2009-01-01

Twenty-four air transport-rated pilots participated as subjects in a fixed-based simulation experiment to evaluate the use of Synthetic/Enhanced Vision (S/EV) and eXternal Vision System (XVS) technologies as enabling technologies for future all-weather operations. Three head-up flight display concepts were evaluated a monochromatic, collimated Head-up Display (HUD) and a color, non-collimated XVS display with a field-of-view (FOV) equal to and also, one significantly larger than the collimated HUD. Approach, landing, departure, and surface operations were conducted. Additionally, the apparent angle-of-attack (AOA) was varied (high/low) to investigate the vertical field-of-view display requirements and peripheral, side window visibility was experimentally varied. The data showed that lateral approach tracking performance and lateral landing position were excellent regardless of the display type and AOA condition being evaluated or whether or not there were peripheral cues in the side windows. Longitudinal touchdown and glideslope tracking were affected by the display concepts. Larger FOV display concepts showed improved longitudinal touchdown control, superior glideslope tracking, significant situation awareness improvements and workload reductions compared to smaller FOV display concepts.

A conceptual solution for a beam halo collimation system for the Future Circular hadron-hadron Collider (FCC-hh)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiascaris, M.; Bruce, R.; Redaelli, S.

2018-06-01

We present the first conceptual solution for a collimation system for the hadron-hadron option of the Future Circular Collider (FCC-hh). The collimation layout is based on the scaling of the present Large Hadron Collider collimation system to the FCC-hh energy and it includes betatron and momentum cleaning, as well as dump protection collimators and collimators in the experimental insertions for protection of the final focus triplet magnets. An aperture model for the FCC-hh is defined and the geometrical acceptance is calculated at injection and collision energy taking into account mechanical and optics imperfections. The performance of the system is then assessed through the analysis of normalized halo distributions and complete loss maps for an ideal lattice. The performance limitations are discussed and a solution to improve the system performance with the addition of dispersion suppression collimators around the betatron cleaning insertion is presented.

Experiments with crystal deflectors for high energy ion beams: Electromagnetic dissociation probability for well channeled ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scandale, W.; Taratin, A. M.; Kovalenko, A. D.

2013-01-01

The paper presents the current status with the use of the crystal defectors for high energy ion beams. The channeling properties of multicharged ions are discussed. The results of the experiments on the deflection and extraction (collimation) of high energy ion beams with bent crystals performed in the accelerator centers are shortly considered. The analysis of the recent collimation experiment with a Pb nuclei of 270GeV/c per charge at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron showed that the channeling efficiency was as large as about 90%. For Pb ions of the LHC energies a new mechanism, which can reduce the channeling efficiency, appears. The electromagnetic dissociation (ED) becomes possible for well channeled particles. However, the estimations performed in the paper show that the ED probability is small and should not visibly reduce the collimation efficiency. On the other hand, the aligned crystal gives the possibility to study the ED processes of heavy nuclei in the conditions when nuclear interactions are fully suppressed.

Thermostructural characterization and structural elastic property optimization of novel high luminosity LHC collimation materials at CERN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borg, M.; Bertarelli, A.; Carra, F.; Gradassi, P.; Guardia-Valenzuela, J.; Guinchard, M.; Izquierdo, G. Arnau; Mollicone, P.; Sacristan-de-Frutos, O.; Sammut, N.

2018-03-01

The CERN Large Hadron Collider is currently being upgraded to operate at a stored beam energy of 680 MJ through the High Luminosity upgrade. The LHC performance is dependent on the functionality of beam collimation systems, essential for safe beam cleaning and machine protection. A dedicated beam experiment at the CERN High Radiation to Materials facility is created under the HRMT-23 experimental campaign. This experiment investigates the behavior of three collimation jaws having novel composite absorbers made of copper diamond, molybdenum carbide graphite, and carbon fiber carbon, experiencing accidental scenarios involving the direct beam impact on the material. Material characterization is imperative for the design, execution, and analysis of such experiments. This paper presents new data and analysis of the thermostructural characteristics of some of the absorber materials commissioned within CERN facilities. In turn, characterized elastic properties are optimized through the development and implementation of a mixed numerical-experimental optimization technique.

Role of boundary conditions in helicoidal flow collimation: Consequences for the von Kármán sodium dynamo experiment.

PubMed

Varela, J; Brun, S; Dubrulle, B; Nore, C

2015-12-01

We present hydrodynamic and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of liquid sodium flow with the PLUTO compressible MHD code to investigate influence of magnetic boundary conditions on the collimation of helicoidal motions. We use a simplified cartesian geometry to represent the flow dynamics in the vicinity of one cavity of a multiblades impeller inspired by those used in the Von-Kármán-sodium (VKS) experiment. We show that the impinging of the large-scale flow upon the impeller generates a coherent helicoidal vortex inside the blades, located at a distance from the upstream blade piloted by the incident angle of the flow. This vortex collimates any existing magnetic field lines leading to an enhancement of the radial magnetic field that is stronger for ferromagnetic than for conducting blades. The induced magnetic field modifies locally the velocity fluctuations, resulting in an enhanced helicity. This process possibly explains why dynamo action is more easily triggered in the VKS experiment when using soft iron impellers.

Laboratory Investigation of Astrophysical Collimated Jets with Intense Lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Dawei; Li, Yutong; Tao, Tao; Wei, Huigang; Zhong, Jiayong; Zhu, Baojun; Li, Yanfei; Zhao, Jiarui; Li, Fang; Han, Bo; Zhang, Zhe; Liang, Guiyun; Wang, Feilu; Hu, Guangyue; Zheng, Jian; Jiang, Shaoen; Du, Kai; Ding, Yongkun; Zhou, Shenlei; Zhu, Baoqiang; Zhu, Jianqiang; Zhao, Gang; Zhang, Jie

2018-06-01

One of the remarkable dynamic features of the Herbig–Haro (HH) object is its highly collimated propagation far away from the accretion disk. Different factors are proposed to give us a clearly physical explanation behind these fascinating phenomena, including magnetic field, radiation cooling, surrounding medium, and so on. Laboratory astrophysics, as a new complementary method of studying astrophysical issues, can provide an insight into these behaviors in a similar and controllable laboratory environment. Here we report the scaled laboratory experiments that a well-collimated radiative jet with high Mach number is successfully created to mimic the evolution of HH objects. According to our results, we find that the radiation cooling effect within the jet and the outer rare surrounding plasmas from the X-ray (>keV) photoionized target contribute to the jet collimation. The local nonuniform density structures along the collimated radiative jet axis are caused by the pressure competition between the inner jet and the outer plasmas. The corresponding simulations performed with radiation-hydrodynamic codes FLASH reveal how the radiative jet evolves.

Exploiting Auto-Collimation for Real-Time Onboard Monitoring of Space Optical Camera Geometric Parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, W.; Wang, H.; Liu, D.; Miu, Y.

2018-05-01

Precise geometric parameters are essential to ensure the positioning accuracy for space optical cameras. However, state-of-the-art onorbit calibration method inevitably suffers from long update cycle and poor timeliness performance. To this end, in this paper we exploit the optical auto-collimation principle and propose a real-time onboard calibration scheme for monitoring key geometric parameters. Specifically, in the proposed scheme, auto-collimation devices are first designed by installing collimated light sources, area-array CCDs, and prisms inside the satellite payload system. Through utilizing those devices, the changes in the geometric parameters are elegantly converted into changes in the spot image positions. The variation of geometric parameters can be derived via extracting and processing the spot images. An experimental platform is then set up to verify the feasibility and analyze the precision index of the proposed scheme. The experiment results demonstrate that it is feasible to apply the optical auto-collimation principle for real-time onboard monitoring.

Normalization of a collimated 14.7 MeV neutron source in a neutron spectrometry system for benchmark experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ofek, R.; Tsechanski, A.; Shani, G.

1988-05-01

In the present study a method used to normalize a collimated 14.7 MeV neutron beam is introduced. It combined a measurement of the fast neutron scalar flux passing through the collimator, using a copper foil activation, with a neutron transport calculation of the foil activation per unit source neutron, carried out by the discrete-ordinates transport code DOT 4.2. The geometry of the collimated neutron beam is composed of a D-T neutron source positioned 30 cm in front of a 6 cm diameter collimator, through a 120 cm thick paraffin wall. The neutron flux emitted from the D-T source was counted by an NE-213 scintillator, simultaneously with the irradiation of the copper foil. Thus, the determination of the normalization factor of the D-T source is used for an absolute flux calibration of the NE-213 scintillator. The major contributions to the uncertainty in the determination of the normalization factor, and their origins, are discussed.

Successive approximation algorithm for beam-position-monitor-based LHC collimator alignment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valentino, Gianluca; Nosych, Andriy A.; Bruce, Roderik; Gasior, Marek; Mirarchi, Daniele; Redaelli, Stefano; Salvachua, Belen; Wollmann, Daniel

2014-02-01

Collimators with embedded beam position monitor (BPM) button electrodes will be installed in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) during the current long shutdown period. For the subsequent operation, BPMs will allow the collimator jaws to be kept centered around the beam orbit. In this manner, a better beam cleaning efficiency and machine protection can be provided at unprecedented higher beam energies and intensities. A collimator alignment algorithm is proposed to center the jaws automatically around the beam. The algorithm is based on successive approximation and takes into account a correction of the nonlinear BPM sensitivity to beam displacement and an asymmetry of the electronic channels processing the BPM electrode signals. A software implementation was tested with a prototype collimator in the Super Proton Synchrotron. This paper presents results of the tests along with some considerations for eventual operation in the LHC.

Scientific investigations with the data base HEAO-1 scanning modulator collimator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwartz, Daniel A.

1992-01-01

The hardware specification for the Scanning Modulation Collimator (MC) experiment on HEAO-1 was to measure positions of bright (greater than 10(exp -11) ergs/cm(exp 2)s), hard (1 to 15 keV) x-ray sources to 5-10 arcsec, and to measure their size and structure in three energy bands down to 10 arcsec resolution. The scientific purpose of this specification was to enable the identification of these x-ray sources with optical and radio objects in order to elucidate the x-ray emission mechanism and the nature of the candidate astronomical system. The experiment was an outstanding success. Hardware systems functioned perfectly although loss of one (out of eight) proportional counters degraded our sensitivity by about 10 percent. Our aspect solution of 7 arcsec precision, allowed us to achieve statistic-limited location precision for all but the strongest sources. We vigorously pursued a strategy of determining the scientific importance of each identification, and of publishing each scientific result as it came along.

The performance of a wire mesh collimator SPECT camera for different breast volumes in prone position

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roslan, R. E.; Saad, W. H. Mohd; Saripan, M. I.; Hashim, S.; Choong, W.-S.

2010-07-01

The multihole collimator is the most commonly used collimator in conventional SPECT cameras for general purpose imaging. However, there are some limitations with this collimator, which includes the lack of sensitivity as a trade-off for obtaining better spatial resolution. This paper looks at the performance of a wire mesh collimator that was introduced recently in order to improve the ability of SPECT cameras in mapping breast cancer cells, utilizing the Technetium-99 m 140 keV radiotracer. In this work, various volumes of breast are modelled and simulated using Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP5) code, derived based on the real cup sizes and volumes in prone position. The size of tumour is 1 cm in diameter with tumour to background ratios (TBRs) ranging between TBR from 1:1 to TBR 20:1, and located 2 cm inside breast skin. The results show that wire mesh collimator 1 (WM-1) has the highest sensitivity and signal to noise ratio (SNR) in comparison with wire mesh collimator 2 (WM-2) and the multihole collimator (MHC). This indicates the potential of using a wire mesh collimator for early mapping of breast cancer cells.

A SPECT Scanner for Rodent Imaging Based on Small-Area Gamma Cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lage, Eduardo; Villena, José L.; Tapias, Gustavo; Martinez, Naira P.; Soto-Montenegro, Maria L.; Abella, Mónica; Sisniega, Alejandro; Pino, Francisco; Ros, Domènec; Pavia, Javier; Desco, Manuel; Vaquero, Juan J.

2010-10-01

We developed a cost-effective SPECT scanner prototype (rSPECT) for in vivo imaging of rodents based on small-area gamma cameras. Each detector consists of a position-sensitive photomultiplier tube (PS-PMT) coupled to a 30 x 30 Nal(Tl) scintillator array and electronics attached to the PS-PMT sockets for adapting the detector signals to an in-house developed data acquisition system. The detector components are enclosed in a lead-shielded case with a receptacle to insert the collimators. System performance was assessed using 99mTc for a high-resolution parallel-hole collimator, and for a 0.75-mm pinhole collimator with a 60° aperture angle and a 42-mm collimator length. The energy resolution is about 10.7% of the photopeak energy. The overall system sensitivity is about 3 cps/μCi/detector and planar spatial resolution ranges from 2.4 mm at 1 cm source-to-collimator distance to 4.1 mm at 4.5 cm with parallel-hole collimators. With pinhole collimators planar spatial resolution ranges from 1.2 mm at 1 cm source-to-collimator distance to 2.4 mm at 4.5 cm; sensitivity at these distances ranges from 2.8 to 0.5 cps/μCi/detector. Tomographic hot-rod phantom images are presented together with images of bone, myocardium and brain of living rodents to demonstrate the feasibility of preclinical small-animal studies with the rSPECT.

SU-F-T-671: Effects of Collimator Material On Proton Minibeams

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, E; Sandison, G; Cao, N

2016-06-15

Purpose: To investigate the dosimetric effects of collimator material on spatially modulated proton minibeams (pMBRT). Methods: pMBRT holds promise to exhibit shallow depth normal-tissue sparing effects similar to synchrotron based microbeams while also retaining potential for uniform dose distributions for tumor targets. TOPAS Monte Carlo simulations were performed for a 5cm thick multislit collimator with 0.3mm slits and 1mm center-to-center spacing for a 50.5MeV proton minibeam while varying collimator material between brass, tungsten, and iron. The collimator was placed both “flush” at the water phantom surface and at 5cm distance to investigate the effects on surface dose, peak-to-valley-dose-ratio (PVDR) andmore » neutron contribution. Results: For flush placement, the neutron dose at the phantom surface for the tungsten collimator was approximately 20% higher than for brass and iron. This was not reflected in the overall surface dose, which was comparable for all materials due to the relatively low neutron contribution of <0.1%. When the collimator was retracted, the overall neutron contribution was essentially identical for all three collimators. Surface dose dropped by ∼40% for all collimator materials with air gap compared to being flush with the phantom surface. This surface dose reduction was at the cost of increase in valley dose for all collimator materials due to increased angular divergence of the mini-beams at the surface and their consequent geometric penumbra at depth. When the collimator was placed at distance from the phantom surface the PVDR decreased. The peak-to-entrance-dose ratio was highest for the iron collimator with 5cm air gap. Conclusion: The dosimetric difference between the collimator materials is minimal despite the relatively higher neutron contribution at the phantom surface for the tungsten collimator when placed flush. The air gap between the collimator and phantom surface strongly influences all dosimetry parameters due to the influence of scatter on the narrow spatial modulation.« less

Development and Validation of a Monte Carlo Simulation Tool for Multi-Pinhole SPECT

PubMed Central

Mok, Greta S. P.; Du, Yong; Wang, Yuchuan; Frey, Eric C.; Tsui, Benjamin M. W.

2011-01-01

Purpose In this work, we developed and validated a Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) tool for investigation and evaluation of multi-pinhole (MPH) SPECT imaging. Procedures This tool was based on a combination of the SimSET and MCNP codes. Photon attenuation and scatter in the object, as well as penetration and scatter through the collimator detector, are modeled in this tool. It allows accurate and efficient simulation of MPH SPECT with focused pinhole apertures and user-specified photon energy, aperture material, and imaging geometry. The MCS method was validated by comparing the point response function (PRF), detection efficiency (DE), and image profiles obtained from point sources and phantom experiments. A prototype single-pinhole collimator and focused four- and five-pinhole collimators fitted on a small animal imager were used for the experimental validations. We have also compared computational speed among various simulation tools for MPH SPECT, including SimSET-MCNP, MCNP, SimSET-GATE, and GATE for simulating projections of a hot sphere phantom. Results We found good agreement between the MCS and experimental results for PRF, DE, and image profiles, indicating the validity of the simulation method. The relative computational speeds for SimSET-MCNP, MCNP, SimSET-GATE, and GATE are 1: 2.73: 3.54: 7.34, respectively, for 120-view simulations. We also demonstrated the application of this MCS tool in small animal imaging by generating a set of low-noise MPH projection data of a 3D digital mouse whole body phantom. Conclusions The new method is useful for studying MPH collimator designs, data acquisition protocols, image reconstructions, and compensation techniques. It also has great potential to be applied for modeling the collimator-detector response with penetration and scatter effects for MPH in the quantitative reconstruction method. PMID:19779896

A Collimated Retarding Potential Analyzer for the Study of Magnetoplasma Rocket Plumes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glover, T. W.; Chan, A. A.; Chang-Diaz, F. R.; Kittrell, C.

2003-01-01

A gridded retarding potential analyzer (RPA) has been developed to characterize the magnetized plasma exhaust of the 10 kW Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VX-10) experiment at NASA's Advanced Space Propulsion Laboratory. In this system, plasma is energized through coupling of radio frequency waves at the ion cyclotron resonance (ICR). The particles are subsequently accelerated in a magnetic nozzle to provide thrust. Downstream of the nozzle, the RPA's mounting assembly enables the detector to make complete axial and radial scans of the plasma. A multichannel collimator can be inserted into the RPA to remove ions with pitch angles greater than approximately 1 deg. A calculation of the general collimator transmission as a function over velocity space is presented, which shows the instrument's sensitivity in detecting changes in both the parallel and perpendicular components of the ion energy. Data from initial VX-10 ICRH experiments show evidence of ion heating.

Effect of Fiberoptic Collimation Technique on 808 nm Wavelength Laser Stimulation of Cochlear Neurons.

PubMed

Wang, Jingxuan; Lu, Jianren; Tian, Lan

2016-06-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of fiberoptic collimation technique on auditory neural stimulation in the cochlea with 808 nm wavelength lasers. Recently, the pulsed near-infrared lasers in the 800-1000 nm wavelength range have been investigated as an emerging technique to trigger auditory neural response in the cochlea. A laser beam divergence in the optical stimulation pathway exists, which may affect stimulation efficiency and spatial selectivity. The fiberoptic collimation technique was proposed for cochlear neuron stimulation, and the C-lens element was designed as the collimation structure. The spiral ganglion cells in deafened guinea pigs' cochlea were irradiated with collimated and uncollimated near-infrared lasers. Optically evoked auditory brainstem response (OABR) under the two laser output modes were recorded. Laser with the collimation technique evoked an average 58% higher OABR amplitude than the uncollimated laser output. In addition, the collimated laser setup consumed on average 35.2% of laser energy compared with the uncollimated laser when evoking the same OABR amplitude. The fiberoptic collimation technique improved stimulation efficiency and reduced stimulating energy consumption in near-infrared neural stimulation in cochlea. The positive effects of laser collimation technique could benefit further research in optically based cochlear implants.

EPICS Controlled Collimator for Controlling Beam Sizes in HIPPO

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Napolitano, Arthur Soriano; Vogel, Sven C.

2017-08-03

Controlling the beam spot size and shape in a diffraction experiment determines the probed sample volume. The HIPPO - High-Pressure-Preferred Orientation– neutron time-offlight diffractometer is located at the Lujan Neutron Scattering Center in Los Alamos National Laboratories. HIPPO characterizes microstructural parameters, such as phase composition, strains, grain size, or texture, of bulk (cm-sized) samples. In the current setup, the beam spot has a 10 mm diameter. Using a collimator, consisting of two pairs of neutron absorbing boron-nitride slabs, horizontal and vertical dimensions of a rectangular beam spot can be defined. Using the HIPPO robotic sample changer for sample motion, themore » collimator would enable scanning of e.g. cylindrical samples along the cylinder axis by probing slices of such samples. The project presented here describes implementation of such a collimator, in particular the motion control software. We utilized the EPICS (Experimental Physics Interface and Control System) software interface to integrate the collimator control into the HIPPO instrument control system. Using EPICS, commands are sent to commercial stepper motors that move the beam windows.« less

Development of a 3D-Printed Collimated 90Sr Beta Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daniel, Byron; NuDot Collaboration

2017-09-01

Collimated beta particle sources based on 90Sr are common calibration sources for atomic decay detector research and development. Due to the short attenuation length of beta particles in matter, the exact geometry of a collimator can drastically change the rate and energy of beta particles exiting the source. 3D printing allows for the quick and easy prototyping of collimators with custom geometries. I will describe the development of a collimator that interfaces directly to a quartz cuvette for the characterization of liquid scintillator cocktails. Future work will include developing a source for the NuDot detector which aims to reconstruct MeV electrons using the separation of Cherenkov and scintillation light. MIT Summer Research Program.

Planetary X ray experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, K. A.

1972-01-01

Design studies for an X-ray experiment using solid state detectors and for an experiment using a proportional counter for investigating Jovian and Saturnian magnetospheres are reported. Background counting rates through the forward aperture and leakage fluxes are discussed for each design. It is concluded that the best choice of instrument appears to have following the characteristics: (1) two separate multiwire proportional counters for redundancy; (2) passive collimation to restrict the field to about 5 deg, wiregrid modulation collimation to about 0.1 deg angular resolution; (3) no active shielding system around the counter body; and (4) light passive shielding around any portion of the counter body exposed to space to absorb most of the cosmic X-ray background.

Dimensional measurement of micro parts with high aspect ratio in HIT-UOI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dang, Hong; Cui, Jiwen; Feng, Kunpeng; Li, Junying; Zhao, Shiyuan; Zhang, Haoran; Tan, Jiubin

2016-11-01

Micro parts with high aspect ratios have been widely used in different fields including aerospace and defense industries, while the dimensional measurement of these micro parts becomes a challenge in the field of precision measurement and instrument. To deal with this contradiction, several probes for the micro parts precision measurement have been proposed by researchers in Center of Ultra-precision Optoelectronic Instrument (UOI), Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT). In this paper, optical fiber probes with structures of spherical coupling(SC) with double optical fibers, micro focal-length collimation (MFL-collimation) and fiber Bragg grating (FBG) are described in detail. After introducing the sensing principles, both advantages and disadvantages of these probes are analyzed respectively. In order to improve the performances of these probes, several approaches are proposed. A two-dimensional orthogonal path arrangement is propounded to enhance the dimensional measurement ability of MFL-collimation probes, while a high resolution and response speed interrogation method based on differential method is used to improve the accuracy and dynamic characteristics of the FBG probes. The experiments for these special structural fiber probes are given with a focus on the characteristics of these probes, and engineering applications will also be presented to prove the availability of them. In order to improve the accuracy and the instantaneity of the engineering applications, several techniques are used in probe integration. The effectiveness of these fiber probes were therefore verified through both the analysis and experiments.

SU-F-BRB-12: A Novel Haar Wavelet Based Approach to Deliver Non-Coplanar Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy Using Sparse Orthogonal Collimators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nguyen, D; Ruan, D; Low, D

2015-06-15

Purpose: Existing efforts to replace complex multileaf collimator (MLC) by simple jaws for intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) resulted in unacceptable compromise in plan quality and delivery efficiency. We introduce a novel fluence map segmentation method based on compressed sensing for plan delivery using a simplified sparse orthogonal collimator (SOC) on the 4π non-coplanar radiotherapy platform. Methods: 4π plans with varying prescription doses were first created by automatically selecting and optimizing 20 non-coplanar beams for 2 GBM, 2 head & neck, and 2 lung patients. To create deliverable 4π plans using SOC, which are two pairs of orthogonal collimators withmore » 1 to 4 leaves in each collimator bank, a Haar Fluence Optimization (HFO) method was used to regulate the number of Haar wavelet coefficients while maximizing the dose fidelity to the ideal prescription. The plans were directly stratified utilizing the optimized Haar wavelet rectangular basis. A matching number of deliverable segments were stratified for the MLC-based plans. Results: Compared to the MLC-based 4π plans, the SOC-based 4π plans increased the average PTV dose homogeneity from 0.811 to 0.913. PTV D98 and D99 were improved by 3.53% and 5.60% of the corresponding prescription doses. The average mean and maximal OAR doses slightly increased by 0.57% and 2.57% of the prescription doses. The average number of segments ranged between 5 and 30 per beam. The collimator travel time to create the segments decreased with increasing leaf numbers in the SOC. The two and four leaf designs were 1.71 and 1.93 times more efficient, on average, than the single leaf design. Conclusion: The innovative dose domain optimization based on compressed sensing enables uncompromised 4π non-coplanar IMRT dose delivery using simple rectangular segments that are deliverable using a sparse orthogonal collimator, which only requires 8 to 16 leaves yet is unlimited in modulation resolution. This work is supported in part by Varian Medical Systems, Inc. and NIH R43 CA18339.« less

Automated collimation testing by determining the statistical correlation coefficient of Talbot self-images.

PubMed

Rana, Santosh; Dhanotia, Jitendra; Bhatia, Vimal; Prakash, Shashi

2018-04-01

In this paper, we propose a simple, fast, and accurate technique for detection of collimation position of an optical beam using the self-imaging phenomenon and correlation analysis. Herrera-Fernandez et al. [J. Opt.18, 075608 (2016)JOOPDB0150-536X10.1088/2040-8978/18/7/075608] proposed an experimental arrangement for collimation testing by comparing the period of two different self-images produced by a single diffraction grating. Following their approach, we propose a testing procedure based on correlation coefficient (CC) for efficient detection of variation in the size and fringe width of the Talbot self-images and thereby the collimation position. When the beam is collimated, the physical properties of the self-images of the grating, such as its size and fringe width, do not vary from one Talbot plane to the other and are identical; the CC is maximum in such a situation. For the de-collimated position, the size and fringe width of the self-images vary, and correspondingly the CC decreases. Hence, the magnitude of CC is a measure of degree of collimation. Using the method, we could set the collimation position to a resolution of 1 μm, which relates to ±0.25   μ    radians in terms of collimation angle (for testing a collimating lens of diameter 46 mm and focal length 300 mm). In contrast to most collimation techniques reported to date, the proposed technique does not require a translation/rotation of the grating, use of complicated phase evaluation algorithms, or an intricate method for determination of period of the grating or its self-images. The technique is fully automated and provides high resolution and precision.

Optical properties of human colon tissues in the 350 – 2500 nm spectral range

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bashkatov, A N; Genina, E A; Kochubey, V I

2014-08-31

We present the optical characteristics of the mucosa and submucosa of human colon tissue. The experiments are performed in vitro using a LAMBDA 950 spectrophotometer in the 350 – 2500 nm spectral range. The absorption and scattering coefficients and the scattering anisotropy factor are calculated based on the measured diffuse reflectance and total and collimated transmittance spectra using the inverse Monte Carlo method. (laser biophotonics)

Characterization of the Shielded Neutron Source at Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hobson, Chad; Finch, Sean; Howell, Calvin; Malone, Ron; Tornow, Wernew

2016-09-01

In 2015, Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory rebuilt its shielded neutron source (SNS) with the goal of improving neutron beam collimation and reducing neutron and gamma-ray backgrounds. Neutrons are produced via the 2H(d,n)3He reaction and then collimated by heavy shielding to form a beam. The SNS has the ability to produce both a rectangular and circular neutron beam through use of two collimators with different beam apertures. Our work characterized both the neutron beam profiles as well as the neutron and gamma-ray backgrounds at various locations around the SNS. This characterization was performed to provide researchers who use the SNS with beam parameters necessary to plan and conduct an experiment. Vertical and horizontal beam profiles were measured at two different distances from the neutron production cell by scanning a small plastic scintillator across the face of the beam at various energies for each collimator. Background neutron and gamma-ray intensities were measured using time-of-flight techniques at 10 MeV and 16 MeV with the rectangular collimator. We present results on the position and size of neutron beam as well as on the structure and magnitude of the backgrounds.

High contrast laser beam collimation testing using two proximately placed holographic optical elements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajkumar; Dubey, Rajiv; Debnath, Sanjit K.; Chhachhia, D. P.

2018-05-01

Accuracy in laser beam collimation is very important in systems used for precision measurements. The present work reports a technique for collimation testing of laser beams using two proximately placed holographic optical elements (HOEs). The required HOEs are designed and fabricated such that upon illumination with the test beam, they release two laterally sheared wavefronts, at desired angles from the directly transmitted beam, that superimpose each other to generate straight interference fringes. Deviation from the collimation of the test beam results in orientation of these otherwise horizontal fringes. The novelty of this setup comes from the fact that HOEs are lightweight, as well as easy to fabricate as compared to conventional wedge plates used for collimation testing, and generate high contrast fringes compared to other interferometry, holography, Talbot and Moiré based techniques in a compact manner. The proposed technique is experimentally validated by measuring the orientation of fringes by an angle of 16.4° when a collimating lens of focal length 200 mm is defocused by 600 μm. The accuracy in the setting of this collimation position is obtained to be 10 μm.

A New Way to Generate Collimated Plasma Jets?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, Rachel; Kuranz, C. C.; Sweeney, R. M.; Drake, R. P.

2012-05-01

We may have a new way to generate collimated, high-Mach-number plasma jets for laboratory astrophysics experiments. Analytic calculations show that irradiating the rear side of a cone-shaped foil can produce a collimated plasma jet with a Mach number of more than 2. Preliminary numeric simulations confirm this. We intend to test this method with a day of experiments at OMEGA (Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Rochester, New York) in April 2012; results may be available in time for this meeting. If successful, this will be the first step in an experimental campaign to investigate the affects of magnetic fields on mixing plasma jets. We hope to create a swirling disk of magnetized plasma_and possibly witness the turbulent dynamo_by firing roughly half a dozen such jets towards each other. However, for such an experiment to succeed, the disk must rotate more quickly than it expands, requiring the contributing jets to have M > 2. This work is funded by the NNSA-DS and SC-OFES Joint Program in High-Energy-Density Laboratory Plasmas, grant number DE-FG52-09NA29548, and by the National Laser User Facility Program, grant number DE-NA0000850.

A photon thermal diode

PubMed Central

Chen, Zhen; Wong, Carlaton; Lubner, Sean; Yee, Shannon; Miller, John; Jang, Wanyoung; Hardin, Corey; Fong, Anthony; Garay, Javier E.; Dames, Chris

2014-01-01

A thermal diode is a two-terminal nonlinear device that rectifies energy carriers (for example, photons, phonons and electrons) in the thermal domain, the heat transfer analogue to the familiar electrical diode. Effective thermal rectifiers could have an impact on diverse applications ranging from heat engines to refrigeration, thermal regulation of buildings and thermal logic. However, experimental demonstrations have lagged far behind theoretical proposals. Here we present the first experimental results for a photon thermal diode. The device is based on asymmetric scattering of ballistic energy carriers by pyramidal reflectors. Recent theoretical work has predicted that this ballistic mechanism also requires a nonlinearity in order to yield asymmetric thermal transport, a requirement of all thermal diodes arising from the second Law of Thermodynamics, and realized here using an ‘inelastic thermal collimator’ element. Experiments confirm both effects: with pyramids and collimator the thermal rectification is 10.9±0.8%, while without the collimator no rectification is detectable (<0.3%). PMID:25399761

Acoustic logic gates and Boolean operation based on self-collimating acoustic beams

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Ting; Xu, Jian-yi; Cheng, Ying, E-mail: chengying@nju.edu.cn

2015-03-16

The reveal of self-collimation effect in two-dimensional (2D) photonic or acoustic crystals has opened up possibilities for signal manipulation. In this paper, we have proposed acoustic logic gates based on the linear interference of self-collimated beams in 2D sonic crystals (SCs) with line-defects. The line defects on the diagonal of the 2D square SCs are actually functioning as a 3 dB splitter. By adjusting the phase difference between two input signals, the basic Boolean logic functions such as XOR, OR, AND, and NOT are achieved both theoretically and experimentally. Due to the non-diffracting property of self-collimation beams, more complex Boolean logicmore » and algorithms such as NAND, NOR, and XNOR can be realized by cascading the basic logic gates. The achievement of acoustic logic gates and Boolean operation provides a promising approach for acoustic signal computing and manipulations.« less

Maximizing the potential of direct aperture optimization through collimator rotation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Milette, Marie-Pierre; Otto, Karl; Medical Physics, BC Cancer Agency-Vancouver Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) treatment plans are conventionally produced by the optimization of fluence maps followed by a leaf sequencing step. An alternative to fluence based inverse planning is to optimize directly the leaf positions and field weights of multileaf collimator (MLC) apertures. This approach is typically referred to as direct aperture optimization (DAO). It has been shown that equivalent dose distributions may be generated that have substantially fewer monitor units (MU) and number of apertures compared to fluence based optimization techniques. Here we introduce a DAO technique with rotated apertures that we call rotating aperture optimization (RAO). The advantagesmore » of collimator rotation in IMRT have been shown previously and include higher fluence spatial resolution, increased flexibility in the generation of aperture shapes and less interleaf effects. We have tested our RAO algorithm on a complex C-shaped target, seven nasopharynx cancer recurrences, and one multitarget nasopharynx carcinoma patient. A study was performed in order to assess the capabilities of RAO as compared to fixed collimator angle DAO. The accuracy of fixed and rotated collimator aperture delivery was also verified. An analysis of the optimized treatment plans indicates that plans generated with RAO are as good as or better than DAO while maintaining a smaller number of apertures and MU than fluence based IMRT. Delivery verification results show that RAO is less sensitive to tongue and groove effects than DAO. Delivery time is currently increased due to the collimator rotation speed although this is a mechanical limitation that can be eliminated in the future.« less

Preliminary experience in treatment of papillary and macular retinoblastoma: evaluation of local control and local complications after treatment with linear accelerator-based stereotactic radiotherapy with micromultileaf collimator as second-line or salvage treatment after chemotherapy.

PubMed

Pica, Alessia; Moeckli, Raphael; Balmer, Aubin; Beck-Popovic, Maja; Chollet-Rivier, Madeleine; Do, Huu-Phuoc; Weber, Damien C; Munier, Francis L

2011-12-01

To determine the local control and complication rates for children with papillary and/or macular retinoblastoma progressing after chemotherapy and undergoing stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) with a micromultileaf collimator. Between 2004 and 2008, 11 children (15 eyes) with macular and/or papillary retinoblastoma were treated with SRT. The mean age was 19 months (range, 2-111). Of the 15 eyes, 7, 6, and 2 were classified as International Classification of Intraocular Retinoblastoma Group B, C, and E, respectively. The delivered dose of SRT was 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions using a dedicated micromultileaf collimator linear accelerator. The median follow-up was 20 months (range, 13-39). Local control was achieved in 13 eyes (87%). The actuarial 1- and 2-year local control rates were both 82%. SRT was well tolerated. Late adverse events were reported in 4 patients. Of the 4 patients, 2 had developed focal microangiopathy 20 months after SRT; 1 had developed a transient recurrence of retinal detachment; and 1 had developed bilateral cataracts. No optic neuropathy was observed. Linear accelerator-based SRT for papillary and/or macular retinoblastoma in children resulted in excellent tumor control rates with acceptable toxicity. Additional research regarding SRT and its intrinsic organ-at-risk sparing capability is justified in the framework of prospective trials. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preliminary Experience in Treatment of Papillary and Macular Retinoblastoma: Evaluation of Local Control and Local Complications After Treatment With Linear Accelerator-Based Stereotactic Radiotherapy With Micromultileaf Collimator as Second-Line or Salvage Treatment After Chemotherapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pica, Alessia, E-mail: Alessia.Pica@chuv.ch; Moeckli, Raphael; Balmer, Aubin

2011-12-01

Purpose: To determine the local control and complication rates for children with papillary and/or macular retinoblastoma progressing after chemotherapy and undergoing stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) with a micromultileaf collimator. Methods and Materials: Between 2004 and 2008, 11 children (15 eyes) with macular and/or papillary retinoblastoma were treated with SRT. The mean age was 19 months (range, 2-111). Of the 15 eyes, 7, 6, and 2 were classified as International Classification of Intraocular Retinoblastoma Group B, C, and E, respectively. The delivered dose of SRT was 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions using a dedicated micromultileaf collimator linear accelerator. Results: The median follow-upmore » was 20 months (range, 13-39). Local control was achieved in 13 eyes (87%). The actuarial 1- and 2-year local control rates were both 82%. SRT was well tolerated. Late adverse events were reported in 4 patients. Of the 4 patients, 2 had developed focal microangiopathy 20 months after SRT; 1 had developed a transient recurrence of retinal detachment; and 1 had developed bilateral cataracts. No optic neuropathy was observed. Conclusions: Linear accelerator-based SRT for papillary and/or macular retinoblastoma in children resulted in excellent tumor control rates with acceptable toxicity. Additional research regarding SRT and its intrinsic organ-at-risk sparing capability is justified in the framework of prospective trials.« less

Evaluation of dead-time corrections for post-radionuclide-therapy (177)Lu quantitative imaging with low-energy high-resolution collimators.

PubMed

Celler, Anna; Piwowarska-Bilska, Hanna; Shcherbinin, Sergey; Uribe, Carlos; Mikolajczak, Renata; Birkenfeld, Bozena

2014-01-01

Dead-time (DT) effects rarely cause problems in diagnostic single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) studies; however, in post-radionuclide-therapy imaging, DT can be substantial. Therefore, corrections may be necessary if quantitative images are used in image-based dosimetry or for evaluation of therapy outcomes. This task is particularly challenging if low-energy collimators are used. Our goal was to design a simple method to determine the dead-time correction factor (DTCF) without the need for phantom experiments and complex calculations. Planar and SPECT/CT scans of a water phantom containing a 70 ml bottle filled with lutetium-177 (Lu) were acquired over 60 days. Two small Lu markers were used in all scans. The DTCF based on the ratio of observed to true count rates measured over the entire spectrum and using photopeak primary photons only was estimated for phantom (DT present) and marker (no DT) scans. In addition, variations in counts in SPECT projections (potentially caused by varying bremsstrahlung and scatter) were investigated. For count rates that were about two-fold higher than typically seen in post-therapy Lu scans, the maximum DTCF reached a level of about 17%. The DTCF values determined directly from the phantom experiments using the total energy spectrum and photopeak counts only were equal to 13 and 16%, respectively. They were closely matched by those from the proposed marker-based method, which uses only two energy windows and measures photopeak primary photons (15-17%). A simple, marker-based method allowing for determination of the DTCF in high-activity Lu imaging studies has been proposed and validated using phantom experiments.

A Fresnel zone plate collimator: potential and aberrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menz, Benedikt; Bräuninger, Heinrich; Burwitz, Vadim; Hartner, Gisela; Predehl, Peter

2015-09-01

A collimator, that parallelizes an X-ray beam, provides a significant improvement of the metrology to characterize X-ray optics for space instruments at MPE's PANTER X-ray test facility. A Fresnel zone plate was selected as a collimating optic, as it meets a good angular resolution < 0.1n combined with a large active area > 10 cm2. Such an optic is ideally suited to illuminate Silicon Pore Optic (SPO) modules as proposed for ATHENA. This paper provides the theoretic description of such a Fresnel zone plate especially considering resolution and efficiency. Based on the theoretic results the collimator setup performance is analyzed and requirements for fabrication and alignment are calculated.

Anomaly Detection for Beam Loss Maps in the Large Hadron Collider

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valentino, Gianluca; Bruce, Roderik; Redaelli, Stefano; Rossi, Roberto; Theodoropoulos, Panagiotis; Jaster-Merz, Sonja

2017-07-01

In the LHC, beam loss maps are used to validate collimator settings for cleaning and machine protection. This is done by monitoring the loss distribution in the ring during infrequent controlled loss map campaigns, as well as in standard operation. Due to the complexity of the system, consisting of more than 50 collimators per beam, it is difficult to identify small changes in the collimation hierarchy, which may be due to setting errors or beam orbit drifts with such methods. A technique based on Principal Component Analysis and Local Outlier Factor is presented to detect anomalies in the loss maps and therefore provide an automatic check of the collimation hierarchy.

Laser beam projection with adaptive array of fiber collimators. II. Analysis of atmospheric compensation efficiency.

PubMed

Lachinova, Svetlana L; Vorontsov, Mikhail A

2008-08-01

We analyze the potential efficiency of laser beam projection onto a remote object in atmosphere with incoherent and coherent phase-locked conformal-beam director systems composed of an adaptive array of fiber collimators. Adaptive optics compensation of turbulence-induced phase aberrations in these systems is performed at each fiber collimator. Our analysis is based on a derived expression for the atmospheric-averaged value of the mean square residual phase error as well as direct numerical simulations. Operation of both conformal-beam projection systems is compared for various adaptive system configurations characterized by the number of fiber collimators, the adaptive compensation resolution, and atmospheric turbulence conditions.

Collimation system design for beam loss localization with slipstacking injection in the Fermilab Main Injector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Drozhdin, A.I.; Brown, B.C.; Johnson, D.E.

2007-06-01

Results of modeling with the 3-D STRUCT and MARS15 codes of beam loss localization and related radiation effects are presented for the slipstacking injection to the Fermilab Main Injector. Simulations of proton beam loss are done using multi-turn tracking with realistic accelerator apertures, nonlinear fields in the accelerator magnets and time function of the RF manipulations to explain the results of beam loss measurements. The collimation system consists of one primary and four secondary collimators. It intercepts a beam power of 1.6 kW at a scraping rate of 5% of 5.5E+13 ppp, with a beam loss rate in the ringmore » outside the collimation region of 1 W/m or less. Based on thorough energy deposition and radiation modeling, a corresponding collimator design was developed that satisfies all the radiation and engineering constraints.« less

Imaging electron flow from collimating contacts in graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhandari, S.; Lee, G. H.; Watanabe, K.; Taniguchi, T.; Kim, P.; Westervelt, R. M.

2018-04-01

The ballistic motion of electrons in graphene opens exciting opportunities for electron-optic devices based on collimated electron beams. We form a collimating contact in a hBN-encapsulated graphene hall bar by adding zigzag contacts on either side of an electron emitter that absorb stray electrons; collimation can be turned off by floating the zig-zag contacts. The electron beam is imaged using a liquid-He cooled scanning gate microscope (SGM). The tip deflects electrons as they pass from the collimating contact to a receiving contact on the opposite side of the channel, and an image of electron flow can be made by displaying the change in transmission as the tip is raster scanned across the sample. The angular half width Δθ of the electron beam is found by applying a perpendicular magnetic field B that bends electron paths into cyclotron orbits. The images reveal that the electron flow from the collimating contact drops quickly at B  =  0.05 T when the electron orbits miss the receiving contact. The flow for the non-collimating case persists longer, up to B  =  0.19 T, due to the broader range of entry angles. Ray-tracing simulations agree well with the experimental images. By fitting the fields B at which the magnitude of electron flow drops in the experimental SGM images, we find Δθ  =  9° for electron flow from the collimating contact, compared with Δθ  =  54° for the non-collimating case.

Monte Carlo study for designing a dedicated “D”-shaped collimator used in the external beam radiotherapy of retinoblastoma patients

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mayorga, P. A.; Departamento de Física Atómica, Molecular y Nuclear, Universidad de Granada, E-18071 Granada; Brualla, L.

2014-01-15

Purpose: Retinoblastoma is the most common intraocular malignancy in the early childhood. Patients treated with external beam radiotherapy respond very well to the treatment. However, owing to the genotype of children suffering hereditary retinoblastoma, the risk of secondary radio-induced malignancies is high. The University Hospital of Essen has successfully treated these patients on a daily basis during nearly 30 years using a dedicated “D”-shaped collimator. The use of this collimator that delivers a highly conformed small radiation field, gives very good results in the control of the primary tumor as well as in preserving visual function, while it avoids themore » devastating side effects of deformation of midface bones. The purpose of the present paper is to propose a modified version of the “D”-shaped collimator that reduces even further the irradiation field with the scope to reduce as well the risk of radio-induced secondary malignancies. Concurrently, the new dedicated “D”-shaped collimator must be easier to build and at the same time produces dose distributions that only differ on the field size with respect to the dose distributions obtained by the current collimator in use. The scope of the former requirement is to facilitate the employment of the authors' irradiation technique both at the authors' and at other hospitals. The fulfillment of the latter allows the authors to continue using the clinical experience gained in more than 30 years. Methods: The Monte Carlo codePENELOPE was used to study the effect that the different structural elements of the dedicated “D”-shaped collimator have on the absorbed dose distribution. To perform this study, the radiation transport through a Varian Clinac 2100 C/D operating at 6 MV was simulated in order to tally phase-space files which were then used as radiation sources to simulate the considered collimators and the subsequent dose distributions. With the knowledge gained in that study, a new, simpler, “D”-shaped collimator is proposed. Results: The proposed collimator delivers a dose distribution which is 2.4 cm wide along the inferior-superior direction of the eyeball. This width is 0.3 cm narrower than that of the dose distribution obtained with the collimator currently in clinical use. The other relevant characteristics of the dose distribution obtained with the new collimator, namely, depth doses at clinically relevant positions, penumbrae width, and shape of the lateral profiles, are statistically compatible with the results obtained for the collimator currently in use. Conclusions: The smaller field size delivered by the proposed collimator still fully covers the planning target volume with at least 95% of the maximum dose at a depth of 2 cm and provides a safety margin of 0.2 cm, so ensuring an adequate treatment while reducing the irradiated volume.« less

Resonant tunneling in nanocolumns improved by quantum collimation.

PubMed

Wensorra, Jakob; Indlekofer, Klaus Michael; Lepsa, Mihail Ion; Förster, Arno; Lüth, Hans

2005-12-01

We report on a quantum collimation effect based on surface depletion regions in AlAs/GaAs nanocolumns with an embedded resonant tunneling structure. The considered MBE-grown nanodevices have been fabricated by means of a top-down approach that employs a reproducible lithographic definition of the vertical nanocolumns. By analyzing the scaling properties of these nanodevices, we discuss how a collimation effect due to a saddle point in the confining potential can explain an improved device performance of the ultimately scaled structures at room temperature.

A micro-scale plasma spectrometer for space and plasma edge applications (invited)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Scime, E. E., E-mail: escime@wvu.edu; Keesee, A. M.; Elliott, D.

2016-11-15

A plasma spectrometer design based on advances in lithography and microchip stacking technologies is described. A series of curved plate energy analyzers, with an integrated collimator, is etched into a silicon wafer. Tests of spectrometer elements, the energy analyzer and collimator, were performed with a 5 keV electron beam. The measured collimator transmission and energy selectivity were in good agreement with design targets. A single wafer element could be used as a plasma processing or fusion first wall diagnostic.

Evaluation of myocardial defect detection between parallel-hole and fan-beam SPECT using the Hotelling trace

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wollenweber, S. D.; Tsui, B. M. W.; Lalush, D. S.; Frey, E. C.; Gullberg, G. T.

1998-08-01

The objective of this study was to implement the Hotelling trace (HT) to evaluate the potential increase in defect detection in myocardial SPECT using high-resolution fan-beam (HRF) versus parallel-hole (HRP) collimation and compare results to a previously reported human observer study (G.K. Gregoriou et al., ibid., vol. 42, p. 1267-75, 1995). Projection data from the 3D MCAT torso phantom were simulated including the effects of attenuation, collimator-detector response blurring and scatter. Poisson noise fluctuations were then simulated. The HRP and HRF collimators had the same spatial resolution at 20 cm. The total counts in the projection data sets were proportional to the detection efficiencies of the collimators and on the order of that found in clinical Tc-99m studies. In six left-ventricular defect locations, the HT found for HRF was superior to that for HRP collimation. For HRF collimation, the HT was calculated for reconstructed images using 64/spl times/64, 128/spl times/128 and 192/spl times/192 grid sizes. The results demonstrate substantial improvement in myocardial defect detection when the grid size was increased from 64/spl times/64 to 128/spl times/128 and slight improvement from 128/spl times/128 to 192/spl times/192. Also, the performance of the Hotelling observer in terms of the HT at the different grid sizes correlates at better than 0.95 to that found in human observers in a previously reported observer experiment and ROC study.

WE-DE-BRA-10: Development of a Novel Scanning Beam Low-Energy Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (SBIORT) System for Pancreatic Cancer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wears, B; Mohiuddin, I; Flynn, R

2016-06-15

Purpose: Developing a compact collimator system and validating a 3D surface imaging module for a scanning beam low-energy x-ray radiation therapy (SBIORT) system that enables delivery of non-uniform radiation dose to targets with irregular shapes intraoperatively. Methods: SBIORT consists of a low energy x-ray source, a custom compact collimator module, a robotic arm, and a 3D surface imaging module. The 3D surface imaging system (structure sensor) is utilized for treatment planning and motion monitoring of the surgical cavity. SBIORT can deliver non-uniform dose distributions by dynamically moving the x-ray source assembly along optimal paths with various collimator apertures. The compactmore » collimator utilizes a dynamic shutter mechanism to form a variable square aperture. The accuracy and reproducibility of the collimator were evaluated using a high accuracy encoder and a high resolution camera platform. The dosimetrical characteristics of the collimator prototype were evaluated using EBT3 films with a Pantak Therapax unit. The accuracy and clinical feasibility of the 3D imaging system were evaluated using a phantom and a cadaver cavity. Results: The SBIORT collimator has a compact size: 66 mm diameter and 10 mm thickness with the maximum aperture of 20 mm. The mechanical experiment indicated the average accuracy of leaf position was 0.08 mm with a reproducibility of 0.25 mm at 95% confidence level. The dosimetry study indicated the collimator had a penumbra of 0.35 mm with a leaf transmission of 0.5%. 3D surface scans can be acquired in 5 seconds. The average difference between the acquired 3D surface and the ground truth is 1 mm with a standard deviation of 0.6 mm. Conclusion: This work demonstrates the feasibility of the compact collimator and 3D scanning system for the SBIORT. SBIORT is a way of delivering IORT with a compact system that requires minimum shielding of the procedure room. This research is supported by the University of Iowa Internal Funding Initiatives.« less

Wakefields in SLAC linac collimators

DOE PAGES

Novokhatski, A.; Decker, F. -J.; Smith, H.; ...

2014-12-02

When a beam travels near collimator jaws, it gets an energy loss and a transverse kick due to the backreaction of the beam field diffracted from the jaws. The effect becomes very important for an intense short bunch when a tight collimation of the background beam halo is required. In the Linac Coherent Light Source at SLAC a collimation system is used to protect the undulators from radiation due to particles in the beam halo. The halo is most likely formed from gun dark current or dark current in some of the accelerating sections. However, collimators are also responsible formore » the generation of wake fields. The wake field effect from the collimators not only brings an additional energy jitter and change in the trajectory of the beam, but it also rotates the beam on the phase plane, which consequently leads to a degradation of the performance of the Free Electron Laser at the Linac Coherent Light Source. In this paper, we describe a model of the wake field radiation in the SLAC linac collimators. We use the results of a numerical simulation to illustrate the model. Based on the model, we derive simple formulas for the bunch energy loss and the average kick. We also present results from experimental measurements that confirm our model.« less

Imaging characteristics of scintimammography using parallel-hole and pinhole collimators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsui, B. M. W.; Wessell, D. E.; Zhao, X. D.; Wang, W. T.; Lewis, D. P.; Frey, E. C.

1998-08-01

The purpose of the study is to investigate the imaging characteristics of scintimammography (SM) using parallel-hole (PR) and pinhole (PN) collimators in a clinical setting. Experimental data were acquired from a phantom that models the breast with small lesions using a low energy high resolution (LEHR) PR and a PN collimator. At close distances, the PN collimator provides better spatial resolution and higher detection efficiency than the PR collimator, at the expense of a smaller field-of-view (FOV). Detection of small breast lesions can be further enhanced by noise smoothing, field uniformity correction, scatter subtraction and resolution recovery filtering. Monte Carlo (MC) simulation data were generated from the 3D MCAT phantom that realistically models the Tc-99m sestamibi uptake and attenuation distributions in an average female patient. For both PR and PN collimation, the scatter to primary ratio (S/P) decreases from the base of the breast to the nipple and is higher in the left than right breast due to scatter of photons from the heart. Results from the study add to understanding of the imaging characteristics of SM using PR and PN collimators and assist in the design of data acquisition and image processing methods to enhance the detection of breast lesions using SM.

Fast collimated neutron flux measurement using stilbene scintillator and flashy analog-to-digital converter in JT-60U

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishikawa, M.; Itoga, T.; Okuji, T.; Nakhostin, M.; Shinohara, K.; Hayashi, T.; Sukegawa, A.; Baba, M.; Nishitani, T.

2006-10-01

A line-integrated neutron emission profile is routinely measured using the radial neutron collimator system in JT-60U tokamak. Stilbene neuron detectors (SNDs), which combine a stilbene organic crystal scintillation detector (SD) with an analog neutron-gamma pulse shape discrimination (PSD) circuit, have been used to measure collimated neutron flux. Although the SND has many advantages as a neutron detector, the maximum count rate is limited up to ˜1×105counts/s due to the analog PSD circuit. To overcome this issue, a digital signal processing system (DSPS) using a flash analog-to-digital converter (Acqiris DC252, 8GHz, 10bits) has been developed at Cyclotron and Radioisotope Center in Tohoku University. In this system anode signals from photomultiplier of the SD are directory stored and digitized. Then, the PSD between neutrons and gamma rays is performed using software. The DSPS has been installed in the vertical neutron collimator system in JT-60U and applied to deuterium experiments. It is confirmed that the PSD is sufficiently performed and collimated neutron flux is successfully measured with count rate up to ˜5×105counts/s without the effect of pileup of detected pulses. The performance of the DSPS as a neutron detector, which supersedes the SND, is demonstrated.

Mock-up experiment at Birmingham University for BNCT project of Osaka University--Neutron flux measurement with gold foil.

PubMed

Tamaki, S; Sakai, M; Yoshihashi, S; Manabe, M; Zushi, N; Murata, I; Hoashi, E; Kato, I; Kuri, S; Oshiro, S; Nagasaki, M; Horiike, H

2015-12-01

Mock-up experiment for development of accelerator based neutron source for Osaka University BNCT project was carried out at Birmingham University, UK. In this paper, spatial distribution of neutron flux intensity was evaluated by foil activation method. Validity of the design code system was confirmed by comparing measured gold foil activities with calculations. As a result, it was found that the epi-thermal neutron beam was well collimated by our neutron moderator assembly. Also, the design accuracy was evaluated to have less than 20% error. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Senaratne, Ruwan, E-mail: rsenarat@physics.ucsb.edu; Rajagopal, Shankari V.; Geiger, Zachary A.

We present a simple and inexpensive design for a multichannel effusive oven nozzle which provides improved atomic beam collimation and thus extended oven lifetimes. Using this design, we demonstrate an atomic lithium source suitable for trapped-atom experiments. At a nozzle temperature of 525 °C, the collimated atomic beam flux directly after the nozzle is 1.2 × 10{sup 14} atoms/s with a peak beam intensity greater than 5.0 × 10{sup 16} atoms/s/sr. This suggests an oven lifetime of several decades of continuous operation.

A new variable parallel holes collimator for scintigraphic device with validation method based on Monte Carlo simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trinci, G.; Massari, R.; Scandellari, M.; Boccalini, S.; Costantini, S.; Di Sero, R.; Basso, A.; Sala, R.; Scopinaro, F.; Soluri, A.

2010-09-01

The aim of this work is to show a new scintigraphic device able to change automatically the length of its collimator in order to adapt the spatial resolution value to gamma source distance. This patented technique replaces the need for collimator change that standard gamma cameras still feature. Monte Carlo simulations represent the best tool in searching new technological solutions for such an innovative collimation structure. They also provide a valid analysis on response of gamma cameras performances as well as on advantages and limits of this new solution. Specifically, Monte Carlo simulations are realized with GEANT4 (GEometry ANd Tracking) framework and the specific simulation object is a collimation method based on separate blocks that can be brought closer and farther, in order to reach and maintain specific spatial resolution values for all source-detector distances. To verify the accuracy and the faithfulness of these simulations, we have realized experimental measurements with identical setup and conditions. This confirms the power of the simulation as an extremely useful tool, especially where new technological solutions need to be studied, tested and analyzed before their practical realization. The final aim of this new collimation system is the improvement of the SPECT techniques, with the real control of the spatial resolution value during tomographic acquisitions. This principle did allow us to simulate a tomographic acquisition of two capillaries of radioactive solution, in order to verify the possibility to clearly distinguish them.

Results from the Mochi.Labjet Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lavine, Eric Sander; You, Setthivoine

2017-10-01

Magnetized plasma jets are generally modeled as magnetic flux tubes filled with flowing plasma governed by magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). Recent theoretical work has outlined a more fundamental approach based on flux tubes of canonical vorticity, where canonical vorticity is defined as the circulation of a species' canonical momentum. This approach extends the concept of magnetic flux tube evolution to include the effects of finite particle momentum and enables visualization of the topology of plasma jets in regimes beyond MHD. Under the appropriate conditions this framework suggests how to form and drive stable, collimated plasma jets with very long aspect-ratios. To explore this possibility, a triple electrode planar plasma gun (Mochi.LabJet) has been designed to produce helical shear flows inside a driven magnetized plasma jet. High speed video confirms the experiment can produce long ( 1m), collimated, stable jets with core plasma currents of 60 - 80 kA, skin currents of 100 - 120 kA and axial velocities on the order of 40 - 80 km/s (for hydrogen). Presented here are magnetic and ion flow velocity measurements as well as stability space analysis that suggests the jets are stable to kink instabilities over many Alfvén times.

A comparison of two prompt gamma imaging techniques with collimator-based cameras for range verification in proton therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Hsin-Hon; Chang, Hao-Ting; Chao, Tsi-Chian; Chuang, Keh-Shih

2017-08-01

In vivo range verification plays an important role in proton therapy to fully utilize the benefits of the Bragg peak (BP) for delivering high radiation dose to tumor, while sparing the normal tissue. For accurately locating the position of BP, camera equipped with collimators (multi-slit and knife-edge collimator) to image prompt gamma (PG) emitted along the proton tracks in the patient have been proposed for range verification. The aim of the work is to compare the performance of multi-slit collimator and knife-edge collimator for non-invasive proton beam range verification. PG imaging was simulated by a validated GATE/GEANT4 Monte Carlo code to model the spot-scanning proton therapy and cylindrical PMMA phantom in detail. For each spot, 108 protons were simulated. To investigate the correlation between the acquired PG profile and the proton range, the falloff regions of PG profiles were fitted with a 3-line-segment curve function as the range estimate. Factors including the energy window setting, proton energy, phantom size, and phantom shift that may influence the accuracy of detecting range were studied. Results indicated that both collimator systems achieve reasonable accuracy and good response to the phantom shift. The accuracy of range predicted by multi-slit collimator system is less affected by the proton energy, while knife-edge collimator system can achieve higher detection efficiency that lead to a smaller deviation in predicting range. We conclude that both collimator systems have potentials for accurately range monitoring in proton therapy. It is noted that neutron contamination has a marked impact on range prediction of the two systems, especially in multi-slit system. Therefore, a neutron reduction technique for improving the accuracy of range verification of proton therapy is needed.

Electron beam collimation with a photon MLC for standard electron treatments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller, S.; Fix, M. K.; Henzen, D.; Frei, D.; Frauchiger, D.; Loessl, K.; Stampanoni, M. F. M.; Manser, P.

2018-01-01

Standard electron treatments are currently still performed using standard or molded patient-specific cut-outs placed in the electron applicator. Replacing cut-outs and electron applicators with a photon multileaf collimator (pMLC) for electron beam collimation would make standard electron treatments more efficient and would facilitate advanced treatment techniques like modulated electron radiotherapy (MERT) and mixed beam radiotherapy (MBRT). In this work, a multiple source Monte Carlo beam model for pMLC shaped electron beams commissioned at a source-to-surface distance (SSD) of 70 cm is extended for SSDs of up to 100 cm and validated for several Varian treatment units with field sizes typically used for standard electron treatments. Measurements and dose calculations agree generally within 3% of the maximal dose or 2 mm distance to agreement. To evaluate the dosimetric consequences of using pMLC collimated electron beams for standard electron treatments, pMLC-based and cut-out-based treatment plans are created for a left and a right breast boost, a sternum, a testis and a parotid gland case. The treatment plans consist of a single electron field, either alone (1E) or in combination with two 3D conformal tangential photon fields (1E2X). For each case, a pMLC plan with similar treatment plan quality in terms of dose homogeneity to the target and absolute mean dose values to the organs at risk (OARs) compared to a cut-out plan is found. The absolute mean dose to an OAR is slightly increased for pMLC-based compared to cut-out-based 1E plans if the OAR is located laterally close to the target with respect to beam direction, or if a 6 MeV electron beam is used at an extended SSD. In conclusion, treatment plans using cut-out collimation can be replaced by plans of similar treatment plan quality using pMLC collimation with accurately calculated dose distributions.

The design of the new LHC connection cryostats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vande Craen, A.; Barlow, G.; Eymin, C.; Moretti, M.; Parma, V.; Ramos, D.

2017-12-01

In the frame of the High Luminosity upgrade of the LHC, improved collimation schemes are needed to cope with the superconducting magnet quench limitations due to the increasing beam intensities and particle debris produced in the collision points. Two new TCLD collimators have to be installed on either side of the ALICE experiment to intercept heavy-ion particle debris. Beam optics solutions were found to place these collimators in the continuous cryostat of the machine, in the locations where connection cryostats, bridging a gap of about 13 m between adjacent magnets, are already present. It is therefore planned to replace these connection cryostats with two new shorter ones separated by a bypass cryostat allowing the collimators to be placed close to the beam pipes. The connection cryostats, of a new design when compared to the existing ones, will still have to ensure the continuity of the technical systems of the machine cryostat (i.e. beam lines, cryogenic and electrical circuits, insulation vacuum). This paper describes the functionalities and the design solutions implemented, as well as the plans for their construction.

A fast algorithm for computer aided collimation gamma camera (CACAO)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeanguillaume, C.; Begot, S.; Quartuccio, M.; Douiri, A.; Franck, D.; Pihet, P.; Ballongue, P.

2000-08-01

The computer aided collimation gamma camera is aimed at breaking down the resolution sensitivity trade-off of the conventional parallel hole collimator. It uses larger and longer holes, having an added linear movement at the acquisition sequence. A dedicated algorithm including shift and sum, deconvolution, parabolic filtering and rotation is described. Examples of reconstruction are given. This work shows that a simple and fast algorithm, based on a diagonal dominant approximation of the problem can be derived. Its gives a practical solution to the CACAO reconstruction problem.

Comparison of two portable solid state detectors with an improved collimation and alignment device for mammographic x-ray spectroscopy.

PubMed

Bottigli, U; Golosio, B; Masala, G L; Oliva, P; Stumbo, S; Delogu, P; Fantacci, M E; Abbene, L; Fauci, F; Raso, G

2006-09-01

We describe a portable system for mammographic x-ray spectroscopy, based on a 2 X 2 X 1 mm3 cadmium telluride (CdTe) solid state detector, that is greatly improved over a similar system based on a 3 X 3 X 2 mm3 cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) solid state detector evaluated in an earlier work. The CdTe system utilized new pinhole collimators and an alignment device that facilitated measurement of mammographic x-ray spectra. Mammographic x-ray spectra acquired by each system were comparable. Half value layer measurements obtained using an ion chamber agreed closely with those derived from the x-ray spectra measured by either detector. The faster electronics and other features of the CdTe detector allowed its use with a larger pinhole collimator than could be used with the CZT detector. Additionally, the improved pinhole collimator and alignment features of the apparatus permitted much more rapid setup for acquisition of x-ray spectra than was possible on the system described in the earlier work. These improvements in detector technology, collimation and ease of alignment, as well as low cost, make this apparatus attractive as a tool for both laboratory research and advanced mammography quality control.

Feasibility study on low-dosage digital tomosynthesis (DTS) using a multislit collimation technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, S. Y.; Kim, G. A.; Park, C. K.; Cho, H. S.; Seo, C. W.; Lee, D. Y.; Kang, S. Y.; Kim, K. S.; Lim, H. W.; Lee, H. W.; Park, J. E.; Kim, W. S.; Jeon, D. H.; Woo, T. H.

2018-04-01

In this study, we investigated an effective low-dose digital tomosynthesis (DTS) where a multislit collimator placed between the X-ray tube and the patient oscillates during projection data acquisition, partially blocking the X-ray beam to the patient thereby reducing the radiation dosage. We performed a simulation using the proposed DTS with two sets of multislit collimators both having a 50% duty cycle and investigated the image characteristics to demonstrate the feasibility of this proposed approach. In the simulation, all projections were taken at a tomographic angle of θ = ± 50° and an angle step of Δθ =2°. We utilized an iterative algorithm based on a compressed-sensing (CS) scheme for more accurate DTS reconstruction. Using the proposed DTS, we successfully obtained CS-reconstructed DTS images with no bright-band artifacts around the multislit edges of the collimator, thus maintaining the image quality. Therefore, the use of multislit collimation in current real-world DTS systems can reduce the radiation dosage to patients.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Weinmann, Amanda L.; Hruska, Carrie B.; Conners, Amy L.

Purpose: Molecular breast imaging (MBI) is a dedicated nuclear medicine breast imaging modality that employs dual-head cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) gamma cameras to functionally detect breast cancer. MBI has been shown to detect breast cancers otherwise occult on mammography and ultrasound. Currently, a MBI-guided biopsy system does not exist to biopsy such lesions. Our objective was to consider the utility of a novel conical slant-hole (CSH) collimator for rapid (<1 min) and accurate monitoring of lesion position to serve as part of a MBI-guided biopsy system. Methods: An initial CSH collimator design was derived from the dimensions of a parallel-holemore » collimator optimized for MBI performed with dual-head CZT gamma cameras. The parameters of the CSH collimator included the collimator height, cone slant angle, thickness of septa and cones of the collimator, and the annular areas exposed at the base of the cones. These parameters were varied within the geometric constraints of the MBI system to create several potential CSH collimator designs. The CSH collimator designs were evaluated using Monte Carlo simulations. The model included a breast compressed to a thickness of 6 cm with a 1-cm diameter lesion located 3 cm from the collimator face. The number of particles simulated was chosen to represent the count density of a low-dose, screening MBI study acquired with the parallel-hole collimator for 10 min after a {approx}150 MBq (4 mCi) injection of Tc-99m sestamibi. The same number of particles was used for the CSH collimator simulations. In the resulting simulated images, the count sensitivity, spatial resolution, and accuracy of the lesion depth determined from the lesion profile width were evaluated. Results: The CSH collimator design with default parameters derived from the optimal parallel-hole collimator provided 1-min images with error in the lesion depth estimation of 1.1 {+-} 0.7 mm and over 21 times the lesion count sensitivity relative to 1-min images acquired with the current parallel-hole collimator. Sensitivity was increased via more vertical cone slant angles, larger annular areas, thinner cone walls, shorter cone heights, and thinner radiating septa. Full width at half maximum trended in the opposite direction as sensitivity for all parameters. There was less error in the depth estimates for less vertical slant angles, smaller annular areas, thinner cone walls, cone heights near 1 cm, and generally thinner radiating septa. Conclusions: A Monte Carlo model was used to demonstrate the feasibility of a CSH collimator design for rapid biopsy application in molecular breast imaging. Specifically, lesion depth of a 1-cm diameter lesion positioned in the center of a typical breast can be estimated with error of less than 2 mm using circumferential count profiles of images acquired in 1 min.« less

Simulator for beam-based LHC collimator alignment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valentino, Gianluca; Aßmann, Ralph; Redaelli, Stefano; Sammut, Nicholas

2014-02-01

In the CERN Large Hadron Collider, collimators need to be set up to form a multistage hierarchy to ensure efficient multiturn cleaning of halo particles. Automatic algorithms were introduced during the first run to reduce the beam time required for beam-based setup, improve the alignment accuracy, and reduce the risk of human errors. Simulating the alignment procedure would allow for off-line tests of alignment policies and algorithms. A simulator was developed based on a diffusion beam model to generate the characteristic beam loss signal spike and decay produced when a collimator jaw touches the beam, which is observed in a beam loss monitor (BLM). Empirical models derived from the available measurement data are used to simulate the steady-state beam loss and crosstalk between multiple BLMs. The simulator design is presented, together with simulation results and comparison to measurement data.

Design and implementation of a crystal collimation test stand at the Large Hadron Collider

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirarchi, D.; Hall, G.; Redaelli, S.; Scandale, W.

2017-06-01

Future upgrades of the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) demand improved cleaning performance of its collimation system. Very efficient collimation is required during regular operations at high intensities, because even a small amount of energy deposited on superconducting magnets can cause an abrupt loss of superconducting conditions (quench). The possibility to use a crystal-based collimation system represents an option for improving both cleaning performance and impedance compared to the present system. Before relying on crystal collimation for the LHC, a demonstration under LHC conditions (energy, beam parameters, etc.) and a comparison against the present system is considered mandatory. Thus, a prototype crystal collimation system has been designed and installed in the LHC during the Long Shutdown 1 (LS1), to perform feasibility tests during the Run 2 at energies up to 6.5 TeV. The layout is suitable for operation with proton as well as heavy ion beams. In this paper, the design constraints and the solutions proposed for this test stand for feasibility demonstration of crystal collimation at the LHC are presented. The expected cleaning performance achievable with this test stand, as assessed in simulations, is presented and compared to that of the present LHC collimation system. The first experimental observation of crystal channeling in the LHC at the record beam energy of 6.5 TeV has been obtained in 2015 using the layout presented (Scandale et al., Phys Lett B 758:129, 2016). First tests to measure the cleaning performance of this test stand have been carried out in 2016 and the detailed data analysis is still on-going.

Creating and Steering Highly Directional Electron Beams in Graphene.

PubMed

Liu, Ming-Hao; Gorini, Cosimo; Richter, Klaus

2017-02-10

We put forward a concept to create highly collimated, nondispersive electron beams in pseudorelativistic Dirac materials such as graphene or topological insulator surfaces. Combining negative refraction and Klein collimation at a parabolic pn junction, the proposed lens generates beams, as narrow as the focal length, that stay focused over scales of several microns and can be steered by a magnetic field without losing collimation. We demonstrate the lens capabilities by applying it to two paradigmatic settings of graphene electron optics: We propose a setup for observing high-resolution angle-dependent Klein tunneling, and, exploiting the intimate quantum-to-classical correspondence of these focused electron waves, we consider high-fidelity transverse magnetic focusing accompanied by simulations for current mapping through scanning gate microscopy. Our proposal opens up new perspectives for next-generation graphene electron optics experiments.

Creating and Steering Highly Directional Electron Beams in Graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Ming-Hao; Gorini, Cosimo; Richter, Klaus

2017-02-01

We put forward a concept to create highly collimated, nondispersive electron beams in pseudorelativistic Dirac materials such as graphene or topological insulator surfaces. Combining negative refraction and Klein collimation at a parabolic p n junction, the proposed lens generates beams, as narrow as the focal length, that stay focused over scales of several microns and can be steered by a magnetic field without losing collimation. We demonstrate the lens capabilities by applying it to two paradigmatic settings of graphene electron optics: We propose a setup for observing high-resolution angle-dependent Klein tunneling, and, exploiting the intimate quantum-to-classical correspondence of these focused electron waves, we consider high-fidelity transverse magnetic focusing accompanied by simulations for current mapping through scanning gate microscopy. Our proposal opens up new perspectives for next-generation graphene electron optics experiments.

Optimal design of a high accuracy photoelectric auto-collimator based on position sensitive detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Pei-pei; Yang, Yong-qing; She, Wen-ji; Liu, Kai; Jiang, Kai; Duan, Jing; Shan, Qiusha

2018-02-01

A kind of high accuracy Photo-electric auto-collimator based on PSD was designed. The integral structure composed of light source, optical lens group, Position Sensitive Detector (PSD) sensor, and its hardware and software processing system constituted. Telephoto objective optical type is chosen during the designing process, which effectively reduces the length, weight and volume of the optical system, as well as develops simulation-based design and analysis of the auto-collimator optical system. The technical indicators of auto-collimator presented by this paper are: measuring resolution less than 0.05″; a field of view is 2ω=0.4° × 0.4° measuring range is +/-5' error of whole range measurement is less than 0.2″. Measuring distance is 10m, which are applicable to minor-angle precise measuring environment. Aberration analysis indicates that the MTF close to the diffraction limit, the spot in the spot diagram is much smaller than the Airy disk. The total length of the telephoto lens is only 450mm by the design of the optical machine structure optimization. The autocollimator's dimension get compact obviously under the condition of the image quality is guaranteed.

A neutral-beam profile monitor with a phosphor screen and a high-sensitivity camera for the J-PARC KOTO experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsumura, T.; Kamiji, I.; Nakagiri, K.; Nanjo, H.; Nomura, T.; Sasao, N.; Shinkawa, T.; Shiomi, K.

2018-03-01

We have developed a beam-profile monitor (BPM) system to align the collimators for the neutral beam-line at the Hadron Experimental Facility of J-PARC. The system is composed of a phosphor screen and a CCD camera coupled to an image intensifier mounted on a remote control X- Y stage. The design and detailed performance studies of the BPM are presented. The monitor has a spatial resolution of better than 0.6 mm and a deviation from linearity of less than 1%. These results indicate that the BPM system meets the requirements to define collimator-edge positions for the beam-line tuning. Confirmation using the neutral beam for the KOTO experiment is also presented.

Design and performance evaluation of a 20-aperture multipinhole collimator for myocardial perfusion imaging applications.

PubMed

Bowen, Jason D; Huang, Qiu; Ellin, Justin R; Lee, Tzu-Cheng; Shrestha, Uttam; Gullberg, Grant T; Seo, Youngho

2013-10-21

Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging remains a critical tool in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease. However, after more than three decades of use, photon detection efficiency remains poor and unchanged. This is due to the continued reliance on parallel-hole collimators first introduced in 1964. These collimators possess poor geometric efficiency. Here we present the performance evaluation results of a newly designed multipinhole collimator with 20 pinhole apertures (PH20) for commercial SPECT systems. Computer simulations and numerical observer studies were used to assess the noise, bias and diagnostic imaging performance of a PH20 collimator in comparison with those of a low energy high resolution (LEHR) parallel-hole collimator. Ray-driven projector/backprojector pairs were used to model SPECT imaging acquisitions, including simulation of noiseless projection data and performing MLEM/OSEM image reconstructions. Poisson noise was added to noiseless projections for realistic projection data. Noise and bias performance were investigated for five mathematical cardiac and torso (MCAT) phantom anatomies imaged at two gantry orbit positions (19.5 and 25.0 cm). PH20 and LEHR images were reconstructed with 300 MLEM iterations and 30 OSEM iterations (ten subsets), respectively. Diagnostic imaging performance was assessed by a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis performed on a single MCAT phantom; however, in this case PH20 images were reconstructed with 75 pixel-based OSEM iterations (four subsets). Four PH20 projection views from two positions of a dual-head camera acquisition and 60 LEHR projections were simulated for all studies. At uniformly-imposed resolution of 12.5 mm, significant improvements in SNR and diagnostic sensitivity (represented by the area under the ROC curve, or AUC) were realized when PH20 collimators are substituted for LEHR parallel-hole collimators. SNR improves by factors of 1.94-2.34 for the five patient anatomies and two orbital positions studied. For the ROC analysis the PH20 AUC is larger than the LEHR AUC with a p-value of 0.0067. Bias performance, however, decreases with the use of PH20 collimators. Systematic analyses showed PH20 collimators present improved diagnostic imaging performance over LEHR collimators, requiring only collimator exchange on existing SPECT cameras for their use.

Design and performance evaluation of a 20-aperture multipinhole collimator for myocardial perfusion imaging applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowen, Jason D.; Huang, Qiu; Ellin, Justin R.; Lee, Tzu-Cheng; Shrestha, Uttam; Gullberg, Grant T.; Seo, Youngho

2013-10-01

Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging remains a critical tool in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease. However, after more than three decades of use, photon detection efficiency remains poor and unchanged. This is due to the continued reliance on parallel-hole collimators first introduced in 1964. These collimators possess poor geometric efficiency. Here we present the performance evaluation results of a newly designed multipinhole collimator with 20 pinhole apertures (PH20) for commercial SPECT systems. Computer simulations and numerical observer studies were used to assess the noise, bias and diagnostic imaging performance of a PH20 collimator in comparison with those of a low energy high resolution (LEHR) parallel-hole collimator. Ray-driven projector/backprojector pairs were used to model SPECT imaging acquisitions, including simulation of noiseless projection data and performing MLEM/OSEM image reconstructions. Poisson noise was added to noiseless projections for realistic projection data. Noise and bias performance were investigated for five mathematical cardiac and torso (MCAT) phantom anatomies imaged at two gantry orbit positions (19.5 and 25.0 cm). PH20 and LEHR images were reconstructed with 300 MLEM iterations and 30 OSEM iterations (ten subsets), respectively. Diagnostic imaging performance was assessed by a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis performed on a single MCAT phantom; however, in this case PH20 images were reconstructed with 75 pixel-based OSEM iterations (four subsets). Four PH20 projection views from two positions of a dual-head camera acquisition and 60 LEHR projections were simulated for all studies. At uniformly-imposed resolution of 12.5 mm, significant improvements in SNR and diagnostic sensitivity (represented by the area under the ROC curve, or AUC) were realized when PH20 collimators are substituted for LEHR parallel-hole collimators. SNR improves by factors of 1.94-2.34 for the five patient anatomies and two orbital positions studied. For the ROC analysis the PH20 AUC is larger than the LEHR AUC with a p-value of 0.0067. Bias performance, however, decreases with the use of PH20 collimators. Systematic analyses showed PH20 collimators present improved diagnostic imaging performance over LEHR collimators, requiring only collimator exchange on existing SPECT cameras for their use.

TU-EF-304-11: Therapeutic Benefits of Collimation in Spot Scanning Proton Therapy in the Treatment of Brain Cancer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moignier, A; Gelover, E; Wang, D

Purpose: A dynamic collimation system (DCS) based on two orthogonal pairs of mobile trimmer blades has recently been proposed to reduce the lateral penumbra in spot scanning proton therapy (SSPT). The purpose of this work is to quantify the therapeutic benefit of using the DCS for SSPT of brain cancer by comparing un-collimated and collimated treatment plans. Methods: Un-collimated and collimated brain treatment plans were created for five patients, previously treated with SSPT, using an in-house treatment planning system capable of modeling collimated and un-collimated beamlets. Un-collimated plans reproduced the clinically delivered plans in terms of target coverage and organ-at-riskmore » (OAR) sparing, whereas collimated plans were re-optimized to improve the organ-at-risk sparing while maintaining target coverage. Physical and biological comparison metrics such as dose distribution conformity, mean and maximum doses, normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) and risk of secondary brain cancer were used to evaluate the plans. Results: The DCS systematically improved the dose distribution conformity while preserving the target coverage. The average reduction of the mean dose to the 10-mm ring surrounding the target and the healthy brain were 7.1% (95% CI: 4.2%–9.9%; p<0.01) and 14.3% (95% CI: 7.8%–20.8%; p<0.01), respectively. This yielded an average reduction of 12.0% (95% CI: 8.2%–15.7%; p<0.01) for the brain necrosis NTCP using the Flickinger model, and 14.2% (95% CI: 7.7%–20.8%; p<0.01) for the risk of secondary brain cancer. The average maximum dose reductions for the brainstem, chiasm, optic nerves, cochleae and pituitary gland when comparing un-collimated and collimated plans were 14.3%, 10.4%, 11.2%, 13.0%, 12.9% and 3.4%, respectively. Evaluating individual plans using the Lyman-Kutcher-Burman NTCP model also yielded improvements. Conclusion: The lateral penumbra reduction performed by the DCS increases the normal tissue sparing capabilities of SSPT for brain tumor treatment while preserving the target coverage. This research was financially supported by Ion Beam Applications S.A. (IBA, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium)« less

Collimation testing using slit Fresnel diffraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Xiaohe; Hui, Mei; Wang, Shanshan; Hou, Yinlong; Zhou, Siyu; Zhu, Qiudong

2018-03-01

A simple collimation testing method based on slit Fresnel diffraction is proposed. The method needs only a CMOS and a slit with no requirement in dimensional accuracy. The light beam to be tested diffracts across the slit and forms a Fresnel diffraction pattern received by CMOS. After analysis, the defocusing amount and the distance between the primary peak point and secondary peak point of diffraction pattern fulfill an expression relationship and then the defocusing amount can be deduced from the expression. The method is applied to both the coherent beam and partially coherent beam, and these two beams are emitted from a laser and light-emitting diode (LED) with a spectrum width of about 50 nm in this paper. Simulations show that the wide spectrum of LED has the effect of smooth filtering to provide higher accuracy. Experiments show that the LED with a spectrum width of about 50 nm has a lower limitation error than the laser and can achieve up to 58.1601 μm with focal length 200 mm and slit width 15 mm.

SU-E-T-392: Evaluation of Ion Chamber/film and Log File Based QA to Detect Delivery Errors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nelson, C; Mason, B; Kirsner, S

2015-06-15

Purpose: Ion chamber and film (ICAF) is a method used to verify patient dose prior to treatment. More recently, log file based QA has been shown as an alternative for measurement based QA. In this study, we delivered VMAT plans with and without errors to determine if ICAF and/or log file based QA was able to detect the errors. Methods: Using two VMAT patients, the original treatment plan plus 7 additional plans with delivery errors introduced were generated and delivered. The erroneous plans had gantry, collimator, MLC, gantry and collimator, collimator and MLC, MLC and gantry, and gantry, collimator, andmore » MLC errors. The gantry and collimator errors were off by 4{sup 0} for one of the two arcs. The MLC error introduced was one in which the opening aperture didn’t move throughout the delivery of the field. For each delivery, an ICAF measurement was made as well as a dose comparison based upon log files. Passing criteria to evaluate the plans were ion chamber less and 5% and film 90% of pixels pass the 3mm/3% gamma analysis(GA). For log file analysis 90% of voxels pass the 3mm/3% 3D GA and beam parameters match what was in the plan. Results: Two original plans were delivered and passed both ICAF and log file base QA. Both ICAF and log file QA met the dosimetry criteria on 4 of the 12 erroneous cases analyzed (2 cases were not analyzed). For the log file analysis, all 12 erroneous plans alerted a mismatch in delivery versus what was planned. The 8 plans that didn’t meet criteria all had MLC errors. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that log file based pre-treatment QA was able to detect small errors that may not be detected using an ICAF and both methods of were able to detect larger delivery errors.« less

Influence of beam efficiency through the patient-specific collimator on secondary neutron dose equivalent in double scattering and uniform scanning modes of proton therapy.

PubMed

Hecksel, D; Anferov, V; Fitzek, M; Shahnazi, K

2010-06-01

Conventional proton therapy facilities use double scattering nozzles, which are optimized for delivery of a few fixed field sizes. Similarly, uniform scanning nozzles are commissioned for a limited number of field sizes. However, cases invariably occur where the treatment field is significantly different from these fixed field sizes. The purpose of this work was to determine the impact of the radiation field conformity to the patient-specific collimator on the secondary neutron dose equivalent. Using a WENDI-II neutron detector, the authors experimentally investigated how the neutron dose equivalent at a particular point of interest varied with different collimator sizes, while the beam spreading was kept constant. The measurements were performed for different modes of dose delivery in proton therapy, all of which are available at the Midwest Proton Radiotherapy Institute (MPRI): Double scattering, uniform scanning delivering rectangular fields, and uniform scanning delivering circular fields. The authors also studied how the neutron dose equivalent changes when one changes the amplitudes of the scanned field for a fixed collimator size. The secondary neutron dose equivalent was found to decrease linearly with the collimator area for all methods of dose delivery. The relative values of the neutron dose equivalent for a collimator with a 5 cm diameter opening using 88 MeV protons were 1.0 for the double scattering field, 0.76 for rectangular uniform field, and 0.6 for the circular uniform field. Furthermore, when a single circle wobbling was optimized for delivery of a uniform field 5 cm in diameter, the secondary neutron dose equivalent was reduced by a factor of 6 compared to the double scattering nozzle. Additionally, when the collimator size was kept constant, the neutron dose equivalent at the given point of interest increased linearly with the area of the scanned proton beam. The results of these experiments suggest that the patient-specific collimator is a significant contributor to the secondary neutron dose equivalent to a distant organ at risk. Improving conformity of the radiation field to the patient-specific collimator can significantly reduce secondary neutron dose equivalent to the patient. Therefore, it is important to increase the number of available generic field sizes in double scattering systems as well as in uniform scanning nozzles.

Measurement system with high accuracy for laser beam quality.

PubMed

Ke, Yi; Zeng, Ciling; Xie, Peiyuan; Jiang, Qingshan; Liang, Ke; Yang, Zhenyu; Zhao, Ming

2015-05-20

Presently, most of the laser beam quality measurement system collimates the optical path manually with low efficiency and low repeatability. To solve these problems, this paper proposed a new collimated method to improve the reliability and accuracy of the measurement results. The system accuracy controlled the position of the mirror to change laser beam propagation direction, which can realize the beam perpendicularly incident to the photosurface of camera. The experiment results show that the proposed system has good repeatability and the measuring deviation of M² factor is less than 0.6%.

Evaluation of observed blast loading effects on NIF x-ray diagnostic collimators.

PubMed

Masters, N D; Fisher, A; Kalantar, D; Prasad, R; Stölken, J S; Wlodarczyk, C

2014-11-01

We present the "debris wind" models used to estimate the impulsive load to which x-ray diagnostics and other structures are subject during National Ignition Facility experiments. These models are used as part of the engineering design process. Isotropic models, based on simulations or simplified "expanding shell" models, are augmented by debris wind multipliers to account for directional anisotropy. We present improvements to these multipliers based on measurements of the permanent deflections of diagnostic components: 4× for the polar direction and 2× within the equatorial plane-the latter relaxing the previous heuristic debris wind multiplier.

Analysis and design of fiber-coupled high-power laser diode array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Chongxi; Liu, Yinhui; Xie, Weimin; Du, Chunlei

2003-11-01

A conclusion that a single conventional optical system could not realize fiber coupled high-power laser diode array is drawn based on the BPP of laser beam. According to the parameters of coupled fiber, a method to couple LDA beams into a single multi-mode fiber including beams collimating, shaping, focusing and coupling is present. The divergence angles after collimating are calculated and analyzed; the shape equation of the collimating micro-lenses array is deprived. The focusing lens is designed. A fiber coupled LDA result with the core diameter of 800 um and numeric aperture of 0.37 is gotten.

Lab experiments investigating astrophysical jet physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bellan, Paul

2014-10-01

Dynamics relevant to astrophysical plasmas is being investigated in lab experiments having similar physics and topology, but much smaller time and space scales. High speed movies and numerical simulations both show that highly collimated MHD-driven plasma flows are a critical feature; these collimated flows can be considered to be a lab version of an astrophysical jet. Having both axial and azimuthal magnetic fields, the jet is effectively an axially lengthening plasma-confining flux tube with embedded helical magnetic field (flux rope). The jet velocity is in good agreement with an MHD acceleration model. Axial stagnation of the jet compresses embedded azimuthal magnetic flux and so results in jet self-collimation. Jets kink when they breach the Kruskal-Shafranov stability limit. The lateral acceleration of a sufficiently strong kink can provide an effective gravity which provides the environment for a spontaneously-developing, fine-scale, extremely fast Rayleigh-Taylor instability that erodes the current channel to be smaller than the ion skin depth. This cascade from the ideal MHD scale of the kink to the non-MHD ion skin depth scale can result in a fast magnetic reconnection whereby the jet breaks off from its source electrode. Supported by USDOE and NSF.

Collimating slicer for optical integral field spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laurent, Florence; Hénault, François

2016-07-01

Integral Field Spectroscopy (IFS) is a technique that gives simultaneously the spectrum of each spatial sampling element of a given field. It is a powerful tool which rearranges the data cube represented by two spatial dimensions defining the field and the spectral decomposition (x, y, λ) in a detector plane. In IFS, the "spatial" unit reorganizes the field, the "spectral" unit is being composed of a classical spectrograph. For the spatial unit, three main techniques - microlens array, microlens array associated with fibres and image slicer - are used in astronomical instrumentations. The development of a Collimating Slicer is to propose a new type of optical integral field spectroscopy which should be more compact. The main idea is to combine the image slicer with the collimator of the spectrograph mixing the "spatial" and "spectral" units. The traditional combination of slicer, pupil and slit elements and spectrograph collimator is replaced by a new one composed of a slicer and spectrograph collimator only. After testing few configurations, this new system looks very promising for low resolution spectrographs. In this paper, the state of art of integral field spectroscopy using image slicers will be described. The new system based onto the development of a Collimating Slicer for optical integral field spectroscopy will be depicted. First system analysis results and future improvements will be discussed.

High spatial resolution technique for SPECT using a fan-beam collimator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ichihar, T.; Nambu, K.; Motomura, N.

1993-08-01

The physical characteristics of the collimator cause degradation of resolution with increasing distance from the collimator surface. A new convolutional backprojection algorithm has been derived for fanbeam SPECT data without rebinding into parallel beam geometry. The projections are filtered and then backprojected into the area within an isosceles triangle whose vertex is the focal point of the fan-beam and whose base is the fan-beam collimator face, and outside of the circle whose center is located midway between the focal point and the center of rotation and whose diameter is the distance between the focal point and the center of rotation.more » Consequently the backprojected area is close to the collimator surface. This algorithm has been implemented on a GCA-9300A SPECT system showing good results with both phantom and patient studies. The SPECT transaxial resolution was 4.6mm FWHM (reconstructed image matrix size of 256x256) at the center of SPECT FOV using UHR (ultra-high-resolution) fan beam collimators for brain study. Clinically, Tc-99m HMPAO and Tc-99m ECD brain data were reconstructed using this algorithm. The reconstruction results were compared with MRI images of the same slice position and showed significantly improved over results obtained with standard reconstruction algorithms.« less

SU-F-E-20: A Mathematical Model of Linac Jaw Calibration Integrated with Collimator Walkout

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhao, Y; Corns, R; Huang, V

2016-06-15

Purpose: Accurate jaw calibration is possible, but it does not necessarily achieve good junctions because of collimator rotation walkout. We developed a mathematical model seeking to pick an origin for calibration that minimizes the collimator walkout effect. Methods: We use radioopaque markers aligned with crosshair on the EPID to determine the collimator walkout at collimator angles 0°, 90° and 270°. We can accurately calibrate jaws to any arbitrary origin near the radiation field centre. While the absolute position of an origin moves with the collimator walkout, its relative location to the crosshair is an invariant. We studied two approaches tomore » select an optimal origin. One approach seeks to bring all three origin locations (0°–90°–270°) as close as possible by minimizing the perimeter of the triangle formed by these points. The other approach focuses on the gap for 0°–90° junctions. Results: Our perimeter cost function has two variables and non-linear behaviour. Generally, it does not have zero-perimeter-length solution which leads to perfect jaw matches. The zero solution can only be achieved, if the collimator rotates about a single fixed axis. In the second approach, we can always get perfect 0°–0° and 0°–90° junctions, because we ignore the 0°–270° situation. For our TrueBeams, both techniques for selecting an origin improved junction dose inhomogeneities to less than ±6%. Conclusion: Our model considers the general jaw matching with collimator rotations and proposes two potential solutions. One solution optimizes the junction gaps by considering all three collimator angles while the other only considers 0°–90°. The first solution will not give perfect matching, but can be clinically acceptable with minimized collimator walkout effect, while the second can have perfect junctions at the expense of the 0°–270° junctions. Different clinics might choose between these two methods basing on their clinical practices.« less

X-ray luminescence computed tomography using a focused x-ray beam.

PubMed

Zhang, Wei; Lun, Michael C; Nguyen, Alex Anh-Tu; Li, Changqing

2017-11-01

Due to the low x-ray photon utilization efficiency and low measurement sensitivity of the electron multiplying charge coupled device camera setup, the collimator-based narrow beam x-ray luminescence computed tomography (XLCT) usually requires a long measurement time. We, for the first time, report a focused x-ray beam-based XLCT imaging system with measurements by a single optical fiber bundle and a photomultiplier tube (PMT). An x-ray tube with a polycapillary lens was used to generate a focused x-ray beam whose x-ray photon density is 1200 times larger than a collimated x-ray beam. An optical fiber bundle was employed to collect and deliver the emitted photons on the phantom surface to the PMT. The total measurement time was reduced to 12.5 min. For numerical simulations of both single and six fiber bundle cases, we were able to reconstruct six targets successfully. For the phantom experiment, two targets with an edge-to-edge distance of 0.4 mm and a center-to-center distance of 0.8 mm were successfully reconstructed by the measurement setup with a single fiber bundle and a PMT. (2017) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).

On isocentre adjustment and quality control in linear accelerator based radiosurgery with circular collimators and room lasers.

PubMed

Treuer, H; Hoevels, M; Luyken, K; Gierich, A; Kocher, M; Müller, R P; Sturm, V

2000-08-01

We have developed a densitometric method for measuring the isocentric accuracy and the accuracy of marking the isocentre position for linear accelerator based radiosurgery with circular collimators and room lasers. Isocentric shots are used to determine the accuracy of marking the isocentre position with room lasers and star shots are used to determine the wobble of the gantry and table rotation movement, the effect of gantry sag, the stereotactic collimator alignment, and the minimal distance between gantry and table rotation axes. Since the method is based on densitometric measurements, beam spot stability is implicitly tested. The method developed is also suitable for quality assurance and has proved to be useful in optimizing isocentric accuracy. The method is simple to perform and only requires a film box and film scanner for instrumentation. Thus, the method has the potential to become widely available and may therefore be useful in standardizing the description of linear accelerator based radiosurgical systems.

Conceptual design of hollow electron lenses for beam halo control in the Large Hadron Collider

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stancari, Giulio; Previtali, Valentina; Valishev, Alexander

Collimation with hollow electron beams is a technique for halo control in high-power hadron beams. It is based on an electron beam (possibly pulsed or modulated in intensity) guided by strong axial magnetic fields which overlaps with the circulating beam in a short section of the ring. The concept was tested experimentally at the Fermilab Tevatron collider using a hollow electron gun installed in one of the Tevatron electron lenses. We are proposing a conceptual design for applying this technique to the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. A prototype hollow electron gun for the LHC was built and tested. Themore » expected performance of the hollow electron beam collimator was based on Tevatron experiments and on numerical tracking simulations. Halo removal rates and enhancements of halo diffusivity were estimated as a function of beam and lattice parameters. Proton beam core lifetimes and emittance growth rates were checked to ensure that undesired effects were suppressed. Hardware specifications were based on the Tevatron devices and on preliminary engineering integration studies in the LHC machine. Required resources and a possible timeline were also outlined, together with a brief discussion of alternative halo-removal schemes and of other possible uses of electron lenses to improve the performance of the LHC.« less

Enhanced PET resolution by combining pinhole collimation and coincidence detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DiFilippo, Frank P.

2015-10-01

Spatial resolution of clinical PET scanners is limited by detector design and photon non-colinearity. Although dedicated small animal PET scanners using specialized high-resolution detectors have been developed, enhancing the spatial resolution of clinical PET scanners is of interest as a more available alternative. Multi-pinhole 511 keV SPECT is capable of high spatial resolution but requires heavily shielded collimators to avoid significant background counts. A practical approach with clinical PET detectors is to combine multi-pinhole collimation with coincidence detection. In this new hybrid modality, there are three locations associated with each event, namely those of the two detected photons and the pinhole aperture. These three locations over-determine the line of response and provide redundant information that is superior to coincidence detection or pinhole collimation alone. Multi-pinhole collimation provides high resolution and avoids non-colinearity error but is subject to collimator penetration and artifacts from overlapping projections. However the coincidence information, though at lower resolution, is valuable for determining whether the photon passed near a pinhole within the cone acceptance angle and for identifying through which pinhole the photon passed. This information allows most photons penetrating through the collimator to be rejected and avoids overlapping projections. With much improved event rejection, a collimator with minimal shielding may be used, and a lightweight add-on collimator for high resolution imaging is feasible for use with a clinical PET scanner. Monte Carlo simulations were performed of a 18F hot rods phantom and a 54-pinhole unfocused whole-body mouse collimator with a clinical PET scanner. Based on coincidence information and pinhole geometry, events were accepted or rejected, and pinhole-specific crystal-map projections were generated. Tomographic images then were reconstructed using a conventional pinhole SPECT algorithm. Hot rods of 1.4 mm diameter were resolved easily in a simulated phantom. System sensitivity was 0.09% for a simulated 70-mm line source corresponding to the NEMA NU-4 mouse phantom. Higher resolution is expected with further optimization of pinhole design, and higher sensitivity is expected with a focused and denser pinhole configuration. The simulations demonstrate high spatial resolution and feasibility of small animal imaging with an add-on multi-pinhole collimator for a clinical PET scanner. Further work is needed to develop geometric calibration and quantitative data corrections and, eventually, to construct a prototype device and produce images with physical phantoms.

Technical Note: A treatment plan comparison between dynamic collimation and a fixed aperture during spot scanning proton therapy for brain treatment

PubMed Central

Smith, Blake; Gelover, Edgar; Moignier, Alexandra; Wang, Dongxu; Flynn, Ryan T.; Lin, Liyong; Kirk, Maura; Solberg, Tim; Hyer, Daniel E.

2016-01-01

Purpose: To quantitatively assess the advantages of energy-layer specific dynamic collimation system (DCS) versus a per-field fixed aperture for spot scanning proton therapy (SSPT). Methods: Five brain cancer patients previously planned and treated with SSPT were replanned using an in-house treatment planning system capable of modeling collimated and uncollimated proton beamlets. The uncollimated plans, which served as a baseline for comparison, reproduced the target coverage and organ-at-risk sparing of the clinically delivered plans. The collimator opening for the fixed aperture-based plans was determined from the combined cross sections of the target in the beam’s eye view over all energy layers which included an additional margin equivalent to the maximum beamlet displacement for the respective energy of that energy layer. The DCS-based plans were created by selecting appropriate collimator positions for each row of beam spots during a Raster-style scanning pattern which were optimized to maximize the dose contributions to the target and limited the dose delivered to adjacent normal tissue. Results: The reduction of mean dose to normal tissue adjacent to the target, as defined by a 10 mm ring surrounding the target, averaged 13.65% (range: 11.8%–16.9%) and 5.18% (2.9%–7.1%) for the DCS and fixed aperture plans, respectively. The conformity index, as defined by the ratio of the volume of the 50% isodose line to the target volume, yielded an average improvement of 21.35% (19.4%–22.6%) and 8.38% (4.7%–12.0%) for the DCS and fixed aperture plans, respectively. Conclusions: The ability of the DCS to provide collimation to each energy layer yielded better conformity in comparison to fixed aperture plans. PMID:27487886

Monte Carlo simulation of a compact microbeam radiotherapy system based on carbon nanotube field emission technology.

PubMed

Schreiber, Eric C; Chang, Sha X

2012-08-01

Microbeam radiation therapy (MRT) is an experimental radiotherapy technique that has shown potent antitumor effects with minimal damage to normal tissue in animal studies. This unique form of radiation is currently only produced in a few large synchrotron accelerator research facilities in the world. To promote widespread translational research on this promising treatment technology we have proposed and are in the initial development stages of a compact MRT system that is based on carbon nanotube field emission x-ray technology. We report on a Monte Carlo based feasibility study of the compact MRT system design. Monte Carlo calculations were performed using EGSnrc-based codes. The proposed small animal research MRT device design includes carbon nanotube cathodes shaped to match the corresponding MRT collimator apertures, a common reflection anode with filter, and a MRT collimator. Each collimator aperture is sized to deliver a beam width ranging from 30 to 200 μm at 18.6 cm source-to-axis distance. Design parameters studied with Monte Carlo include electron energy, cathode design, anode angle, filtration, and collimator design. Calculations were performed for single and multibeam configurations. Increasing the energy from 100 kVp to 160 kVp increased the photon fluence through the collimator by a factor of 1.7. Both energies produced a largely uniform fluence along the long dimension of the microbeam, with 5% decreases in intensity near the edges. The isocentric dose rate for 160 kVp was calculated to be 700 Gy∕min∕A in the center of a 3 cm diameter target. Scatter contributions resulting from collimator size were found to produce only small (<7%) changes in the dose rate for field widths greater than 50 μm. Dose vs depth was weakly dependent on filtration material. The peak-to-valley ratio varied from 10 to 100 as the separation between adjacent microbeams varies from 150 to 1000 μm. Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate that the proposed compact MRT system design is capable of delivering a sufficient dose rate and peak-to-valley ratio for small animal MRT studies.

NOTE: Implementation of angular response function modeling in SPECT simulations with GATE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Descourt, P.; Carlier, T.; Du, Y.; Song, X.; Buvat, I.; Frey, E. C.; Bardies, M.; Tsui, B. M. W.; Visvikis, D.

2010-05-01

Among Monte Carlo simulation codes in medical imaging, the GATE simulation platform is widely used today given its flexibility and accuracy, despite long run times, which in SPECT simulations are mostly spent in tracking photons through the collimators. In this work, a tabulated model of the collimator/detector response was implemented within the GATE framework to significantly reduce the simulation times in SPECT. This implementation uses the angular response function (ARF) model. The performance of the implemented ARF approach has been compared to standard SPECT GATE simulations in terms of the ARF tables' accuracy, overall SPECT system performance and run times. Considering the simulation of the Siemens Symbia T SPECT system using high-energy collimators, differences of less than 1% were measured between the ARF-based and the standard GATE-based simulations, while considering the same noise level in the projections, acceleration factors of up to 180 were obtained when simulating a planar 364 keV source seen with the same SPECT system. The ARF-based and the standard GATE simulation results also agreed very well when considering a four-head SPECT simulation of a realistic Jaszczak phantom filled with iodine-131, with a resulting acceleration factor of 100. In conclusion, the implementation of an ARF-based model of collimator/detector response for SPECT simulations within GATE significantly reduces the simulation run times without compromising accuracy.

Applications of Elpasolites as a Multimode Radiation Sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guckes, Amber

This study consists of both computational and experimental investigations. The computational results enabled detector design selections and confirmed experimental results. The experimental results determined that the CLYC scintillation detector can be applied as a functional and field-deployable multimode radiation sensor. The computational study utilized MCNP6 code to investigate the response of CLYC to various incident radiations and to determine the feasibility of its application as a handheld multimode sensor and as a single-scintillator collimated directional detection system. These simulations include: • Characterization of the response of the CLYC scintillator to gamma-rays and neutrons; • Study of the isotopic enrichment of 7Li versus 6Li in the CLYC for optimal detection of both thermal neutrons and fast neutrons; • Analysis of collimator designs to determine the optimal collimator for the single CLYC sensor directional detection system to assay gamma rays and neutrons; Simulations of a handheld CLYC multimode sensor and a single CLYC scintillator collimated directional detection system with the optimized collimator to determine the feasibility of detecting nuclear materials that could be encountered during field operations. These nuclear materials include depleted uranium, natural uranium, low-enriched uranium, highly-enriched uranium, reactor-grade plutonium, and weapons-grade plutonium. The experimental study includes the design, construction, and testing of both a handheld CLYC multimode sensor and a single CLYC scintillator collimated directional detection system. Both were designed in the Inventor CAD software and based on results of the computational study to optimize its performance. The handheld CLYC multimode sensor is modular, scalable, low?power, and optimized for high count rates. Commercial?off?the?shelf components were used where possible in order to optimize size, increase robustness, and minimize cost. The handheld CLYC multimode sensor was successfully tested to confirm its ability for gamma-ray and neutron detection, and gamma?ray and neutron spectroscopy. The sensor utilizes wireless data transfer for possible radiation mapping and network?centric deployment. The handheld multimode sensor was tested by performing laboratory measurements with various gamma-ray sources and neutron sources. The single CLYC scintillator collimated directional detection system is portable, robust, and capable of source localization and identification. The collimator was designed based on the results of the computational study and is constructed with high density polyethylene (HDPE) and lead (Pb). The collimator design and construction allows for the directional detection of gamma rays and fast neutrons utilizing only one scintillator which is interchangeable. For this study, a CLYC-7 scintillator was used. The collimated directional detection system was tested by performing laboratory directional measurements with various gamma-ray sources, 252Cf and a 239PuBe source.

Evaluation of dual γ-ray imager with active collimator using various types of scintillators.

PubMed

Lee, Wonho; Lee, Taewoong; Jeong, Manhee; Kim, Ho Kyung

2011-10-01

The performance of a specialized dual γ-ray imager using both mechanical and electronic collimation was evaluated by Monte Carlo simulation (MCNP5). The dual imager consisted of an active collimator and a planar detector that were made from scintillators. The active collimator served not only as a coded aperture for mechanical collimation but also as a first detector for electronic collimation. Therefore, a single system contained both mechanical and electronic collimation. Various types of scintillators were tested and compared with each other in terms of their angular resolution, efficiency, and background noise. In general, a BGO active collimator had the best mechanical collimation performance, and an LaCl₃(Ce) active collimator provided the best electronic collimation performance. However, for low radiation energies, the mechanical collimation images made from both scintillators showed the same quality, and, for high radiation energies, electronic collimation images made from both scintillators also show similar quality. Therefore, if mechanical collimation is used to detect low-energy radiation and electronic collimation is applied to reconstruct a high-energy source, either LaCl₃(Ce) or BGO would be appropriate for the active collimator of a dual γ-ray imager. These results broaden the choice of scintillators for the active collimator of the dual γ-ray imager, which makes it possible to consider other factors, such as machinability and cost, in making the imager. As a planar detector, BGO showed better performance than other scintillators since its radiation detection efficiency was highest of all. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

X-ray luminescence computed tomography imaging based on X-ray distribution model and adaptively split Bregman method

PubMed Central

Chen, Dongmei; Zhu, Shouping; Cao, Xu; Zhao, Fengjun; Liang, Jimin

2015-01-01

X-ray luminescence computed tomography (XLCT) has become a promising imaging technology for biological application based on phosphor nanoparticles. There are mainly three kinds of XLCT imaging systems: pencil beam XLCT, narrow beam XLCT and cone beam XLCT. Narrow beam XLCT can be regarded as a balance between the pencil beam mode and the cone-beam mode in terms of imaging efficiency and image quality. The collimated X-ray beams are assumed to be parallel ones in the traditional narrow beam XLCT. However, we observe that the cone beam X-rays are collimated into X-ray beams with fan-shaped broadening instead of parallel ones in our prototype narrow beam XLCT. Hence we incorporate the distribution of the X-ray beams in the physical model and collected the optical data from only two perpendicular directions to further speed up the scanning time. Meanwhile we propose a depth related adaptive regularized split Bregman (DARSB) method in reconstruction. The simulation experiments show that the proposed physical model and method can achieve better results in the location error, dice coefficient, mean square error and the intensity error than the traditional split Bregman method and validate the feasibility of method. The phantom experiment can obtain the location error less than 1.1 mm and validate that the incorporation of fan-shaped X-ray beams in our model can achieve better results than the parallel X-rays. PMID:26203388

Apparatus and method for variable angle slant hole collimator

DOEpatents

Lee, Seung Joon; Kross, Brian J.; McKisson, John E.

2017-07-18

A variable angle slant hole (VASH) collimator for providing collimation of high energy photons such as gamma rays during radiological imaging of humans. The VASH collimator includes a stack of multiple collimator leaves and a means of quickly aligning each leaf to provide various projection angles. Rather than rotate the detector around the subject, the VASH collimator enables the detector to remain stationary while the projection angle of the collimator is varied for tomographic acquisition. High collimator efficiency is achieved by maintaining the leaves in accurate alignment through the various projection angles. Individual leaves include unique angled cuts to maintain a precise target collimation angle. Matching wedge blocks driven by two actuators with twin-lead screws accurately position each leaf in the stack resulting in the precise target collimation angle. A computer interface with the actuators enables precise control of the projection angle of the collimator.

Development and characterization of a compact hand-held gamma probe system, SURGEOGUIDE, based on NEMA NU3-2004 standards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaviani, S.; Zeraatkar, N.; Sajedi, S.; Gorjizadeh, N.; Farahani, M. H.; Ghafarian, P.; El Fakhri, G.; Sabet, H.; Ay, M. R.

2016-12-01

Using an intra-operative gamma probe after periareolar or peritumoral injection of a radiotracer during surgery helps the surgeon to identify the sentinel, or first, nodal site of regional metastasis in clinically node-negative patients. The pathological analysis of this node can have an important influence on the treatment staging in various cancers. This paper reports the design and performance evaluation of a gamma probe recently developed in our department. The detector unit of this system consists of an 8 mm diameter and 10 mm thickness monolithic CsI(Tl) scintillator optically, coupled to a Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM) with an active area of 6×6 mm2, and a single-hole collimator. The unit is shielded using tungsten. The system can operate in three different modes for Tc-99m, I-131, or F-18 isotopes. The following measurements were carried out to evaluate the performance of the probe: sensitivity in air and scatter medium, spatial resolution in scatter medium, angular resolution in scatter medium, and side and back shielding effectiveness. All experiments have been performed based on the NEMA NU3-2004 standard set up. The measured system sensitivities in air and scatter medium (water) are 1700 cps/MBq and 1770 cps/MBq, respectively, both measured at 3 cm from the collimator. The spatial resolution in the scatter medium is about 45 mm at 3 cm distance from the collimator. Also, the angular resolution of the probe is 74o FWHM. Finally, a shielding effectiveness of 99.5% is measured. The results show that the probe can potentially be used for sentinel lymph node localization during the surgery.

The design, physical properties and clinical utility of an iris collimator for robotic radiosurgery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Echner, G. G.; Kilby, W.; Lee, M.; Earnst, E.; Sayeh, S.; Schlaefer, A.; Rhein, B.; Dooley, J. R.; Lang, C.; Blanck, O.; Lessard, E.; Maurer, C. R., Jr.; Schlegel, W.

2009-09-01

Robotic radiosurgery using more than one circular collimator can improve treatment plan quality and reduce total monitor units (MU). The rationale for an iris collimator that allows the field size to be varied during treatment delivery is to enable the benefits of multiple-field-size treatments to be realized with no increase in treatment time due to collimator exchange or multiple traversals of the robotic manipulator by allowing each beam to be delivered with any desired field size during a single traversal. This paper describes the Iris™ variable aperture collimator (Accuray Incorporated, Sunnyvale, CA, USA), which incorporates 12 tungsten-copper alloy segments in two banks of six. The banks are rotated by 30° with respect to each other, which limits the radiation leakage between the collimator segments and produces a 12-sided polygonal treatment beam. The beam is approximately circular, with a root-mean-square (rms) deviation in the 50% dose radius of <0.8% (corresponding to <0.25 mm at the 60 mm field size) and an rms variation in the 20-80% penumbra width of about 0.1 mm at the 5 mm field size increasing to about 0.5 mm at 60 mm. The maximum measured collimator leakage dose rate was 0.07%. A commissioning method is described by which the average dose profile can be obtained from four profile measurements at each depth based on the periodicity of the isodose line variations with azimuthal angle. The penumbra of averaged profiles increased with field size and was typically 0.2-0.6 mm larger than that of an equivalent fixed circular collimator. The aperture reproducibility is <=0.1 mm at the lower bank, diverging to <=0.2 mm at a nominal treatment distance of 800 mm from the beam focus. Output factors (OFs) and tissue-phantom-ratio data are identical to those used for fixed collimators, except the OFs for the two smallest field sizes (5 and 7.5 mm) are considerably lower for the Iris Collimator. If average collimator profiles are used, the assumption of circular symmetry results in dose calculation errors that are <1 mm or <1% for single beams across the full range of field sizes; errors for multiple non-coplanar beam treatment plans are expected to be smaller. Treatment plans were generated for 19 cases using the Iris Collimator (12 field sizes) and also using one and three fixed collimators. The results of the treatment planning study demonstrate that the use of multiple field sizes achieves multiple plan quality improvements, including reduction of total MU, increase of target volume coverage and improvements in conformality and homogeneity compared with using a single field size for a large proportion of the cases studied. The Iris Collimator offers the potential to greatly increase the clinical application of multiple field sizes for robotic radiosurgery.

Design of a setup for 252Cf neutron source for storage and analysis purpose

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hei, Daqian; Zhuang, Haocheng; Jia, Wenbao; Cheng, Can; Jiang, Zhou; Wang, Hongtao; Chen, Da

2016-11-01

252Cf is a reliable isotopic neutron source and widely used in the prompt gamma ray neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) technique. A cylindrical barrel made by polymethyl methacrylate contained with the boric acid solution was designed for storage and application of a 5 μg 252Cf neutron source. The size of the setup was optimized with Monte Carlo code. The experiments were performed and the results showed the doses were reduced with the setup and less than the allowable limit. The intensity and collimating radius of the neutron beam could also be adjusted through different collimator.

Simultaneous fluoroscopic and nuclear imaging: impact of collimator choice on nuclear image quality.

PubMed

van der Velden, Sandra; Beijst, Casper; Viergever, Max A; de Jong, Hugo W A M

2017-01-01

X-ray-guided oncological interventions could benefit from the availability of simultaneously acquired nuclear images during the procedure. To this end, a real-time, hybrid fluoroscopic and nuclear imaging device, consisting of an X-ray c-arm combined with gamma imaging capability, is currently being developed (Beijst C, Elschot M, Viergever MA, de Jong HW. Radiol. 2015;278:232-238). The setup comprises four gamma cameras placed adjacent to the X-ray tube. The four camera views are used to reconstruct an intermediate three-dimensional image, which is subsequently converted to a virtual nuclear projection image that overlaps with the X-ray image. The purpose of the present simulation study is to evaluate the impact of gamma camera collimator choice (parallel hole versus pinhole) on the quality of the virtual nuclear image. Simulation studies were performed with a digital image quality phantom including realistic noise and resolution effects, with a dynamic frame acquisition time of 1 s and a total activity of 150 MBq. Projections were simulated for 3, 5, and 7 mm pinholes and for three parallel hole collimators (low-energy all-purpose (LEAP), low-energy high-resolution (LEHR) and low-energy ultra-high-resolution (LEUHR)). Intermediate reconstruction was performed with maximum likelihood expectation-maximization (MLEM) with point spread function (PSF) modeling. In the virtual projection derived therefrom, contrast, noise level, and detectability were determined and compared with the ideal projection, that is, as if a gamma camera were located at the position of the X-ray detector. Furthermore, image deformations and spatial resolution were quantified. Additionally, simultaneous fluoroscopic and nuclear images of a sphere phantom were acquired with a physical prototype system and compared with the simulations. For small hot spots, contrast is comparable for all simulated collimators. Noise levels are, however, 3 to 8 times higher in pinhole geometries than in parallel hole geometries. This results in higher contrast-to-noise ratios for parallel hole geometries. Smaller spheres can thus be detected with parallel hole collimators than with pinhole collimators (17 mm vs 28 mm). Pinhole geometries show larger image deformations than parallel hole geometries. Spatial resolution varied between 1.25 cm for the 3 mm pinhole and 4 cm for the LEAP collimator. The simulation method was successfully validated by the experiments with the physical prototype. A real-time hybrid fluoroscopic and nuclear imaging device is currently being developed. Image quality of nuclear images obtained with different collimators was compared in terms of contrast, noise, and detectability. Parallel hole collimators showed lower noise and better detectability than pinhole collimators. © 2016 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Design of smartphone-based spectrometer to assess fresh meat color

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, Youngkee; Kim, Hyun-Wook; Kim, Yuan H. Brad; Bae, Euiwon

2017-02-01

Based on its integrated camera, new optical attachment, and inherent computing power, we propose an instrument design and validation that can potentially provide an objective and accurate method to determine surface meat color change and myoglobin redox forms using a smartphone-based spectrometer. System is designed to be used as a reflection spectrometer which mimics the conventional spectrometry commonly used for meat color assessment. We utilize a 3D printing technique to make an optical cradle which holds all of the optical components for light collection, collimation, dispersion, and a suitable chamber. A light, which reflects a sample, enters a pinhole and is subsequently collimated by a convex lens. A diffraction grating spreads the wavelength over the camera's pixels to display a high resolution of spectrum. Pixel values in the smartphone image are translated to calibrate the wavelength values through three laser pointers which have different wavelength; 405, 532, 650 nm. Using an in-house app, the camera images are converted into a spectrum in the visible wavelength range based on the exterior light source. A controlled experiment simulating the refrigeration and shelving of the meat has been conducted and the results showed the capability to accurately measure the color change in quantitative and spectroscopic manner. We expect that this technology can be adapted to any smartphone and used to conduct a field-deployable color spectrum assay as a more practical application tool for various food sectors.

Design of a fast multileaf collimator for radiobiological optimized IMRT with scanned beams of photons, electrons, and light ions.

PubMed

Svensson, Roger; Larsson, Susanne; Gudowska, Irena; Holmberg, Rickard; Brahme, Anders

2007-03-01

Intensity modulated radiation therapy is rapidly becoming the treatment of choice for most tumors with respect to minimizing damage to the normal tissues and maximizing tumor control. Today, intensity modulated beams are most commonly delivered using segmental multileaf collimation, although an increasing number of radiation therapy departments are employing dynamic multileaf collimation. The irradiation time using dynamic multileaf collimation depends strongly on the nature of the desired dose distribution, and it is difficult to reduce this time to less than the sum of the irradiation times for all individual peak heights using dynamic leaf collimation [Svensson et al., Phys. Med. Biol. 39, 37-61 (1994)]. Therefore, the intensity modulation will considerably increase the total treatment time. A more cost-effective procedure for rapid intensity modulation is using narrow scanned photon, electron, and light ion beams in combination with fast multileaf collimator penumbra trimming. With this approach, the irradiation time is largely independent of the complexity of the desired intensity distribution and, in the case of photon beams, may even be shorter than with uniform beams. The intensity modulation is achieved primarily by scanning of a narrow elementary photon pencil beam generated by directing a narrow well focused high energy electron beam onto a thin bremsstrahlung target. In the present study, the design of a fast low-weight multileaf collimator that is capable of further sharpening the penumbra at the edge of the elementary scanned beam has been simulated, in order to minimize the dose or radiation response of healthy tissues. In the case of photon beams, such a multileaf collimator can be placed relatively close to the bremsstrahlung target to minimize its size. It can also be flat and thin, i.e., only 15-25 mm thick in the direction of the beam with edges made of tungsten or preferably osmium to optimize the sharpening of the penumbra. The low height of the collimator will minimize edge scatter from glancing incidence. The major portions of the collimator leafs can then be made of steel or even aluminum, so that the total weight of the multileaf collimator will be as low as 10 kg, which may even allow high-speed collimation in real time in synchrony with organ movements. To demonstrate the efficiency of this collimator design in combination with pencil beam scanning, optimal radiobiological treatments of an advanced cervix cancer were simulated. Different geometrical collimator designs were tested for bremsstrahlung, electron, and light ion beams. With a 10 mm half-width elementary scanned photon beam and a steel collimator with tungsten edges, it was possible to make as effective treatments as obtained with intensity modulated beams of full resolution, i.e., here 5 mm resolution in the fluence map. In combination with narrow pencil beam scanning, such a collimator may provide ideal delivery of photons, electrons, or light ions for radiation therapy synchronized to breathing and other organ motions. These high-energy photon and light ion beams may allow three-dimensional in vivo verification of delivery and thereby clinical implementation of the BioArt approach using Biologically Optimized three-dimensional in vivo predictive Assay based adaptive Radiation Therapy [Brahme, Acta Oncol. 42, 123-126 (2003)].

Collimator optimization in myocardial perfusion SPECT using the ideal observer and realistic background variability for lesion detection and joint detection and localization tasks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghaly, Michael; Du, Yong; Links, Jonathan M.; Frey, Eric C.

2016-03-01

In SPECT imaging, collimators are a major factor limiting image quality and largely determine the noise and resolution of SPECT images. In this paper, we seek the collimator with the optimal tradeoff between image noise and resolution with respect to performance on two tasks related to myocardial perfusion SPECT: perfusion defect detection and joint detection and localization. We used the Ideal Observer (IO) operating on realistic background-known-statistically (BKS) and signal-known-exactly (SKE) data. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and localization ROC (LROC) curves (AUCd, AUCd+l), respectively, were used as the figures of merit for both tasks. We used a previously developed population of 54 phantoms based on the eXtended Cardiac Torso Phantom (XCAT) that included variations in gender, body size, heart size and subcutaneous adipose tissue level. For each phantom, organ uptakes were varied randomly based on distributions observed in patient data. We simulated perfusion defects at six different locations with extents and severities of 10% and 25%, respectively, which represented challenging but clinically relevant defects. The extent and severity are, respectively, the perfusion defect’s fraction of the myocardial volume and reduction of uptake relative to the normal myocardium. Projection data were generated using an analytical projector that modeled attenuation, scatter, and collimator-detector response effects, a 9% energy resolution at 140 keV, and a 4 mm full-width at half maximum (FWHM) intrinsic spatial resolution. We investigated a family of eight parallel-hole collimators that spanned a large range of sensitivity-resolution tradeoffs. For each collimator and defect location, the IO test statistics were computed using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method for an ensemble of 540 pairs of defect-present and -absent images that included the aforementioned anatomical and uptake variability. Sets of test statistics were computed for both tasks and analyzed using ROC and LROC analysis methodologies. The results of this study suggest that collimators with somewhat poorer resolution and higher sensitivity than those of a typical low-energy high-resolution (LEHR) collimator were optimal for both defect detection and joint detection and localization tasks in myocardial perfusion SPECT for the range of defect sizes investigated. This study also indicates that optimizing instrumentation for a detection task may provide near-optimal performance on the more challenging detection-localization task.

Spatial resolution test of a beam diagnostic system for DESIREE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Susanta; Kallberg, A.

2010-11-01

A diagnostic system based on the observation of low energy ( ˜ 10 eV) secondary electrons (SE) produced by a beam, striking a metallic foil has been built to monitor and to cover the wide range of beam intensities and energies for Double ElectroStatic Ion Ring ExpEriment [1,2].The system consists of a Faraday cup to measure the beam current, a collimator with circular apertures of different diameters to measure the spatial resolution of the system, a beam profile monitoring system (BPMS), and a control unit. The BPMS, in turn, consists of an aluminim (Al) foil, a grid placed in front of the Al foil to accelerate the SE, position sensitive MCP, fluorescent screen, and a CCD camera to capture the images. The collimator contains a set of circular holes of different diameters and separations (d) between them. The collimator cuts out from the beam areas equal to the holes with separation d mm between the beams centers and creates well separated (distinguishable) narrow beams of approximately same intensity close to each other. A 10 keV proton beam was used. The spatial resolution of the system was tested for different Al plate and MCP voltages and resolution of better than 2 mm was achieved. Ref.: 1. K. Kruglov {et al}., NIM A 441 (2000) 595; 701 (2002) 193c, 2. MSL and Atomic Physics, Stockholm Univ.(www.msl.se, http://www.atom.physto.se/Cederquist/desiree/web/hc.html).

Optimisation of a polygon mirror-based spectral filter for swept source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Everson, Michael; Duma, Virgil-Florin; Dobre, George

2018-03-01

Medical imaging using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) provides clinicians with 3D, high resolution reconstructions of microscopic structures, in depth. It has been initially developed for ophthalmology, in order to scan the retinas of patients to diagnose illness. The quality of the images depends upon their axial and lateral resolutions and the properties of the light being used. Research using a polygon mirror (PM) as a spectral filter in Swept Source OCT (SS-OCT) has resulted in a variety of different experimental arrangements. Although the application of PM-based SS-OCT sources has been successfully demonstrated, the combination of their components' fundamental properties and the overall impact they have on imaging performance is rarely reported. A more detailed examination of these properties would lead to a full description of their operation and to the best methods to employ if system performance is to be maximised. This work presents our current findings of on-going research into the optimisation of PM-based SS-OCT systems. A swept source spectral filter, consisting of a collimator, a transmission grating, a two-lens telescope and an off-axis PM with an end reflector mirror has been evaluated experimentally and compared with theoretical predictions. The system's performance has been compared for two different fibre collimators. Although the beam width on the grating is different for each of the two collimators, the spot size at the PM facet is made the same by selecting appropriate focal lengths. An improvement in the signal roll-off at the interferometer output of 1.0 dB/mm was obtained when using a 3.4 mm collimator compared to a 1.5 mm collimator.

Lateral Penumbra Modelling Based Leaf End Shape Optimization for Multileaf Collimator in Radiotherapy.

PubMed

Zhou, Dong; Zhang, Hui; Ye, Peiqing

2016-01-01

Lateral penumbra of multileaf collimator plays an important role in radiotherapy treatment planning. Growing evidence has revealed that, for a single-focused multileaf collimator, lateral penumbra width is leaf position dependent and largely attributed to the leaf end shape. In our study, an analytical method for leaf end induced lateral penumbra modelling is formulated using Tangent Secant Theory. Compared with Monte Carlo simulation and ray tracing algorithm, our model serves well the purpose of cost-efficient penumbra evaluation. Leaf ends represented in parametric forms of circular arc, elliptical arc, Bézier curve, and B-spline are implemented. With biobjective function of penumbra mean and variance introduced, genetic algorithm is carried out for approximating the Pareto frontier. Results show that for circular arc leaf end objective function is convex and convergence to optimal solution is guaranteed using gradient based iterative method. It is found that optimal leaf end in the shape of Bézier curve achieves minimal standard deviation, while using B-spline minimum of penumbra mean is obtained. For treatment modalities in clinical application, optimized leaf ends are in close agreement with actual shapes. Taken together, the method that we propose can provide insight into leaf end shape design of multileaf collimator.

Collimated prompt gamma TOF measurements with multi-slit multi-detector configurations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krimmer, J.; Chevallier, M.; Constanzo, J.; Dauvergne, D.; De Rydt, M.; Dedes, G.; Freud, N.; Henriquet, P.; La Tessa, C.; Létang, J. M.; Pleskač, R.; Pinto, M.; Ray, C.; Reithinger, V.; Richard, M. H.; Rinaldi, I.; Roellinghoff, F.; Schuy, C.; Testa, E.; Testa, M.

2015-01-01

Longitudinal prompt-gamma ray profiles have been measured with a multi-slit multi-detector configuration at a 75 MeV/u 13C beam and with a PMMA target. Selections in time-of-flight and energy have been applied in order to discriminate prompt-gamma rays produced in the target from background events. The ion ranges which have been extracted from each individual detector module agree amongst each other and are consistent with theoretical expectations. In a separate dedicated experiment with 200 MeV/u 12C ions the fraction of inter-detector scattering has been determined to be on the 10%-level via a combination of experimental results and simulations. At the same experiment different collimator configurations have been tested and the shielding properties of tungsten and lead for prompt-gamma rays have been measured.

Industrial Application Experiments on the Neutron Imaging Instrument DINGO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garbe, Ulf; Ahuja, Yogita; Ibrahim, Ralph; Li, Huijun; Aldridge, Laurie; Salvemini, Filomena; Paradowska, Anna Ziara

The new neutron radiography / tomography / imaging instrument DINGO is operational since October 2014 to support the area of neutron imaging research at ANSTO. The instrument is designed for a diverse community in areas like defense, industrial, cultural heritage and archaeology applications. In the field of industrial application it provides a useful tool for studying cracking and defects in concrete or other structural material. Since being operational we gathered experience with industrial applications and commercial customers demanding beam time on DINGO. The instrument is a high flux facility with is 5.3 × 107 [n/(cm2s)] (confirmed by gold foil activation) for an L/D of approximately 500 at HB-2. A special feature of DINGO is the in-pile collimator position in front of the main shutter at HB-2. The collimator offers two pinholes with a possible L/D of 500 and 1000. A secondary collimator separates the two beams by blocking one and positions another aperture for the other beam. The neutron beam size can be adjusted to the sample size from 50 × 50 mm2 to 200 × 200 mm2 with a resulting pixel size from 27 μm to ∼100 μm. The whole instrument operates in two different positions, one for high resolution and one for high speed. We would like to present our first experience with commercial customers, scientific proposals with industrial applications and how to be customer ready.

An automatic alignment system for measuring optical path of transmissometer based on light beam scanning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Shudao; Ma, Zhongliang; Wang, Min; Peng, Shuling

2018-05-01

This paper proposes a novel alignment system based on the measurement of optical path using a light beam scanning mode in a transmissometer. The system controls both the probe beam and the receiving field of view while scanning in two vertical directions. The system then calculates the azimuth angle of the transmitter and the receiver to determine the precise alignment of the optical path. Experiments show that this method can determine the alignment angles in less than 10 min with errors smaller than 66 μrad in the azimuth. This system also features high collimation precision, process automation and simple installation.

On the use of an analytic source model for dose calculations in precision image-guided small animal radiotherapy.

PubMed

Granton, Patrick V; Verhaegen, Frank

2013-05-21

Precision image-guided small animal radiotherapy is rapidly advancing through the use of dedicated micro-irradiation devices. However, precise modeling of these devices in model-based dose-calculation algorithms such as Monte Carlo (MC) simulations continue to present challenges due to a combination of very small beams, low mechanical tolerances on beam collimation, positioning and long calculation times. The specific intent of this investigation is to introduce and demonstrate the viability of a fast analytical source model (AM) for use in either investigating improvements in collimator design or for use in faster dose calculations. MC models using BEAMnrc were developed for circular and square fields sizes from 1 to 25 mm in diameter (or side) that incorporated the intensity distribution of the focal spot modeled after an experimental pinhole image. These MC models were used to generate phase space files (PSFMC) at the exit of the collimators. An AM was developed that included the intensity distribution of the focal spot, a pre-calculated x-ray spectrum, and the collimator-specific entrance and exit apertures. The AM was used to generate photon fluence intensity distributions (ΦAM) and PSFAM containing photons radiating at angles according to the focal spot intensity distribution. MC dose calculations using DOSXYZnrc in a water and mouse phantom differing only by source used (PSFMC versus PSFAM) were found to agree within 7% and 4% for the smallest 1 and 2 mm collimator, respectively, and within 1% for all other field sizes based on depth dose profiles. PSF generation times were approximately 1200 times faster for the smallest beam and 19 times faster for the largest beam. The influence of the focal spot intensity distribution on output and on beam shape was quantified and found to play a significant role in calculated dose distributions. Beam profile differences due to collimator alignment were found in both small and large collimators sensitive to shifts of 1 mm with respect to the central axis.

Efficiency gains for spinal radiosurgery using multicriteria optimization intensity modulated radiation therapy guided volumetric modulated arc therapy planning.

PubMed

Chen, Huixiao; Winey, Brian A; Daartz, Juliane; Oh, Kevin S; Shin, John H; Gierga, David P

2015-01-01

To evaluate plan quality and delivery efficiency gains of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) versus a multicriteria optimization-based intensity modulated radiation therapy (MCO-IMRT) for stereotactic radiosurgery of spinal metastases. MCO-IMRT plans (RayStation V2.5; RaySearch Laboratories, Stockholm, Sweden) of 10 spinal radiosurgery cases using 7-9 beams were developed for clinical delivery, and patients were replanned using VMAT with partial arcs. The prescribed dose was 18 Gy, and target coverage was maximized such that the maximum dose to the planning organ-at-risk volume (PRV) of the spinal cord was 10 or 12 Gy. Dose-volume histogram (DVH) constraints from the clinically acceptable MCO-IMRT plans were utilized for VMAT optimization. Plan quality and delivery efficiency with and without collimator rotation for MCO-IMRT and VMAT were compared and analyzed based upon DVH, planning target volume coverage, homogeneity index, conformity number, cord PRV sparing, total monitor units (MU), and delivery time. The VMAT plans were capable of matching most DVH constraints from the MCO-IMRT plans. The ranges of MU were 4808-7193 for MCO-IMRT without collimator rotation, 3509-5907 for MCO-IMRT with collimator rotation, 4444-7309 for VMAT without collimator rotation, and 3277-5643 for VMAT with collimator of 90 degrees. The MU for the VMAT plans were similar to their corresponding MCO-IMRT plans, depending upon the complexity of the target and PRV geometries, but had a larger range. The delivery times of the MCO-IMRT and VMAT plans, both with collimator rotation, were 18.3 ± 2.5 minutes and 14.2 ± 2.0 minutes, respectively (P < .05). The MCO-IMRT and VMAT can create clinically acceptable plans for spinal radiosurgery. The MU for MCO-IMRT and VMAT can be reduced significantly by utilizing a collimator rotation following the orientation of the spinal cord. Plan quality for VMAT is similar to MCO-IMRT, with similar MU for both modalities. Delivery times can be reduced by nominally 25% with VMAT. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Radiation Oncology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Multi-isotope SPECT imaging of the 225Ac decay chain: feasibility studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robertson, A. K. H.; Ramogida, C. F.; Rodríguez-Rodríguez, C.; Blinder, Stephan; Kunz, Peter; Sossi, Vesna; Schaffer, Paul

2017-06-01

Effective use of the {}225Ac decay chain in targeted internal radioimmunotherapy requires the retention of both {}225Ac and progeny isotopes at the target site. Imaging-based pharmacokinetic tests of these pharmaceuticals must therefore separately yet simultaneously image multiple isotopes that may not be colocalized despite being part of the same decay chain. This work presents feasibility studies demonstrating the ability of a microSPECT/CT scanner equipped with a high energy collimator to simultaneously image two components of the {}225Ac decay chain: {}221Fr (218 keV) and {}213Bi (440 keV). Image quality phantoms were used to assess the performance of two collimators for simultaneous {}221Fr and {}213Bi imaging in terms of contrast and noise. A hotrod resolution phantom containing clusters of thin rods with diameters ranging between 0.85 and 1.70 mm was used to assess resolution. To demonstrate ability to simultaneously image dynamic {}221Fr and {}213Bi activity distributions, a phantom containing a {}213Bi generator from {}225Ac was imaged. These tests were performed with two collimators, a high-energy ultra-high resolution (HEUHR) collimator and an ultra-high sensitivity (UHS) collimator. Values consistent with activity concentrations determined independently via gamma spectroscopy were observed in high activity regions of the images. In hotrod phantom images, the HEUHR collimator resolved all rods for both {}221Fr and {}213Bi images. With the UHS collimator, no rods were resolvable in {}213Bi images and only rods  ⩾1.3 mm were resolved in {}221Fr images. After eluting the {}213Bi generator, images accurately visualized the reestablishment of transient equilibrium of the {}225Ac decay chain. The feasibility of evaluating the pharmacokinetics of the {}225Ac decay chain in vivo has been demonstrated. This presented method requires the use of a high-performance high-energy collimator.

Evaluation of Parallel and Fan-Beam Data Acquisition Geometries and Strategies for Myocardial SPECT Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qi, Yujin; Tsui, B. M. W.; Gilland, K. L.; Frey, E. C.; Gullberg, G. T.

2004-06-01

This study evaluates myocardial SPECT images obtained from parallel-hole (PH) and fan-beam (FB) collimator geometries using both circular-orbit (CO) and noncircular-orbit (NCO) acquisitions. A newly developed 4-D NURBS-based cardiac-torso (NCAT) phantom was used to simulate the /sup 99m/Tc-sestamibi uptakes in human torso with myocardial defects in the left ventricular (LV) wall. Two phantoms were generated to simulate patients with thick and thin body builds. Projection data including the effects of attenuation, collimator-detector response and scatter were generated using SIMSET Monte Carlo simulations. A large number of photon histories were generated such that the projection data were close to noise free. Poisson noise fluctuations were then added to simulate the count densities found in clinical data. Noise-free and noisy projection data were reconstructed using the iterative OS-EM reconstruction algorithm with attenuation compensation. The reconstructed images from noisy projection data show that the noise levels are lower for the FB as compared to the PH collimator due to increase in detected counts. The NCO acquisition method provides slightly better resolution and small improvement in defect contrast as compared to the CO acquisition method in noise-free reconstructed images. Despite lower projection counts the NCO shows the same noise level as the CO in the attenuation corrected reconstruction images. The results from the channelized Hotelling observer (CHO) study show that FB collimator is superior to PH collimator in myocardial defect detection, but the NCO shows no statistical significant difference from the CO for either PH or FB collimator. In conclusion, our results indicate that data acquisition using NCO makes a very small improvement in the resolution over CO for myocardial SPECT imaging. This small improvement does not make a significant difference on myocardial defect detection. However, an FB collimator provides better defect detection than a PH collimator with similar spatial resolution for myocardial SPECT imaging.

Ideal engine durations for gamma-ray-burst-jet launch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamidani, Hamid; Takahashi, Koh; Umeda, Hideyuki; Okita, Shinpei

2017-08-01

Aiming to study gamma-ray-burst (GRB) engine duration, we present numerical simulations to investigate collapsar jets. We consider typical explosion energy (1052 erg) but different engine durations, in the widest domain to date from 0.1 to 100 s. We employ an adaptive mesh refinement 2D hydrodynamical code. Our results show that engine duration strongly influences jet nature. We show that the efficiency of launching and collimating relativistic outflow increases with engine duration, until the intermediate engine range where it is the highest, past this point to long engine range, the trend is slightly reversed; we call this point where acceleration and collimation are the highest 'sweet spot' (˜10-30 s). Moreover, jet energy flux shows that variability is also high in this duration domain. We argue that not all engine durations can produce the collimated, relativistic and variable long GRB jets. Considering a typical progenitor and engine energy, we conclude that the ideal engine duration to reproduce a long GRB is ˜10-30 s, where the launch of relativistic, collimated and variable jets is favoured. We note that this duration domain makes a good link with a previous study suggesting that the bulk of Burst and Transient Source Experiment's long GRBs is powered by ˜10-20 s collapsar engines.

Adjustable mounting device for high-volume production of beam-shaping systems for high-power diode lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haag, Sebastian; Bernhardt, Henning; Rübenach, Olaf; Haverkamp, Tobias; Müller, Tobias; Zontar, Daniel; Brecher, Christian

2015-02-01

In many applications for high-power diode lasers, the production of beam-shaping and homogenizing optical systems experience rising volumes and dynamical market demands. The automation of assembly processes on flexible and reconfigurable machines can contribute to a more responsive and scalable production. The paper presents a flexible mounting device designed for the challenging assembly of side-tab based optical systems. It provides design elements for precisely referencing and fixating two optical elements in a well-defined geometric relation. Side tabs are presented to the machine allowing the application of glue and a rotating mechanism allows the attachment to the optical elements. The device can be adjusted to fit different form factors and it can be used in high-volume assembly machines. The paper shows the utilization of the device for a collimation module consisting of a fast-axis and a slow-axis collimation lens. Results regarding the repeatability and process capability of bonding side tab assemblies as well as estimates from 3D simulation for overall performance indicators achieved such as cycle time and throughput will be discussed.

Objective comparison of lesion detectability in low and medium-energy collimator iodine-123 mIBG images using a channelized Hotelling observer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gregory, Rebecca A.; Murray, Iain; Gear, Jonathan; Aldridge, Matthew D.; Levine, Daniel; Fowkes, Lucy; Waddington, Wendy A.; Chua, Sue; Flux, Glenn

2017-01-01

Iodine-123 mIBG imaging is widely regarded as a gold standard for diagnostic studies of neuroblastoma and adult neuroendocrine cancer although the optimal collimator for tumour imaging remains undetermined. Low-energy (LE) high-resolution (HR) collimators provide superior spatial resolution. However due to septal penetration of high-energy photons these provide poorer contrast than medium-energy (ME) general-purpose (GP) collimators. LEGP collimators improve count sensitivity. The aim of this study was to objectively compare the lesion detection efficiency of each collimator to determine the optimal collimator for diagnostic imaging. The septal penetration and sensitivity of each collimator was assessed. Planar images of the patient abdomen were simulated with static scans of a Liqui-Phil™ anthropomorphic phantom with lesion-shaped inserts, acquired with LE and ME collimators on 3 different manufacturers’ gamma camera systems (Skylight (Philips), Intevo (Siemens) and Discovery (GE)). Two-hundred normal and 200 single-lesion abnormal images were created for each collimator. A channelized Hotelling observer (CHO) was developed and validated to score the images for the likelihood of an abnormality. The areas under receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) curves, Az, created from the scores were used to quantify lesion detectability. The CHO ROC curves for the LEHR collimators were inferior to the GP curves for all cameras. The LEHR collimators resulted in statistically significantly smaller Azs (p  <  0.05), of on average 0.891  ±  0.004, than for the MEGP collimators, 0.933  ±  0.004. In conclusion, the reduced background provided by MEGP collimators improved 123I mIBG image lesion detectability over LEHR collimators that provided better spatial resolution.

Optimal Shape of a Gamma-ray Collimator: single vs double knife edge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Metz, Albert; Hogenbirk, Alfred

2017-09-01

Gamma-ray collimators in nuclear waste scanners are used for selecting a narrow vertical segment in activity measurements of waste vessels. The system that is used by NRG uses tapered slit collimators of both the single and double knife edge type. The properties of these collimators were investigated by means of Monte Carlo simulations. We found that single knife edge collimators are highly preferable for a conservative estimate of the activity of the waste vessels. These collimators show much less dependence on the angle of incidence of the radiation than double knife edge collimators. This conclusion also applies to cylindrical collimators of the single knife edge type, that are generally used in medical imaging spectroscopy.

Computational Analysis Supporting the Design of a New Beamline for the Mines Neutron Radiography Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, C.; King, J.

The Colorado School of Mines installed a neutron radiography system at the United States Geological Survey TRIGA reactor in 2012. An upgraded beamline could dramatically improve the imaging capabilities of this system. This project performed computational analyses to support the design of a new beamline, with the major goals of minimizing beam divergence and maximizing beam intensity. The new beamline will consist of a square aluminum tube with an 11.43 cm (4.5 in) inner side length and 0.635 cm (0.25 in) thick walls. It is the same length as the original beam tube (8.53 m) and is composed of 1.22 m (4 ft) and 1.52 m (5 ft) flanged sections which bolt together. The bottom 1.22 m of the beamline is a cylindrical aluminum pre-collimator which is 0.635 cm (0.25 in) thick, with an inner diameter of 5.08 cm (2 in). Based on Monte Carlo model results, when a pre-collimator is present, the use of a neutron absorbing liner on the inside surface of the beam tube has almost no effect on the angular distribution of the neutron current at the collimator exit. The use of a pre-collimator may result in a non-uniform flux profile at the image plane; however, as long as the collimator is at least three times longer than the pre-collimator, the flux distortion is acceptably low.

Cleaning Insertions and Collimation Challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Redaelli, S.; Appleby, R. B.; Bertarelli, A.; Bruce, R.; Jowett, J. M.; Lechner, A.; Losito, R.

High-performance collimation systems are essential for operating efficiently modern hadron machine with large beam intensities. In particular, at the LHC the collimation system ensures a clean disposal of beam halos in the superconducting environment. The challenges of the HL-LHC study pose various demanding requests for beam collimation. In this paper we review the present collimation system and its performance during the LHC Run 1 in 2010-2013. Various collimation solutions under study to address the HL-LHC requirements are then reviewed, identifying the main upgrade baseline and pointing out advanced collimation concept for further enhancement of the performance.

Radiography by selective detection of scatter field velocity components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dugan, Edward T. (Inventor); Jacobs, Alan M. (Inventor); Shedlock, Daniel (Inventor)

2007-01-01

A reconfigurable collimated radiation detector, system and related method includes at least one collimated radiation detector. The detector has an adjustable collimator assembly including at least one feature, such as a fin, optically coupled thereto. Adjustments to the adjustable collimator selects particular directions of travel of scattered radiation emitted from an irradiated object which reach the detector. The collimated detector is preferably a collimated detector array, where the collimators are independently adjustable. The independent motion capability provides the capability to focus the image by selection of the desired scatter field components. When an array of reconfigurable collimated detectors is provided, separate image data can be obtained from each of the detectors and the respective images cross-correlated and combined to form an enhanced image.

Technical Note: A treatment plan comparison between dynamic collimation and a fixed aperture during spot scanning proton therapy for brain treatment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smith, Blake, E-mail: bsmith34@wisc.edu; Gelover,

Purpose: To quantitatively assess the advantages of energy-layer specific dynamic collimation system (DCS) versus a per-field fixed aperture for spot scanning proton therapy (SSPT). Methods: Five brain cancer patients previously planned and treated with SSPT were replanned using an in-house treatment planning system capable of modeling collimated and uncollimated proton beamlets. The uncollimated plans, which served as a baseline for comparison, reproduced the target coverage and organ-at-risk sparing of the clinically delivered plans. The collimator opening for the fixed aperture-based plans was determined from the combined cross sections of the target in the beam’s eye view over all energy layersmore » which included an additional margin equivalent to the maximum beamlet displacement for the respective energy of that energy layer. The DCS-based plans were created by selecting appropriate collimator positions for each row of beam spots during a Raster-style scanning pattern which were optimized to maximize the dose contributions to the target and limited the dose delivered to adjacent normal tissue. Results: The reduction of mean dose to normal tissue adjacent to the target, as defined by a 10 mm ring surrounding the target, averaged 13.65% (range: 11.8%–16.9%) and 5.18% (2.9%–7.1%) for the DCS and fixed aperture plans, respectively. The conformity index, as defined by the ratio of the volume of the 50% isodose line to the target volume, yielded an average improvement of 21.35% (19.4%–22.6%) and 8.38% (4.7%–12.0%) for the DCS and fixed aperture plans, respectively. Conclusions: The ability of the DCS to provide collimation to each energy layer yielded better conformity in comparison to fixed aperture plans.« less

Implementation of GPU accelerated SPECT reconstruction with Monte Carlo-based scatter correction.

PubMed

Bexelius, Tobias; Sohlberg, Antti

2018-06-01

Statistical SPECT reconstruction can be very time-consuming especially when compensations for collimator and detector response, attenuation, and scatter are included in the reconstruction. This work proposes an accelerated SPECT reconstruction algorithm based on graphics processing unit (GPU) processing. Ordered subset expectation maximization (OSEM) algorithm with CT-based attenuation modelling, depth-dependent Gaussian convolution-based collimator-detector response modelling, and Monte Carlo-based scatter compensation was implemented using OpenCL. The OpenCL implementation was compared against the existing multi-threaded OSEM implementation running on a central processing unit (CPU) in terms of scatter-to-primary ratios, standardized uptake values (SUVs), and processing speed using mathematical phantoms and clinical multi-bed bone SPECT/CT studies. The difference in scatter-to-primary ratios, visual appearance, and SUVs between GPU and CPU implementations was minor. On the other hand, at its best, the GPU implementation was noticed to be 24 times faster than the multi-threaded CPU version on a normal 128 × 128 matrix size 3 bed bone SPECT/CT data set when compensations for collimator and detector response, attenuation, and scatter were included. GPU SPECT reconstructions show great promise as an every day clinical reconstruction tool.

Hybrid Parallel-Slant Hole Collimators for SPECT Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Chuanyong; Shao, Ling; Ye, Jinghan; Durbin, M.; Petrillo, M.

2004-06-01

We propose a new collimator geometry, the hybrid parallel-slant (HPS) hole geometry, to improve sensitivity for SPECT imaging with large field of view (LFOV) gamma cameras. A HPS collimator has one segment with parallel holes and one or more segments with slant holes. The collimator can be mounted on a conventional SPECT LFOV system that uses parallel-beam collimators, and no additional detector or collimator motion is required for data acquisition. The parallel segment of the collimator allows for the acquisition of a complete data set of the organs-of-interest and the slant segments provide additional data. In this work, simulation studies of an MCAT phantom were performed with a HPS collimator with one slant segment. The slant direction points from patient head to patient feet with a slant angle of 30/spl deg/. We simulated 64 projection views over 180/spl deg/ with the modeling of nonuniform attenuation effect, and then reconstructed images using an MLEM algorithm that incorporated the hybrid geometry. It was shown that sensitivity to the cardiac region of the phantom was increased by approximately 50% when using the HPS collimator compared with a parallel-hole collimator. No visible artifacts were observed in the myocardium and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the myocardium walls was improved. Compared with collimators with other geometries, using a HPS collimator has the following advantages: (a) significant sensitivity increase; (b) a complete data set obtained from the parallel segment that allows for artifact-free image reconstruction; and (c) no additional collimator or detector motion. This work demonstrates the potential value of hybrid geometry in collimator design for LFOV SPECT imaging.

Lateral Penumbra Modelling Based Leaf End Shape Optimization for Multileaf Collimator in Radiotherapy

PubMed Central

Zhou, Dong; Zhang, Hui; Ye, Peiqing

2016-01-01

Lateral penumbra of multileaf collimator plays an important role in radiotherapy treatment planning. Growing evidence has revealed that, for a single-focused multileaf collimator, lateral penumbra width is leaf position dependent and largely attributed to the leaf end shape. In our study, an analytical method for leaf end induced lateral penumbra modelling is formulated using Tangent Secant Theory. Compared with Monte Carlo simulation and ray tracing algorithm, our model serves well the purpose of cost-efficient penumbra evaluation. Leaf ends represented in parametric forms of circular arc, elliptical arc, Bézier curve, and B-spline are implemented. With biobjective function of penumbra mean and variance introduced, genetic algorithm is carried out for approximating the Pareto frontier. Results show that for circular arc leaf end objective function is convex and convergence to optimal solution is guaranteed using gradient based iterative method. It is found that optimal leaf end in the shape of Bézier curve achieves minimal standard deviation, while using B-spline minimum of penumbra mean is obtained. For treatment modalities in clinical application, optimized leaf ends are in close agreement with actual shapes. Taken together, the method that we propose can provide insight into leaf end shape design of multileaf collimator. PMID:27110274

Radiation beam collimation system and method

DOEpatents

Schmidt, Oliver A.; Ramanathan, Mohan

2015-08-18

The invention provides a method for collimating a radiation beam, the method comprising subjecting the beam to a collimator that yaws and pitches, either separately or simultaneously relative to the incident angle of the beam. Also provided is a system for collimating radiation beams, the system comprising a collimator body, and a stage for pitching and yawing the body. A feature of the invention is that a single, compact mask body defines one or a plurality of collimators having no moving surfaces relative to each other, whereby the entire mask body is moved about a point in space to provide various collimator opening dimensions to oncoming radiation beams.

Evaluation of the stepwise collimation method for the reduction of the patient dose in full spine radiography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Boram; Lee, Sunyoung; Yang, Injeong; Yoon, Myeonggeun

2014-05-01

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the dose reduction when using the stepwise collimation method for scoliosis patients undergoing full spine radiography. A Monte Carlo simulation was carried out to acquire dose vs. volume data for organs at risk (OAR) in the human body. While the effective doses in full spine radiography were reduced by 8, 15, 27 and 44% by using four different sizes of the collimation, the doses to the skin were reduced by 31, 44, 55 and 66%, indicating that the reduction of the dose to the skin is higher than that to organs inside the body. Although the reduction rates were low for the gonad, being 9, 14, 18 and 23%, there was more than a 30% reduction in the dose to the heart, suggesting that the dose reduction depends significantly on the location of the OARs in the human body. The reduction rate of the secondary cancer risk based on the excess absolute risk (EAR) varied from 0.6 to 3.4 per 10,000 persons, depending on the size of the collimation. Our results suggest that the stepwise collimation method in full spine radiography can effectively reduce the patient dose and the radiation-induced secondary cancer risk.

Geometric beam coupling impedance of LHC secondary collimators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frasciello, Oscar; Tomassini, Sandro; Zobov, Mikhail; Salvant, Benoit; Grudiev, Alexej; Mounet, Nicolas

2016-02-01

The High Luminosity LHC project is aimed at increasing the LHC luminosity by an order of magnitude. One of the key ingredients to achieve the luminosity goal is the beam intensity increase. In order to keep beam instabilities under control and to avoid excessive power losses a careful design of new vacuum chamber components and an improvement of the present LHC impedance model are required. Collimators are among the major impedance contributors. Measurements with beam have revealed that the betatron coherent tune shifts were higher by about a factor of 2 with respect to the theoretical predictions based on the LHC impedance model up to 2012. In that model the resistive wall impedance has been considered as the dominating impedance contribution for collimators. By carefully simulating also their geometric impedance we have contributed to the update of the LHC impedance model, reaching also a better agreement between the measured and simulated betatron tune shifts. During the just ended LHC Long Shutdown I (LSI), TCS/TCT collimators were replaced by new devices embedding BPMs and TT2-111R ferrite blocks. We present here preliminary estimations of their broad-band impedance, showing that an increase of about 20% is expected in the kick factors with respect to previous collimators without BPMs.

Sci-Thur PM – Brachytherapy 05: Surface Collimation Applied to Superficial Flap High Dose-Rate Brachytherapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Derek; Sabondjian, Eric; Lawrence, Kailin

Purpose: To apply surface collimation for superficial flap HDR skin brachytherapy utilizing common clinical resources and to demonstrate the potential for OAR dose reduction within a clinically relevant setting. Methods: Two phantom setups were used. 3 mm lead collimation was applied to a solid slab phantom to determine appropriate geometries relating to collimation and dwell activation. The same collimation was applied to the temple of an anthropomorphic head phantom to demonstrate lens dose reduction. Each setup was simulated and planned to deliver 400 cGy to a 3 cm circular target to 3 mm depth. The control and collimated irradiations weremore » sequentially measured using calibrated radiochromic films. Results: Collimation for the slab phantom attenuated the dose beyond the collimator opening, decreasing the fall-off distances by half and reducing the area of healthy skin irradiated. Target coverage can be negatively impacted by a tight collimation margin, with the required margin approximated by the primary beam geometric penumbra. Surface collimation applied to the head phantom similarly attenuated the surrounding normal tissue dose while reducing the lens dose from 84 to 68 cGy. To ensure consistent setup between simulation and treatment, additional QA was performed including collimator markup, accounting for collimator placement uncertainties, standoff distance verification, and in vivo dosimetry. Conclusions: Surface collimation was shown to reduce normal tissue dose without compromising target coverage. Lens dose reduction was demonstrated on an anthropomorphic phantom within a clinical setting. Additional QA is proposed to ensure treatment fidelity.« less

Compact, high-resolution, gamma ray imaging for scintimammography and other medical diagostic applications

DOEpatents

Majewski, Stanislaw; Weisenberger, Andrew G.; Wojcik, Randolph F.; Steinbach, Daniela

1999-01-01

A high resolution gamma ray imaging device includes an aluminum housing, a lead screen collimator at an opened end of the housing, a crystal scintillator array mounted behind the lead screen collimator, a foam layer between the lead screen collimator and the crystal scintillator array, a photomultiplier window coupled to the crystal with optical coupling grease, a photomultiplier having a dynode chain body and a base voltage divider with anodes, anode wire amplifiers each connected to four anodes and a multi pin connector having pin connections to each anode wire amplifier. In one embodiment the crystal scintillator array includes a yttrium aluminum perovskite (YAP) crystal array. In an alternate embodiment, the crystal scintillator array includes a gadolinium oxyorthosilicate (GSO) crystal array.

Diamond-anvil high-pressure cell with improved X-ray collimation system

DOEpatents

Schiferl, David; Olinger, Barton W.; Livingston, Robert W.

1986-01-01

An adjustable X-ray collimation system for a diamond-anvil high-pressure cell of the type including a cooperable piston and cylinder and a pair of opposing diamonds located between the head of the piston and the head of the cylinder. The X-ray collimation system includes a tubular insert which contains an X-ray collimator. The insert is engageable in the bore of the piston. The collimator is mounted within the insert by means of an elastomeric O-ring at the end closest the opposed diamonds, and by means of a set of adjustable set screws at the opposite end. By adjustment of the set screws the collimator can be pivoted about the O-ring and brought into alignment with the opposed diamonds and the sample contained therein. In the preferred embodiment there is further provided a set of plugs which are insertable in the bore of the collimator. The plugs have bores of different diameters. By successively inserting plugs of progressively smaller bore diameters and adjusting the alignment of the collimator with each plug, the collimator can be quickly brought into accurate alignment with the diamonds. The collimation system allows alignment of the collimator either before or after the cell has been loaded and pressurized.

Slit-Slat Collimator Equipped Gamma Camera for Whole-Mouse SPECT-CT Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Liji; Peter, Jörg

2012-06-01

A slit-slat collimator is developed for a gamma camera intended for small-animal imaging (mice). The tungsten housing of a roof-shaped collimator forms a slit opening, and the slats are made of lead foils separated by sparse polyurethane material. Alignment of the collimator with the camera's pixelated crystal is performed by adjusting a micrometer screw while monitoring a Co-57 point source for maximum signal intensity. For SPECT, the collimator forms a cylindrical field-of-view enabling whole mouse imaging with transaxial magnification and constant on-axis sensitivity over the entire axial direction. As the gamma camera is part of a multimodal imaging system incorporating also x-ray CT, five parameters corresponding to the geometric displacements of the collimator as well as to the mechanical co-alignment between the gamma camera and the CT subsystem are estimated by means of bimodal calibration sources. To illustrate the performance of the slit-slat collimator and to compare its performance to a single pinhole collimator, a Derenzo phantom study is performed. Transaxial resolution along the entire long axis is comparable to a pinhole collimator of same pinhole diameter. Axial resolution of the slit-slat collimator is comparable to that of a parallel beam collimator. Additionally, data from an in-vivo mouse study are presented.

Diamond-anvil high-pressure cell with improved x-ray collimation system

DOEpatents

Schiferl, D.; Olinger, B.W.; Livingston, R.W.

1984-03-30

An adjustable x-ray collimation system for a diamond-anvil high-pressure cell of the type including a cooperable piston and cylinder and a pair of opposing diamonds located between the head of the piston and the head of the cylinder. The x-ray collimation system includes a tubular insert which contains an x-ray collimator. The insert is engageable in the bore of the piston. The collimator is mounted within the insert by means of an elastomeric o-ring at the end closest the opposed diamonds, and by means of a set of adjustable set screws at the opposite end. By adjustment of the set screws the collimator can be pivoted about the o-ring and brought into alignment with the opposed diamonds and the sample contained therein. In the preferred embodiment there is further provided a set of plugs which are insertable in the bore of the collimator. The plugs have bores of different diameters. By successively inserting plugs of progressively smaller bore diameters and adjusting the alignment of the collimator with each plug, the collimator can be quickly brought into accurate alignment with the diamonds. The collimation system allows alignment of the collimator either before or after the cell has been loaded and pressurized.

Finite element Compton tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jannson, Tomasz; Amouzou, Pauline; Menon, Naresh; Gertsenshteyn, Michael

2007-09-01

In this paper a new approach to 3D Compton imaging is presented, based on a kind of finite element (FE) analysis. A window for X-ray incoherent scattering (or Compton scattering) attenuation coefficients is identified for breast cancer diagnosis, for hard X-ray photon energy of 100-300 keV. The point-by-point power/energy budget is computed, based on a 2D array of X-ray pencil beams, scanned vertically. The acceptable medical doses are also computed. The proposed finite element tomography (FET) can be an alternative to X-ray mammography, tomography, and tomosynthesis. In experiments, 100 keV (on average) X-ray photons are applied, and a new type of pencil beam collimation, based on a Lobster-Eye Lens (LEL), is proposed.

Initial experimental evidence of self-collimation of target-normal-sheath-accelerated proton beam in a stack of conducting foils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ni, P. A.; Lund, S. M.; McGuffey, C.; Alexander, N.; Aurand, B.; Barnard, J. J.; Beg, F. N.; Bellei, C.; Bieniosek, F. M.; Brabetz, C.; Cohen, R. H.; Kim, J.; Neumayer, P.; Roth, M.; Logan, B. G.

2013-08-01

Phenomena consistent with self-collimation (or weak self-focusing) of laser target-normal-sheath-accelerated protons was experimentally observed for the first time, in a specially engineered structure ("lens") consisting of a stack of 300 thin aluminum foils separated by 50 μm vacuum gaps. The experiments were carried out in a "passive environment," i.e., no external fields applied, neutralization plasma or injection of secondary charged particles was imposed. Experiments were performed at the petawatt "PHELIX" laser user facility (E = 100 J, Δt = 400 fs, λ = 1062 nm) at the "Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung-GSI" in Darmstadt, Germany. The observed rms beam spot reduction depends inversely on energy, with a focusing degree decreasing monotonically from 2 at 5.4 MeV to 1.5 at 18.7 MeV. The physics inside the lens is complex, resulting in a number of different mechanisms that can potentially affect the particle dynamics within the structure. We present a plausible simple interpretation of the experiment in which the combination of magnetic self-pinch forces generated by the beam current together with the simultaneous reduction of the repulsive electrostatic forces due to the foils are the dominant mechanisms responsible for the observed focusing/collimation. This focusing technique could be applied to a wide variety of space-charge dominated proton and heavy ion beams and impact fields and applications, such as HEDP science, inertial confinement fusion in both fast ignition and heavy ion fusion approaches, compact laser-driven injectors for a Linear Accelerator (LINAC) or synchrotron, medical therapy, materials processing, etc.

Initial experimental evidence of self-collimation of TNSA proton beam in a stack of conducting foils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ni, Pavel

2013-10-01

Phenomena consistent with self-collimation (or weak self-focusing) of laser target-normal-sheath-accelerated (TNSA) protons was experimentally observed for the first time, in a specially engineered structure (``lens'') consisting of a stack of 300 thin aluminum foils separated by 50 μm vacuum gaps. The experiments were carried out in a ``passive environment,'' i.e. no external fields applied, neutralization plasma or injection of secondary charged particles was imposed. Experiments were performed at the petawatt ``PHELIX'' laser user facility (E = 100 J, Δt = 400 fs, λ = 1062 nm) at the ``Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung-GSI'' in Darmstadt, Germany. The observed rms beam spot reduction depends inversely on energy, with a focusing degree decreasing monotonically from 2 at 5.4 MeV to 1.5 MeV at 18.7 MeV. The physics inside the lens is complex, resulting in a number of different mechanisms that can potentially affect the particle dynamics within the structure. We present a plausible simple interpretation of the experiment in which the combination of magnetic self-pinch forces generated by the beam current together with the simultaneous reduction of the repulsive electrostatic forces due to the foils are the dominant mechanisms responsible for the observed focusing/collimation. This focusing technique could be applied to a wide variety of space-charge dominated proton and heavy ion beams and impact fields and applications, such as HEDP science, inertial confinement fusion in both fast ignition and heavy ion fusion approaches, compact laser-driven injectors for a LINAC or synchrotron, medical therapy, materials processing, etc.

Evaluation of radiation exposure with Tru-Align intraoral rectangular collimation system using OSL dosimeters.

PubMed

Goren, Arthur D; Bonvento, Michael J; Fernandez, Thomas J; Abramovitch, Kenneth; Zhang, Wenjian; Roe, Nadine; Seltzer, Jared; Steinberg, Mitchell; Colosi, Dan C

2011-03-01

A pilot study to compare radiation exposure with the Tru-Align rectangular collimation system to round collimation exposures was undertaken. Radiation exposure at various points within the cross sections of the collimators and entrance, intraoral and exit dose measurements were measured using InLight OSL dosimeters. Overall dose reduction with the use of the rectangular collimation system was estimated by taking into account the ratios of collimator openings and the average radiation exposure at the measurement points. Use of the Tru-Align system resulted in an average radiation exposure within the perimeter of the projected outline of the rectangular collimator of 36.1 mR, compared to 148.5 mR with the round collimator. Our calculations indicate a dose reduction by a factor of approximately 3.2 in the case of the Tru-Align system compared to round collimation. The Tru-Align system was easy to use, but in some situations failed to allow Xray coverage of the entire surface of the image receptor, leading to cone cuts.

Beam halo collimation in heavy ion synchrotrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strašík, I.; Prokhorov, I.; Boine-Frankenheim, O.

2015-08-01

This paper presents a systematic study of the halo collimation of ion beams from proton up to uranium in synchrotrons. The projected Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research synchrotron SIS100 is used as a reference case. The concepts are separated into fully stripped (e.g., 238U92+ ) and partially stripped (e.g., 238U28+ ) ion collimation. An application of the two-stage betatron collimation system, well established for proton accelerators, is intended also for fully stripped ions. The two-stage system consists of a primary collimator (a scattering foil) and secondary collimators (bulky absorbers). Interaction of the particles with the primary collimator (scattering, momentum losses, and nuclear interactions) was simulated by using fluka. Particle-tracking simulations were performed by using mad-x. Finally, the dependence of the collimation efficiency on the primary ion species was determined. The influence of the collimation system adjustment, lattice imperfections, and beam parameters was estimated. The concept for the collimation of partially stripped ions employs a thin stripping foil in order to change their charge state. These ions are subsequently deflected towards a dump location using a beam optical element. The charge state distribution after the stripping foil was obtained from global. The ions were tracked by using mad-x.

Determining the neutrino mass with cyclotron radiation emission spectroscopy—Project 8

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashtari Esfahani, Ali; Asner, David M.; Böser, Sebastian; Cervantes, Raphael; Claessens, Christine; de Viveiros, Luiz; Doe, Peter J.; Doeleman, Shepard; Fernandes, Justin L.; Fertl, Martin; Finn, Erin C.; Formaggio, Joseph A.; Furse, Daniel; Guigue, Mathieu; Heeger, Karsten M.; Jones, A. Mark; Kazkaz, Kareem; Kofron, Jared A.; Lamb, Callum; LaRoque, Benjamin H.; Machado, Eric; McBride, Elizabeth L.; Miller, Michael L.; Monreal, Benjamin; Mohanmurthy, Prajwal; Nikkel, James A.; Oblath, Noah S.; Pettus, Walter C.; Hamish Robertson, R. G.; Rosenberg, Leslie J.; Rybka, Gray; Rysewyk, Devyn; Saldaña, Luis; Slocum, Penny L.; Sternberg, Matthew G.; Tedeschi, Jonathan R.; Thümmler, Thomas; VanDevender, Brent A.; E Vertatschitsch, Laura; Wachtendonk, Megan; Weintroub, Jonathan; Woods, Natasha L.; Young, André; Zayas, Evan M.

2017-05-01

The most sensitive direct method to establish the absolute neutrino mass is observation of the endpoint of the tritium beta-decay spectrum. Cyclotron radiation emission spectroscopy (CRES) is a precision spectrographic technique that can probe much of the unexplored neutrino mass range with { O }({eV}) resolution. A lower bound of m({ν }e)≳ 9(0.1) {meV} is set by observations of neutrino oscillations, while the KATRIN experiment—the current-generation tritium beta-decay experiment that is based on magnetic adiabatic collimation with an electrostatic (MAC-E) filter—will achieve a sensitivity of m({ν }e)≲ 0.2 {eV}. The CRES technique aims to avoid the difficulties in scaling up a MAC-E filter-based experiment to achieve a lower mass sensitivity. In this paper we review the current status of the CRES technique and describe Project 8, a phased absolute neutrino mass experiment that has the potential to reach sensitivities down to m({ν }e)≲ 40 {meV} using an atomic tritium source.

Wavefront sensing and adaptive control in phased array of fiber collimators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lachinova, Svetlana L.; Vorontsov, Mikhail A.

2011-03-01

A new wavefront control approach for mitigation of atmospheric turbulence-induced wavefront phase aberrations in coherent fiber-array-based laser beam projection systems is introduced and analyzed. This approach is based on integration of wavefront sensing capabilities directly into the fiber-array transmitter aperture. In the coherent fiber array considered, we assume that each fiber collimator (subaperture) of the array is capable of precompensation of local (onsubaperture) wavefront phase tip and tilt aberrations using controllable rapid displacement of the tip of the delivery fiber at the collimating lens focal plane. In the technique proposed, this tip and tilt phase aberration control is based on maximization of the optical power received through the same fiber collimator using the stochastic parallel gradient descent (SPGD) technique. The coordinates of the fiber tip after the local tip and tilt aberrations are mitigated correspond to the coordinates of the focal-spot centroid of the optical wave backscattered off the target. Similar to a conventional Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor, phase function over the entire fiber-array aperture can then be retrieved using the coordinates obtained. The piston phases that are required for coherent combining (phase locking) of the outgoing beams at the target plane can be further calculated from the reconstructed wavefront phase. Results of analysis and numerical simulations are presented. Performance of adaptive precompensation of phase aberrations in this laser beam projection system type is compared for various system configurations characterized by the number of fiber collimators and atmospheric turbulence conditions. The wavefront control concept presented can be effectively applied for long-range laser beam projection scenarios for which the time delay related with the double-pass laser beam propagation to the target and back is compared or even exceeds the characteristic time of the atmospheric turbulence change - scenarios when conventional target-in-the-loop phase-locking techniques fail.

Probing the collimation of pristine post-AGB jets with STIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchez Contreras, Carmen

2009-07-01

The shaping of planetary and protoplanetary nebulae {PNe and PPNe} is probably the most exciting yet least understood problem in the late evolution of 1-8 solar mass stars. An increasing number of astronomers believe that fast jet-like winds ejected in the PPN phase are responsible for carving out the diverse shapes in the dense envelopes of the Asymptotic Giant Branch {AGB} stars. To date, the properties of these post-AGB jets have not been characterized and, indeed, their launching/collimation mechanism is still subject to controversial debate. This is due to the lack of the direct observations probing the spatio-kinematic structure of post-AGB winds in the stellar vicinity { 10e16cm}, which is only possible with HST+STIS. Recently, STIS observations have allowed us for the first time the DIRECT study of the structure and kinematics of the elusive post-AGB winds in one PPN, He3-1475 {Sanchez Contreras & Sahai 2001}. Those winds have been discovered through H-alpha blue-shifted absorption features in the inner 0.3"-0.7" of the nebula. These STIS observations have revealed an ultra-fast collimated outflow relatively unaffected by the interaction with the AGB wind that is totally hidden in ground-based spectroscopic observations and HST images. The discovery of the pristine ultra-fast { 2300km/s} jet in He3-1475 is the first observational confirmation of the presence of collimated outflows as close as 10e16cm from the central star. Most importantly, the spatio-kinematic structure of the ultra-fast jet clearly rules out hydrodynamical collimation alone and favors magnetic wind collimation. Therefore, STIS observations provide a unique method of probing the structure, kinematics, and collimation mechanism of the elusive post-AGB winds. We now propose similar observations for a sample of bipolar PPNe with ongoing post-AGB ejections in order to investigate the frequency of jets like those in He3-1475 in other PPNe and elucidate their nature and collimation mechanism. The observational characterization of these winds is indispensable for understanding this violent and important phase of post-AGB evolution.

Comparison of fan beam, slit-slat and multi-pinhole collimators for molecular breast tomosynthesis.

PubMed

van Roosmalen, Jarno; Beekman, Freek J; Goorden, Marlies C

2018-05-16

Recently, we proposed and optimized dedicated multi-pinhole molecular breast tomosynthesis (MBT) that images a lightly compressed breast. As MBT may also be performed with other types of collimators, the aim of this paper is to optimize MBT with fan beam and slit-slat collimators and to compare its performance to that of multi-pinhole MBT to arrive at a truly optimized design. Using analytical expressions, we first optimized fan beam and slit-slat collimator parameters to reach maximum sensitivity at a series of given system resolutions. Additionally, we performed full system simulations of a breast phantom containing several tumours for the optimized designs. We found that at equal system resolution the maximum achievable sensitivity increases from pinhole to slit-slat to fan beam collimation with fan beam and slit-slat MBT having on average a 48% and 20% higher sensitivity than multi-pinhole MBT. Furthermore, by inspecting simulated images and applying a tumour-to-background contrast-to-noise (TB-CNR) analysis, we found that slit-slat collimators underperform with respect to the other collimator types. The fan beam collimators obtained a similar TB-CNR as the pinhole collimators, but the optimum was reached at different system resolutions. For fan beam collimators, a 6-8 mm system resolution was optimal in terms of TB-CNR, while with pinhole collimation highest TB-CNR was reached in the 7-10 mm range.

SU-G-JeP1-12: Head-To-Head Performance Characterization of Two Multileaf Collimator Tracking Algorithms for Radiotherapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Caillet, V; Colvill, E; Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, Sydney

2016-06-15

Purpose: Multi-leaf collimator (MLC) tracking is being clinically pioneered to continuously compensate for thoracic and abdominal motion during radiotherapy. The purpose of this work is to characterize the performance of two MLC tracking algorithms for cancer radiotherapy, based on a direct optimization and a piecewise leaf fitting approach respectively. Methods: To test the algorithms, both physical and in silico experiments were performed. Previously published high and low modulation VMAT plans for lung and prostate cancer cases were used along with eight patient-measured organ-specific trajectories. For both MLC tracking algorithm, the plans were run with their corresponding patient trajectories. The physicalmore » experiments were performed on a Trilogy Varian linac and a programmable phantom (HexaMotion platform). For each MLC tracking algorithm, plan and patient trajectory, the tracking accuracy was quantified as the difference in aperture area between ideal and fitted MLC. To compare algorithms, the average cumulative tracking error area for each experiment was calculated. The two-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS) test was used to evaluate the cumulative tracking errors between algorithms. Results: Comparison of tracking errors for the physical and in silico experiments showed minor differences between the two algorithms. The KS D-statistics for the physical experiments were below 0.05 denoting no significant differences between the two distributions pattern and the average error area (direct optimization/piecewise leaf-fitting) were comparable (66.64 cm2/65.65 cm2). For the in silico experiments, the KS D-statistics were below 0.05 and the average errors area were also equivalent (49.38 cm2/48.98 cm2). Conclusion: The comparison between the two leaf fittings algorithms demonstrated no significant differences in tracking errors, neither in a clinically realistic environment nor in silico. The similarities in the two independent algorithms give confidence in the use of either algorithm for clinical implementation.« less

High collimated coherent illumination for reconstruction of digitally calculated holograms: design and experimental realization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morozov, Alexander; Dubinin, German; Dubynin, Sergey; Yanusik, Igor; Kim, Sun Il; Choi, Chil-Sung; Song, Hoon; Lee, Hong-Seok; Putilin, Andrey; Kopenkin, Sergey; Borodin, Yuriy

2017-06-01

Future commercialization of glasses-free holographic real 3D displays requires not only appropriate image quality but also slim design of backlight unit and whole display device to match market needs. While a lot of research aimed to solve computational issues of forming Computer Generated Holograms for 3D Holographic displays, less focus on development of backlight units suitable for 3D holographic display applications with form-factor of conventional 2D display systems. Thereby, we report coherent backlight unit for 3D holographic display with thickness comparable to commercially available 2D displays (cell phones, tablets, laptops, etc.). Coherent backlight unit forms uniform, high-collimated and effective illumination of spatial light modulator. Realization of such backlight unit is possible due to holographic optical elements, based on volume gratings, constructing coherent collimated beam to illuminate display plane. Design, recording and measurement of 5.5 inch coherent backlight unit based on two holographic optical elements are presented in this paper.

Coherent beam combining of collimated fiber array based on target-in-the-loop technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xinyang; Geng, Chao; Zhang, Xiaojun; Rao, Changhui

2011-11-01

Coherent beam combining (CBC) of fiber array is a promising way to generate high power and high quality laser beams. Target-in-the-loop (TIL) technique might be an effective way to ensure atmosphere propagation compensation without wavefront sensors. In this paper, we present very recent research work about CBC of collimated fiber array using TIL technique at the Key Lab on Adaptive Optics (KLAO), CAS. A novel Adaptive Fiber Optics Collimator (AFOC) composed of phase-locking module and tip/tilt control module was developed. CBC experimental setup of three-element fiber array was established. Feedback control is realized using stochastic parallel gradient descent (SPGD) algorithm. The CBC based on TIL with piston and tip/tilt correction simultaneously is demonstrated. And the beam pointing to locate or sweep position of combined spot on target was achieved through TIL technique too. The goal of our work is achieve multi-element CBC for long-distance transmission in atmosphere.

Mode-mismatched confocal thermal-lens microscope with collimated probe beam

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cabrera, Humberto, E-mail: hcabrera@ictp.it; Centro Multidisciplinartio de Ciencias, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas; Korte, Dorota

2015-05-15

We report a thermal lens microscope (TLM) based on an optimized mode-mismatched configuration. It takes advantage of the coaxial counter propagating tightly focused excitation and collimated probe beams, instead of both focused at the sample, as it is in currently known TLM setups. A simple mathematical model that takes into account the main features of the instrument is presented. The confocal detection scheme and the introduction of highly collimated probe beam allow enhancing the versatility, limit of detection (LOD), and sensitivity of the instrument. The theory is experimentally verified measuring ethanol’s absorption coefficient at 532.8 nm. Additionally, the presented techniquemore » is applied for detection of ultra-trace amounts of Cr(III) in liquid solution. The achieved LOD is 1.3 ppb, which represents 20-fold enhancement compared to transmission mode spectrometric techniques and a 7.5-fold improvement compared to previously reported methods for Cr(III) based on thermal lens effect.« less

Giant collimated gamma-ray flashes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benedetti, Alberto; Tamburini, Matteo; Keitel, Christoph H.

2018-06-01

Bright sources of high-energy electromagnetic radiation are widely employed in fundamental research, industry and medicine1,2. This motivated the construction of Compton-based facilities planned to yield bright gamma-ray pulses with energies up to3 20 MeV. Here, we demonstrate a novel mechanism based on the strongly amplified synchrotron emission that occurs when a sufficiently dense ultra-relativistic electron beam interacts with a millimetre-thickness conductor. For electron beam densities exceeding approximately 3 × 1019 cm-3, electromagnetic instabilities occur, and the ultra-relativistic electrons travel through self-generated electromagnetic fields as large as 107-108 gauss. This results in the production of a collimated gamma-ray pulse with peak brilliance above 1025 photons s-1 mrad-2 mm-2 per 0.1% bandwidth, photon energies ranging from 200 keV to gigaelectronvolts and up to 60% electron-to-photon energy conversion efficiency. These findings pave the way to compact, high-repetition-rate (kilohertz) sources of short (≲30 fs), collimated (milliradian) and high-flux (>1012 photons s-1) gamma-ray pulses.

Calculations of safe collimator settings and β* at the CERN Large Hadron Collider

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruce, R.; Assmann, R. W.; Redaelli, S.

2015-06-01

The first run of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN was very successful and resulted in important physics discoveries. One way of increasing the luminosity in a collider, which gave a very significant contribution to the LHC performance in the first run and can be used even if the beam intensity cannot be increased, is to decrease the transverse beam size at the interaction points by reducing the optical function β*. However, when doing so, the beam becomes larger in the final focusing system, which could expose its aperture to beam losses. For the LHC, which is designed to store beams with a total energy of 362 MJ, this is critical, since the loss of even a small fraction of the beam could cause a magnet quench or even damage. Therefore, the machine aperture has to be protected by the collimation system. The settings of the collimators constrain the maximum beam size that can be tolerated and therefore impose a lower limit on β*. In this paper, we present calculations to determine safe collimator settings and the resulting limit on β*, based on available aperture and operational stability of the machine. Our model was used to determine the LHC configurations in 2011 and 2012 and it was found that β* could be decreased significantly compared to the conservative model used in 2010. The gain in luminosity resulting from the decreased margins between collimators was more than a factor 2, and a further contribution from the use of realistic aperture estimates based on measurements was almost as large. This has played an essential role in the rapid and successful accumulation of experimental data in the LHC.

Collimation, Acceleration, and Recollimation Shock in the Jet of Gamma-Ray Emitting Radio-loud Narrow-line Seyfert 1 Galaxy 1H0323+342

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hada, Kazuhiro; Doi, Akihiro; Wajima, Kiyoaki; D’Ammando, Filippo; Orienti, Monica; Giroletti, Marcello; Giovannini, Gabriele; Nakamura, Masanori; Asada, Keiichi

2018-06-01

We investigated the detailed radio structure of the jet of 1H 0323+342 using high-resolution multifrequency Very Long Baseline Array observations. This source is known as the nearest γ-ray emitting radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxy. We discovered that the morphology of the inner jet is well characterized by a parabolic shape, indicating that the jet is continuously collimated near the jet base. On the other hand, we found that the jet expands more rapidly at larger scales, resulting in a conical shape. The location of the “collimation break” is coincident with a bright quasi-stationary feature at 7 mas from core (corresponding to a deprojected distance on the order of ∼100 pc), where the jet width locally contracts together with highly polarized signals, suggesting a recollimation shock. We found that the collimation region is coincident with the region where the jet speed gradually accelerates, suggesting a coexistence of the jet acceleration and collimation zone, ending up with the recollimation shock, which could be a potential site of high-energy γ-ray flares detected by the Fermi-LAT. Remarkably, these observational features of the 1H 0323+342 jet are overall very similar to those of the nearby radio galaxy M87 and HST-1 as well as some blazars, suggesting that a common jet formation mechanism might be at work. Based on the similarity of the jet profile of the two sources, we also briefly discuss the mass of the central black hole of 1H 0323+342, which is also still highly controversial in this source and NLS1s in general.

Collimator with attachment mechanism and system

DOEpatents

Kross, Brian J [Yorktown, VA; McKisson, John [Hampton, VA; Stolin, Aleksandr [Morgantown, WV; Weisenberger, Andrew G [Yorktown, VA; Zorn, Carl [Yorktown, VA

2012-07-10

A self-aligning collimator for a radiation imaging device that is secured and aligned through the use of a plurality of small magnets. The collimator allows for the rapid exchange, removal, or addition of collimators for the radiation imaging device without the need for tools. The accompanying method discloses the use of magnets and accompanying magnetic fields to align and secure collimators in a radiation imaging assembly.

Design and evaluation of two multi-pinhole collimators for brain SPECT.

PubMed

Chen, Ling; Tsui, Benjamin M W; Mok, Greta S P

2017-10-01

SPECT is a powerful tool for diagnosing or staging brain diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) but is limited by its inferior resolution and sensitivity. At the same time, pinhole SPECT provides superior resolution and detection efficiency trade-off as compared to the conventional parallel-hole collimator for imaging small field-of-view (FOV), which fits for the case of brain imaging. In this study, we propose to develop and evaluate two multi-pinhole (MPH) collimator designs to improve the imaging of cerebral blood flow and striatum. We set the target resolutions to be 12 and 8 mm, respectively, and the FOV at 200 mm which is large enough to cover the whole brain. The constraints for system optimization include maximum and minimum detector-to-center-of-FOV (CFOV) distances of 344 and 294 mm, respectively, and minimal radius-of-rotation (ROR) of 135 mm to accommodate patients' shoulder. According to the targeted FOV, resolutions, and constraints, we determined the pinhole number, ROR, focal length, aperture acceptance angle, and aperture diameter which maximized the system sensitivity. We then assessed the imaging performance of the proposed MPH and standard low-energy high-resolution (LEHR) collimators using analytical simulations of a digital NCAT brain phantom with 99m Tc-HMPAO/ 99m Tc-TRODAT-1 distributions; Monte Carlo simulations of a hot-rod phantom; and a Defrise phantom using GATE v6.1. Projections were generated over 360° and reconstructed using the 3D MPH/LEHR OS-EM methods with up to 720 updates. The normalized mean square error (NMSE) was calculated over the cerebral and striatal regions extracted from the reconstructed images for 99m Tc-HMPAO and 99m Tc-TRODAT-1 simulations, respectively, and average normalized standard deviation (NSD) based on 20 noise realizations was assessed on selected uniform 3D regions as the noise index. Visual assessment and image profiles were applied to the results of Monte Carlo simulations. The optimized design parameters of the MPH collimators were 9 pinholes with 4.7 and 2.8 mm pinhole diameter, 73° acceptance angle, 127 mm focal length, 167 mm ROR for 12 mm and 8 mm target resolution, respectively. According to the optimization results, the detection efficiencies of the proposed collimators were 270 and 40% more as compared to LEHR. The Monte Carlo simulations showed that 7.9 and 6.4 mm rods can be discriminated for the MPH collimators with target resolutions of 12 and 8 mm, respectively. The eight 12 mm-thick discs of the Defrise phantom can also be resolved clearly in the axial plane as demonstrated by the image profiles generated with the MPH collimators. The two collimator designs provide superior image quality as compared to the conventional LEHR, and shows potential to improve current brain SPECT imaging based on a conventional SPECT scanner.

Collimator application for microchannel plate image intensifier resolution improvement

DOEpatents

Thomas, Stanley W.

1996-02-27

A collimator is included in a microchannel plate image intensifier (MCPI). Collimators can be useful in improving resolution of MCPIs by eliminating the scattered electron problem and by limiting the transverse energy of electrons reaching the screen. Due to its optical absorption, a collimator will also increase the extinction ratio of an intensifier by approximately an order of magnitude. Additionally, the smooth surface of the collimator will permit a higher focusing field to be employed in the MCP-to-collimator region than is currently permitted in the MCP-to-screen region by the relatively rough and fragile aluminum layer covering the screen. Coating the MCP and collimator surfaces with aluminum oxide appears to permit additional significant increases in the field strength, resulting in better resolution.

Numerical Calculations of Short-Range Wakefields of Collimators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ng, C. K.

2001-12-01

The performance of future linear colliders are limited by the effect of short-range collimator wakefields on the beam. The beam quality is sensitive to the positioning of collimators at the end of the linac. The determination of collimator wakefields has been difficult, largely because of the scarcity of measurement data, and of the limitation of applicability of analytical results to realistic structures. In this paper, numerical methods using codes such as MAFIA are used to determine a series of tapered collimators with rectangular apertures that have been built for studies at SLAC (Stanford Linear Accelerator Center). We will study the dependences of the wakefield on the collimator taper angle, the collimator gap as well as the bunch length. Calculations are also compared with measurements.

VMAT optimization with dynamic collimator rotation.

PubMed

Lyu, Qihui; O'Connor, Daniel; Ruan, Dan; Yu, Victoria; Nguyen, Dan; Sheng, Ke

2018-04-16

Although collimator rotation is an optimization variable that can be exploited for dosimetric advantages, existing Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) optimization uses a fixed collimator angle in each arc and only rotates the collimator between arcs. In this study, we develop a novel integrated optimization method for VMAT, accounting for dynamic collimator angles during the arc motion. Direct Aperture Optimization (DAO) for Dynamic Collimator in VMAT (DC-VMAT) was achieved by adding to the existing dose fidelity objective an anisotropic total variation term for regulating the fluence smoothness, a binary variable for forming simple apertures, and a group sparsity term for controlling collimator rotation. The optimal collimator angle for each beam angle was selected using the Dijkstra's algorithm, where the node costs depend on the estimated fluence map at the current iteration and the edge costs account for the mechanical constraints of multi-leaf collimator (MLC). An alternating optimization strategy was implemented to solve the DAO and collimator angle selection (CAS). Feasibility of DC-VMAT using one full-arc with dynamic collimator rotation was tested on a phantom with two small spherical targets, a brain, a lung and a prostate cancer patient. The plan was compared against a static collimator VMAT (SC-VMAT) plan using three full arcs with 60 degrees of collimator angle separation in patient studies. With the same target coverage, DC-VMAT achieved 20.3% reduction of R50 in the phantom study, and reduced the average max and mean OAR dose by 4.49% and 2.53% of the prescription dose in patient studies, as compared with SC-VMAT. The collimator rotation co-ordinated with the gantry rotation in DC-VMAT plans for deliverability. There were 13 beam angles in the single-arc DC-VMAT plan in patient studies that requires slower gantry rotation to accommodate multiple collimator angles. The novel DC-VMAT approach utilizes the dynamic collimator rotation during arc delivery. In doing so, DC-VMAT affords more sophisticated intensity modulation, alleviating the limitation previously imposed by the square beamlet from the MLC leaf thickness and achieves higher effective modulation resolution. Consequently, DC-VMAT with a single arc manages to achieve superior dosimetry than SC-VMAT with three full arcs. © 2018 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Ion source with improved primary arc collimation

DOEpatents

Dagenhart, W.K.

1983-12-16

An improved negative ion source is provided in which a self-biasing, molybdenum collimator is used to define the primary electron stream arc discharge from a filament operated at a negative potential. The collimator is located between the anode and the filament. It is electrically connected to the anode by means of an appropriate size resistor such that the collimator is biased at essentially the filament voltage during operation. Initially, the full arc voltage appears across the filament to collimator until the arc discharge strikes. Then the collimator biases itself to essentially filament potential due to current flow through the resistor thus defining the primary electron stream without intercepting any appreciable arc power. The collimator aperture is slightly smaller than the anode aperture to shield the anode from the arc power which, in the past, has caused overheating and erosion of the anode collimator during extended time pulsed-beam operation of the source. With the self-biasing collimator of this invention, the ion source may be operated from short pulse periods to steady-state without destroying the anode.

Ion source with improved primary arc collimation

DOEpatents

Dagenhart, William K.

1985-01-01

An improved negative ion source is provided in which a self-biasing, molybdenum collimator is used to define the primary electron stream arc discharge from a filament operated at a negative potential. The collimator is located between the anode and the filament. It is electrically connected to the anode by means of an appropriate size resistor such that the collimator is biased at essentially the filament voltage during operation. Initially, the full arc voltage appears across the filament to collimator until the arc discharge strikes. Then the collimator biases itself to essentially filament potential due to current flow through the resistor thus defining the primary electron stream without intercepting any appreciable arc power. The collimator aperture is slightly smaller than the anode aperture to shield the anode from the arc power, thereby preventing the exposure of the anode to the full arc power which, in the past, has caused overheating and erosion of the anode collimator during extended time pulsed-beam operation of the source. With the self-biasing collimator of this invention, the ion source may be operated from short pulse periods to steady-state without destroying the anode.

Thermal analysis and cooling structure design of the primary collimator in CSNS/RCS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, Yi-Qing; Wang, Na; Kang, Ling; Qu, Hua-Min; He, Zhe-Xi; Yu, Jie-Bing

2013-05-01

The rapid cycling synchrotron (RCS) of the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) is a high intensity proton ring with beam power of 100 kW. In order to control the residual activation to meet the requirements of hands-on maintenance, a two-stage collimation system has been designed for the RCS. The collimation system consists of one primary collimator made of thin metal to scatter the beam and four secondary collimators as absorbers. Thermal analysis is an important aspect in evaluating the reliability of the collimation system. The calculation of the temperature distribution and thermal stress of the primary collimator with different materials is carried out by using ANSYS code. In order to control the temperature rise and thermal stress of the primary collimator to a reasonable level, an air cooling structure is intended to be used. The mechanical design of the cooling structure is presented, and the cooling efficiency with different chin numbers and wind velocity is also analyzed. Finally, the fatigue lifetime of the collimator under thermal shocks is estimated.

Effect of leaded glasses and thyroid shielding on cone beam CT radiation dose in an adult female phantom

PubMed Central

Goren, AD; Prins, RD; Dauer, LT; Quinn, B; Al-Najjar, A; Faber, RD; Patchell, G; Branets, I; Colosi, DC

2013-01-01

Objectives: This study aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of leaded glasses in reducing the lens of eye dose and of lead thyroid collars in reducing the dose to the thyroid gland of an adult female from dental cone beam CT (CBCT). The effect of collimation on the radiation dose in head organs is also examined. Methods: Dose measurements were conducted by placing optically stimulated luminescent dosemeters in an anthropomorphic female phantom. Eye lens dose was measured by placing a dosemeter on the anterior surface of the phantom eye location. All exposures were performed on one commercially available dental CBCT machine, using selected collimation and exposure techniques. Each scan technique was performed without any lead shielding and then repeated with lead shielding in place. To calculate the percent reduction from lead shielding, the dose measured with lead shielding was divided by the dose measured without lead shielding. The percent reduction from collimation was calculated by comparing the dose measured with collimation to the dose measured without collimation. Results: The dose to the internal eye for one of the scans without leaded glasses or thyroid shield was 0.450 cGy and with glasses and thyroid shield was 0.116 cGy (a 74% reduction). The reduction to the lens of the eye was from 0.396 cGy to 0.153 cGy (a 61% reduction). Without glasses or thyroid shield, the thyroid dose was 0.158 cGy; and when both glasses and shield were used, the thyroid dose was reduced to 0.091 cGy (a 42% reduction). Conclusions: Collimation alone reduced the dose to the brain by up to 91%, with a similar reduction in other organs. Based on these data, leaded glasses, thyroid collars and collimation minimize the dose to organs outside the field of view. PMID:23412460

The CdZnTe Detector with Slit Collimator for Measure Distribution of the Specific Activity Radionuclide in the Ground

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stepanov, V. E.; Volkovich, A. G.; Potapov, V. N.; Semin, I. A.; Stepanov, A. V.; Simirskii, Iu. N.

2018-01-01

From 2011 in the NRC "Kurchatov Institute" carry out the dismantling of the MR multiloop research reactor. Now the reactor and all technological equipment in the premises of the reactor were dismantled. Now the measurements of radioactive contamination in the reactor premises are made. The most contaminated parts of premises - floor and the ground beneath it. To measure the distribution of specific activity in the ground the CdZnTe detector (volume 500MM3) was used. Detector placed in a lead shielding with a slit collimation hole. The upper part of shielding is made movable to close and open the slit of the collimator. At each point two measurements carried out: with open and closed collimator. The software for determination specific activity of radionuclides in ground was developed. The mathematical model of spectrometric system based on the Monte-Carlo method. Measurements of specific activity of ground were made. Using the results of measurements the thickness of the removed layer of ground and the amount of radioactive waste were calculated.

Application of Gaussian beam ray-equivalent model and back-propagation artificial neural network in laser diode fast axis collimator assembly.

PubMed

Yu, Hao; Rossi, Giammarco; Braglia, Andrea; Perrone, Guido

2016-08-10

The paper presents the development of a tool based on a back-propagation artificial neural network to assist in the accurate positioning of the lenses used to collimate the beam from semiconductor laser diodes along the so-called fast axis. After training using a Gaussian beam ray-equivalent model, the network is capable of indicating the tilt, decenter, and defocus of such lenses from the measured field distribution, so the operator can determine the errors with respect to the actual lens position and optimize the diode assembly procedure. An experimental validation using a typical configuration exploited in multi-emitter diode module assembly and fast axis collimating lenses with different focal lengths and numerical apertures is reported.

Comparison of fan beam, slit-slat and multi-pinhole collimators for molecular breast tomosynthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Roosmalen, Jarno; Beekman, Freek J.; Goorden, Marlies C.

2018-05-01

Recently, we proposed and optimized dedicated multi-pinhole molecular breast tomosynthesis (MBT) that images a lightly compressed breast. As MBT may also be performed with other types of collimators, the aim of this paper is to optimize MBT with fan beam and slit-slat collimators and to compare its performance to that of multi-pinhole MBT to arrive at a truly optimized design. Using analytical expressions, we first optimized fan beam and slit-slat collimator parameters to reach maximum sensitivity at a series of given system resolutions. Additionally, we performed full system simulations of a breast phantom containing several tumours for the optimized designs. We found that at equal system resolution the maximum achievable sensitivity increases from pinhole to slit-slat to fan beam collimation with fan beam and slit-slat MBT having on average a 48% and 20% higher sensitivity than multi-pinhole MBT. Furthermore, by inspecting simulated images and applying a tumour-to-background contrast-to-noise (TB-CNR) analysis, we found that slit-slat collimators underperform with respect to the other collimator types. The fan beam collimators obtained a similar TB-CNR as the pinhole collimators, but the optimum was reached at different system resolutions. For fan beam collimators, a 6–8 mm system resolution was optimal in terms of TB-CNR, while with pinhole collimation highest TB-CNR was reached in the 7–10 mm range.

How well do we know the polar hydrogen distribution on the Moon?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teodoro, L. F. A.; Eke, V. R.; Elphic, R. C.; Feldman, W. C.; Lawrence, D. J.

2014-03-01

A detailed comparison is made of results from the Lunar Prospector Neutron Spectrometer (LPNS) and the Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector Collimated Sensors for Epithermal Neutrons (LEND CSETN). Using the autocorrelation function and power spectrum of the polar count rate maps produced by these experiments, it is shown that the LEND CSETN has a footprint that is at least as big as would be expected for an omnidirectional detector at an orbital altitude of 50 km. The collimated flux into the field of view of the collimator is negligible. A dip in the count rate in Shoemaker crater is found to be consistent with being a statistical fluctuation superimposed on a significant, larger-scale decrease in the count rate, providing no evidence for high spatial resolution of the LEND CSETN. The maps of lunar polar hydrogen with the highest contrast, i.e., spatial resolution, are those resulting from pixon image reconstructions of the LPNS data. These typically provide weight percentages of water-equivalent hydrogen that are accurate to 30% within the polar craters.

New type of capillary for use as ion beam collimator and air-vacuum interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoytschew, V.; Schulte-Borchers, M.; Božičević Mihalića, Iva; Perez, R. D.

2016-08-01

Glass capillaries offer a unique way to combine small diameter ion beam collimation with an air-vacuum interface for ambient pressure ion beam applications. Usually they have an opening diameter of a few microns, limiting the air inflow sufficiently to maintain stable conditions on the vacuum side. As the glass capillaries generally are quite thin and fragile, handling of the capillary in the experiment becomes difficult. They also introduce an X-ray background produced by the capillary wall material, which has to be shielded or subtracted from the data for Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) applications. To overcome both drawbacks, a new type of conical glass capillary has been developed. It has a higher wall thickness eliminating the low energy X-ray background produced by common capillaries and leading to a more robust lens. The results obtained in first tests show, that this new capillary is suitable for ion beam collimation and encourage further work on the capillary production process to provide thick wall capillaries with an outlet diameter in the single digit micro- or even nanometre range.

Design of TIR collimating lens for ordinary differential equation of extended light source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhan, Qianjing; Liu, Xiaoqin; Hou, Zaihong; Wu, Yi

2017-10-01

The source of LED has been widely used in our daily life. The intensity angle distribution of single LED is lambert distribution, which does not satisfy the requirement of people. Therefore, we need to distribute light and change the LED's intensity angle distribution. The most commonly method to change its intensity angle distribution is the free surface. Generally, using ordinary differential equations to calculate free surface can only be applied in a point source, but it will lead to a big error for the expand light. This paper proposes a LED collimating lens based on the ordinary differential equation, combined with the LED's light distribution curve, and adopt the method of calculating the center gravity of the extended light to get the normal vector. According to the law of Snell, the ordinary differential equations are constructed. Using the runge-kutta method for solution of ordinary differential equation solution, the curve point coordinates are gotten. Meanwhile, the edge point data of lens are imported into the optical simulation software TracePro. Based on 1mm×1mm single lambert body for light conditions, The degrees of collimating light can be close to +/-3. Furthermore, the energy utilization rate is higher than 85%. In this paper, the point light source is used to calculate partial differential equation method and compared with the simulation of the lens, which improve the effect of 1 degree of collimation.

Collimator application for microchannel plate image intensifier resolution improvement

DOEpatents

Thomas, S.W.

1996-02-27

A collimator is included in a microchannel plate image intensifier (MCPI). Collimators can be useful in improving resolution of MCPIs by eliminating the scattered electron problem and by limiting the transverse energy of electrons reaching the screen. Due to its optical absorption, a collimator will also increase the extinction ratio of an intensifier by approximately an order of magnitude. Additionally, the smooth surface of the collimator will permit a higher focusing field to be employed in the MCP-to-collimator region than is currently permitted in the MCP-to-screen region by the relatively rough and fragile aluminum layer covering the screen. Coating the MCP and collimator surfaces with aluminum oxide appears to permit additional significant increases in the field strength, resulting in better resolution. 2 figs.

Pixelated gamma detector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dolinsky, Sergei Ivanovich; Yanoff, Brian David; Guida, Renato

2016-12-27

A pixelated gamma detector includes a scintillator column assembly having scintillator crystals and optical transparent elements alternating along a longitudinal axis, a collimator assembly having longitudinal walls separated by collimator septum, the collimator septum spaced apart to form collimator channels, the scintillator column assembly positioned adjacent to the collimator assembly so that the respective ones of the scintillator crystal are positioned adjacent to respective ones of the collimator channels, the respective ones of the optical transparent element are positioned adjacent to respective ones of the collimator septum, and a first photosensor and a second photosensor, the first and the secondmore » photosensor each connected to an opposing end of the scintillator column assembly. A system and a method for inspecting and/or detecting defects in an interior of an object are also disclosed.« less

Design of optimal collimation for dedicated molecular breast imaging systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Weinmann, Amanda L.; Hruska, Carrie B.; O'Connor, Michael K.

2009-03-15

Molecular breast imaging (MBI) is a functional imaging technique that uses specialized small field-of-view gamma cameras to detect the preferential uptake of a radiotracer in breast lesions. MBI has potential to be a useful adjunct method to screening mammography for the detection of occult breast cancer. However, a current limitation of MBI is the high radiation dose (a factor of 7-10 times that of screening mammography) associated with current technology. The purpose of this study was to optimize the gamma camera collimation with the aim of improving sensitivity while retaining adequate resolution for the detection of sub-10-mm lesions. Square-hole collimatorsmore » with holes matched to the pixilated cadmium zinc telluride detector elements of the MBI system were designed. Data from MBI patient studies and parameters of existing dual-head MBI systems were used to guide the range of desired collimator resolutions, source-to-collimator distances, pixel sizes, and collimator materials that were examined. General equations describing collimator performance for a conventional gamma camera were used in the design process along with several important adjustments to account for the specialized imaging geometry of the MBI system. Both theoretical calculations and a Monte Carlo model were used to measure the geometric efficiency (or sensitivity) and resolution of each designed collimator. Results showed that through optimal collimation, collimator sensitivity could be improved by factors of 1.5-3.2, while maintaining a collimator resolution of either {<=}5 or {<=}7.5 mm at a distance of 3 cm from the collimator face. These gains in collimator sensitivity permit an inversely proportional drop in the required dose to perform MBI.« less

The Diagnostics of the External Plasma for the Plasma Rocket

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karr, Gerald R.

1997-01-01

Three regions of plasma temperature/energy are being investigated to understand fully the behavior of the plasma created by the propulsion device and the operation of the RPA. Each type of plasma has a RPA associated with it; i.e. a thermal RPA, a collimated RPA, and a high temperature RPA. Through the process of developing the thermal and collimated RPAs, the proper knowledge and experience has been gained to not only design a high temperature RPA for the plasma rocket, but to understand its operation, results, and uncertainty. After completing a literature search for, reading published papers on, and discussing the operation of the RPA with electric propulsion researchers, I applied the knowledge gained to the development of a RPA for thermal plasma. A design of a thermal RPA was made which compensates for a large Debye length and low ionized plasma. From this design a thermal RPA was constructed. It consists of an outer stainless steel casing, a phenolic insulator (outgases slightly), and stainless steel mesh for the voltage screens. From the experience and knowledge gained in the development of the thermal RPA, a RPA for collimated plasma was developed. A collimated RPA has been designed and constructed. It compensate for a smaller Debye length and much higher ionization than that existing in the thermal plasma. It is 17% of the size of the thermal RPA. A stainless steel casing shields the detector from impinging electrons and ions. An insulating material, epoxy resin, was utilized which has a negligible outgassing. This material can be molded in styrofoam and machined quite nicely. It is capable of withstanding moderately high temperatures. Attached to this resin insulator are inconel screens attached by silver plated copper wire to a voltage supply. All the work on the RPAs and thermal ion source, I performed in the University of Alabama in Huntsville's (UAH) engineering machine shop.

Effect of collimator angles on the dosimetric results of volumetric modulated arc therapy planning for patients with a locally-advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Yong Ho; Park, Dahl; Park, Ha Ryung; Kim, Won Taek; Kim, Dong Hyun; Bae, Jin Suk; Jeon, Gye Rok; Ro, Jung Hoon; Ki, Yongkan

2017-03-01

In volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) planning, usually the collimator is rotated to minimize interleaf leakage and the tongue-and-groove effect. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of collimator angle on the dosimetric results of VMAT plans for patients with a locally-advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC). VMAT treatment planning sets were generated using the same planning parameters, but with different collimator angles for 11 LA-NPC patients. Each set was composed of 10 plans with collimator angles at 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 35, 40, and 45 degrees. Dosimetric parameters, such as target coverage, organs at risk (OAR), and dose conformity, were analyzed at various collimator angles. With increasing collimator angles, the absorbed doses to the optic apparatus were increased by up to 35% comparing to that at a collimator angle of 0°. The best value of the conformity index (CI) was 0.971 ± 0.023 at collimator angles of 20° and 30°. The worst value of CI was 0.917 ± 0.051 at a collimator angle of 0°. The homogeneity index (HI)95 and HI98 had the best values of 0.106 ± 0.040 and 0.079 ± 0.031, respectively, at a collimator angle of 25°. The worst values of HI95 and HI98 were 0.136 ± 0.039 and 0.105 ± 0.032, respectively, at a collimator angle of of 0°. The maximum doses for some OARs (body, ear, parotid gland, mandible, and brainstem) and the HI did not show any statistically significant differences. However, the mean doses had positive correlations ( r = 0.449 0.773, p<0.001) with the irradiated volume. The CI had a weak positive correlation ( r = 0.316, p<0.001) with the irradiated volume. Other comparison parameters were evaluated as functions of the collimator angle. These findings will give useful information for choosing the collimator angle in VMAT plans for patients with a LA-NPC.

Baseline design of the filters for the LAD detector on board LOFT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barbera, M.; Winter, B.; Coker, J.; Feroci, M.; Kennedy, T.; Walton, D.; Zane, S.

2014-07-01

The Large Observatory for X-ray Timing (LOFT) was one of the M3 missions selected for the phase A study in the ESA's Cosmic Vision program. LOFT is designed to perform high-time-resolution X-ray observations of black holes and neutron stars. The main instrument on the LOFT payload is the Large Area Detector (LAD), a collimated experiment with a nominal effective area of ~10 m2 @ 8 keV, and a spectral resolution of ~240 eV in the energy band 2-30 keV. These performances are achieved covering a large collecting area with more than 2000 large-area Silicon Drift Detectors (SDDs) each one coupled to a collimator based on lead-glass micro-channel plates. In order to reduce the thermal load onto the detectors, which are open to Sky, and to protect them from out of band radiation, optical-thermal filter will be mounted in front of the SDDs. Different options have been considered for the LAD filters for best compromise between high quantum efficiency and high mechanical robustness. We present the baseline design of the optical-thermal filters, show the nominal performances, and present preliminary test results performed during the phase A study.

Comparative efficiency analysis of fiber-array and conventional beam director systems in volume turbulence.

PubMed

Vorontsov, Mikhail; Filimonov, Grigory; Ovchinnikov, Vladimir; Polnau, Ernst; Lachinova, Svetlana; Weyrauch, Thomas; Mangano, Joseph

2016-05-20

The performance of two prominent laser beam projection system types is analyzed through wave-optics numerical simulations for various atmospheric turbulence conditions, propagation distances, and adaptive optics (AO) mitigation techniques. Comparisons are made between different configurations of both a conventional beam director (BD) using a monolithic-optics-based Cassegrain telescope and a fiber-array BD that uses an array of densely packed fiber collimators. The BD systems considered have equal input power and aperture diameters. The projected laser beam power inside the Airy size disk at the target plane is used as the performance metric. For the fiber-array system, both incoherent and coherent beam combining regimes are considered. We also present preliminary results of side-by-side atmospheric beam projection experiments over a 7-km propagation path using both the AO-enhanced beam projection system with a Cassegrain telescope and the coherent fiber-array BD composed of 21 densely packed fiber collimators. Both wave-optics numerical simulation and experimental results demonstrate that, for similar system architectures and turbulence conditions, coherent fiber-array systems are more efficient in mitigation of atmospheric turbulence effects and generation of a hit spot of the smallest possible size on a remotely located target.

Induced radioactivity in the forward shielding and semiconductor tracker of the ATLAS detector.

PubMed

Bĕdajánek, I; Linhart, V; Stekl, I; Pospísil, S; Kolros, A; Kovalenko, V

2005-01-01

The radioactivity induced in the forward shielding, copper collimator and semiconductor tracker modules of the ATLAS detector has been studied. The ATLAS detector is a long-term experiment which, during operation, will require to have service and access to all of its parts and components. The radioactivity induced in the forward shielding was calculated by Monte Carlo methods based on GEANT3 software tool. The results show that the equivalent dose rates on the outer surface of the forward shielding are very low (at most 0.038 microSv h(-1)). On the other hand, the equivalent dose rates are significantly higher on the inner surface of the forward shielding (up to 661 microSv h(-1)) and, especially, at the copper collimator close to the beampipe (up to 60 mSv h(-1)). The radioactivity induced in the semiconductor tracker modules was studied experimentally. The module was activated by neutrons in a training nuclear reactor and the delayed gamma ray spectra were measured. From these measurements, the equivalent dose rate on the surface of the semiconductor tracker module was estimated to be < 100 microSv h(-1) after 100 d of Large Hadron Collider (LHC) operation and 10 d of cooling.

Carbon nanotube collimator fabrication and application

DOEpatents

Chow, Lee; Chai, Guangyu; Schenkel, Thomas

2010-07-06

Apparatus, methods, systems and devices for fabricating individual CNT collimators. Micron size fiber coated CNT samples are synthesized with chemical vapor deposition method and then the individual CNT collimators are fabricated with focused ion beam technique. Unfocused electron beams are successfully propagated through the CNT collimators. The CNT nano-collimators are used for applications including single ion implantation and in high-energy physics, and allow rapid, reliable testing of the transmission of CNT arrays for transport of molecules.

A collimator optimization method for quantitative imaging: application to Y-90 bremsstrahlung SPECT.

PubMed

Rong, Xing; Frey, Eric C

2013-08-01

Post-therapy quantitative 90Y bremsstrahlung single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) has shown great potential to provide reliable activity estimates, which are essential for dose verification. Typically 90Y imaging is performed with high- or medium-energy collimators. However, the energy spectrum of 90Y bremsstrahlung photons is substantially different than typical for these collimators. In addition, dosimetry requires quantitative images, and collimators are not typically optimized for such tasks. Optimizing a collimator for 90Y imaging is both novel and potentially important. Conventional optimization methods are not appropriate for 90Y bremsstrahlung photons, which have a continuous and broad energy distribution. In this work, the authors developed a parallel-hole collimator optimization method for quantitative tasks that is particularly applicable to radionuclides with complex emission energy spectra. The authors applied the proposed method to develop an optimal collimator for quantitative 90Y bremsstrahlung SPECT in the context of microsphere radioembolization. To account for the effects of the collimator on both the bias and the variance of the activity estimates, the authors used the root mean squared error (RMSE) of the volume of interest activity estimates as the figure of merit (FOM). In the FOM, the bias due to the null space of the image formation process was taken in account. The RMSE was weighted by the inverse mass to reflect the application to dosimetry; for a different application, more relevant weighting could easily be adopted. The authors proposed a parameterization for the collimator that facilitates the incorporation of the important factors (geometric sensitivity, geometric resolution, and septal penetration fraction) determining collimator performance, while keeping the number of free parameters describing the collimator small (i.e., two parameters). To make the optimization results for quantitative 90Y bremsstrahlung SPECT more general, the authors simulated multiple tumors of various sizes in the liver. The authors realistically simulated human anatomy using a digital phantom and the image formation process using a previously validated and computationally efficient method for modeling the image-degrading effects including object scatter, attenuation, and the full collimator-detector response (CDR). The scatter kernels and CDR function tables used in the modeling method were generated using a previously validated Monte Carlo simulation code. The hole length, hole diameter, and septal thickness of the obtained optimal collimator were 84, 3.5, and 1.4 mm, respectively. Compared to a commercial high-energy general-purpose collimator, the optimal collimator improved the resolution and FOM by 27% and 18%, respectively. The proposed collimator optimization method may be useful for improving quantitative SPECT imaging for radionuclides with complex energy spectra. The obtained optimal collimator provided a substantial improvement in quantitative performance for the microsphere radioembolization task considered.

The Mochi LabJet Experiment for Measurements of Canonical Helicity Injection in a Laboratory Astrophysical Jet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

You, Setthivoine; von der Linden, Jens; Sander Lavine, Eric; Carroll, Evan Grant; Card, Alexander; Quinley, Morgan; Azuara-Rosales, Manuel

2018-06-01

The Mochi device is a new pulsed power plasma experiment designed to produce long, collimated, stable, magnetized plasma jets when set up in the LabJet configuration. The LabJet configuration aims to simulate an astrophysical jet in the laboratory by mimicking an accretion disk threaded by a poloidal magnetic field with concentric planar electrodes in front of a solenoidal coil. The unique setup consists of three electrodes, each with azimuthally symmetric gas slits. Two of the electrodes are biased independently with respect to the third electrode to control the radial electric field profile across the poloidal bias magnetic field. This design approximates a shear azimuthal rotation profile in an accretion disk. The azimuthally symmetric gas slits provide a continuously symmetric mass source at the footpoint of the plasma jet, so any azimuthal rotation of the plasma jet is not hindered by a discrete number of gas holes. The initial set of diagnostics consists of current Rogowski coils, voltage probes, magnetic field probe arrays, an interferometer and ion Doppler spectroscopy, supplemented by a fast ion gauge and a retarding grid energy analyzer. The measured parameters of the first plasmas are ∼1022 m‑3, ∼0.4 T, and 5–25 eV, with velocities of ∼20–80 km s‑1. The combination of a controllable electric field profile, a flared poloidal magnetic field, and azimuthally symmetric mass sources in the experiment successfully produces short-lived (∼10 μs, ≳5 Alfvén times) collimated magnetic jets with a ∼10:1 aspect ratio and long-lived (∼100 μs, ≳40 Alfvén times) flow-stabilized, collimated, magnetic jets with a ∼30:1 aspect ratio.

SU-F-T-508: A Collimator-Based 3-Dimensional Grid Therapy Technique in a Small Animal Radiation Research Platform

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jin, J; Kong, V; Zhang, H

Purpose: Three dimensional (3D) Grid Therapy using MLC-based inverse-planning has been proposed to achieve the features of both conformal radiotherapy and spatially fractionated radiotherapy, which may deliver very high dose in a single fraction to portions of a large tumor with relatively low normal tissue dose. However, the technique requires relatively long delivery time. This study aims to develop a collimator-based 3D grid therapy technique. Here we report the development of the technique in a small animal radiation research platform. Methods: Similar as in the MLC-based technique, 9 non-coplanar beams in special channeling directions were used for the 3D gridmore » therapy technique. Two specially designed grid collimators were fabricated, and one of them was selectively used to match the corresponding gantry/couch angles so that the grid opening of all 9 beams are met in the 3D space in the target. A stack of EBT3 films were used as 3D dosimetry to demonstrate the 3D grid-like dose distribution in the target. Three 1-mm beams were delivered to the stack of films in the area outside the target for alignment when all the films were scanned to reconstruct the 3D dosimtric image. Results: 3D film dosimetry showed a lattice-like dose distribution in the 3D target as well as in the axial, sagittal and coronal planes. The dose outside the target also showed a grid like dose distribution, and the average dose gradually decreased with the distance to the target. The peak to valley ratio was approximately 5:1. The delivery time was 7 minutes for 18 Gy peak dose, comparing to 6 minutes to deliver a 18-Gy 3D conformal plan. Conclusion: We have demonstrated the feasibility of the collimator-based 3D grid therapy technique which can significantly reduce delivery time comparing to MLC-based inverse planning technique.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dhesi, S. S.; Cavill, S. A.; Potenza, A.

The Nanoscience beamline (I06) is one of seven Diamond Phase-I beamlines which has been operational since January 2007 delivering polarised soft x-rays, for a PhotoEmission Electron Microscope (PEEM) and branchline, in the energy range 80-2100 eV. The beamline is based on a collimated plane grating monochromator with sagittal focusing elements, utilising two APPLE II helical undulator sources, and has been designed for high flux density at the PEEM sample position. A {approx}5 {mu}m ({sigma}) diameter beam is focussed onto the sample in the PEEM allowing a range of experiments using x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) andmore » x-ray magnetic linear dichroism (XMLD) as contrast mechanisms. The beamline is also equipped with a branchline housing a 6T superconducting magnet for XMCD and XMLD experiments. The magnet is designed to move on and off the branchline which allows a diverse range of experiments.« less

[A review of progress of real-time tumor tracking radiotherapy technology based on dynamic multi-leaf collimator].

PubMed

Liu, Fubo; Li, Guangjun; Shen, Jiuling; Li, Ligin; Bai, Sen

2017-02-01

While radiation treatment to patients with tumors in thorax and abdomen is being performed, further improvement of radiation accuracy is restricted by the tumor intra-fractional motion due to respiration. Real-time tumor tracking radiation is an optimal solution to tumor intra-fractional motion. A review of the progress of real-time dynamic multi-leaf collimator(DMLC) tracking is provided in the present review, including DMLC tracking method, time lag of DMLC tracking system, and dosimetric verification.

Solar simulator for concentrator photovoltaic systems.

PubMed

Domínguez, César; Antón, Ignacio; Sala, Gabriel

2008-09-15

A solar simulator for measuring performance of large area concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) modules is presented. Its illumination system is based on a Xenon flash light and a large area collimator mirror, which simulates natural sun light. Quality requirements imposed by the CPV systems have been characterized: irradiance level and uniformity at the receiver, light collimation and spectral distribution. The simulator allows indoor fast and cost-effective performance characterization and classification of CPV systems at the production line as well as module rating carried out by laboratories.

Ultra-directional source of longitudinal acoustic waves based on a two-dimensional solid/solid phononic crystal

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Morvan, B.; Tinel, A.; Sainidou, R.

2014-12-07

Phononic crystals (PC) can be used to control the dispersion properties of acoustic waves, which are essential to direct their propagation. We use a PC-based two-dimensional solid/solid composite to demonstrate experimentally and theoretically the spatial filtering of a monochromatic non-directional wave source and its emission in a surrounding water medium as an ultra-directional beam with narrow angular distribution. The phenomenon relies on square-shaped equifrequency contours (EFC) enabling self-collimation of acoustic waves within the phononic crystal. Additionally, the angular width of collimated beams is controlled via the EFC size-shrinking when increasing frequency.

Normal values and standardization of parameters in nuclear cardiology: Japanese Society of Nuclear Medicine working group database.

PubMed

Nakajima, Kenichi; Matsumoto, Naoya; Kasai, Tokuo; Matsuo, Shinro; Kiso, Keisuke; Okuda, Koichi

2016-04-01

As a 2-year project of the Japanese Society of Nuclear Medicine working group activity, normal myocardial imaging databases were accumulated and summarized. Stress-rest with gated and non-gated image sets were accumulated for myocardial perfusion imaging and could be used for perfusion defect scoring and normal left ventricular (LV) function analysis. For single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with multi-focal collimator design, databases of supine and prone positions and computed tomography (CT)-based attenuation correction were created. The CT-based correction provided similar perfusion patterns between genders. In phase analysis of gated myocardial perfusion SPECT, a new approach for analyzing dyssynchrony, normal ranges of parameters for phase bandwidth, standard deviation and entropy were determined in four software programs. Although the results were not interchangeable, dependency on gender, ejection fraction and volumes were common characteristics of these parameters. Standardization of (123)I-MIBG sympathetic imaging was performed regarding heart-to-mediastinum ratio (HMR) using a calibration phantom method. The HMRs from any collimator types could be converted to the value with medium-energy comparable collimators. Appropriate quantification based on common normal databases and standard technology could play a pivotal role for clinical practice and researches.

Diffraction effects on angular response of X-ray collimators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blake, R. L.; Barrus, D. M.; Fenimore, E.

1976-01-01

Angular responses have been measured for X-ray collimators with half-widths ranging from minutes of arc down to 10 arcsec. In the seconds-of-arc range, diffraction peaks at off-axis angles can masquerade as side lobes of the collimator angular response. Measurements and qualitative physical arguments lead to a rule of thumb for collimator design; namely, the angle of first minimum in the Fraunhofer single-slit diffraction pattern should be less than one-fourth of the collimator geometrical full-width at half-maximum intensity.

Use of Apollo 17 Epoch Neutron Spectrum as a Benchmark in Testing LEND Collimated Sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chin, Gordon; Sagdeev, R.; Milikh, G.

2011-01-01

The Apollo 17 neutron experiment LPNE provided a unique set of data on production of neutrons in the Lunar soil bombarded by Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR). It serves as valuable "ground-truth" in the age of orbital remote sensing. We used the neutron data attributed to Apollo 17 epoch as a benchmark for testing the LEND's collimated sensor, as introduced by the geometry of collimator and efficiency of He3 counters. The latter is defined by the size of gas counter and pressure inside it. The intensity and energy spectrum of neutrons escaping the lunar surface are dependent on incident flux of Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR) whose variability is associated with Solar Cycle and its peculiarities. We obtain first the share of neutrons entering through the field of view of collimator as a fraction of the total neutron flux by using the angular distribution of neutron exiting the Moon described by our Monte Carlo code. We computed next the count rate of the 3He sensor by using the neutron energy spectrum from McKinney et al. [JGR, 2006] and by consider geometry and gas pressure of the LEND sensor. Finally the neutron count rate obtained for the Apollo 17 epoch characterized by intermediate solar activity was adjusted to the LRO epoch characterized by low solar activity. It has been done by taking into account solar modulation potential, which affects the GCR flux, and in turn changes the neutron albedo flux.

Study on Dynamic Alignment Technology of COIL Resonator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, M. D.; Zou, X. J.; Guo, J. H.; Jia, S. N.; Zhang2, Z. B.

2006-10-01

The performance of great power chemical oxygen-iodine laser (COIL) beam is decided mostly by resonator mirror maladjustment and environment vibration. To improve the performance of light beam, an auto-alignment device is used in COIL resonator, the device can keep COIL resonator collimating by adjusting the optical components of resonator. So the coupling model of COIL resonator is present. The multivariable self study fuzzy uncoupling arithmetic and six-dimensional micro drive technology are used to design a six-input-three-output uncoupling controller, resulting in the realization of the high precision dynamic alignment. The experiments indicate that the collimating range of this system is 8 mrad, precision is 5 urad and frequency response is 20Hz, which meet the demand of resonator alignment system.

Muon spin rotation studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

The bulk of the muon spin rotation research work centered around the development of the muon spin rotation facility at the Alternating Gradient Synchrotron (AGS) of Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). The collimation system was both designed and fabricated at Virginia State University. This improved collimation system, plus improvements in detectors and electronics enabled the acquisition of spectra free of background out to 15 microseconds. There were two runs at Brookhaven in 1984, one run was devoted primarily to beam development and the other run allowed several successful experiments to be performed. The effect of uniaxial strain on an Fe(Si) crystal at elevated temperature (360K) was measured and the results are incorporated herein. A complete analysis of Fe pulling data taken earlier is included.

A survey of hard X-ray imaging concepts currently proposed for viewing solar flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, Jonathan W.; Davis, John M.; Emslie, A. G.

1991-01-01

Several approaches to imaging hard X-rays emitted from solar flares have been proposed. These include the fixed modulation collimator, the rotating modulation collimator, the spiral fresnel zone pattern, and the redundantly coded aperture. These techniques are under consideration for use in the Solar Maximum '91 balloon program, the Japanese Solar-A satellite, the Controls, Astrophysics, and Structures Experiment in Space, and the Pinhole/Occulter Facility and are outlined and discussed in the context of preliminary results from numerical modeling and the requirements derived from current ideas as to the expected hard X-ray structures in the impulsive phase of solar flares. Preliminary indications are that all of the approaches are promising, but each has its own unique set of limitations.

The optical design and simulation of the collimated solar simulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jun; Ma, Tao

2018-01-01

The solar simulator is a lighting device that can simulate the solar radiation. It has been widely used in the testing of solar cells, satellite space environment simulation and ground experiment, test and calibration precision of solar sensor. The solar simulator mainly consisted of short—arc xenon lamp, ellipsoidal reflectors, a group of optical integrator, field stop, aspheric folding mirror and collimating reflector. In this paper, the solar simulator's optical system basic size are given by calculation. Then the system is optically modeled with the Lighttools software, and the simulation analysis on solar simulator using the Monte Carlo ray -tracing technique is conducted. Finally, the simulation results are given quantitatively by diagrammatic form. The rationality of the design is verified on the basis of theory.

Adaptive fiber optics collimator based on flexible hinges.

PubMed

Zhi, Dong; Ma, Yanxing; Ma, Pengfei; Si, Lei; Wang, Xiaolin; Zhou, Pu

2014-08-20

In this manuscript, we present a new design for an adaptive fiber optics collimator (AFOC) based on flexible hinges by using piezoelectric stacks actuators for X-Y displacement. Different from traditional AFOC, the new structure is based on flexible hinges to drive the fiber end cap instead of naked fiber. We fabricated a real AFOC based on flexible hinges, and the end cap's deviation and resonance frequency of the device were measured. Experimental results show that this new AFOC can provide fast control of tip-tilt deviation of the laser beam emitting from the end cap. As a result, the fiber end cap can support much higher power than naked fiber, which makes the new structure ideal for tip-tilt controlling in a high-power fiber laser system.

Evaluation of an adaptive detector collimation for prospectively ECG-triggered coronary CT angiography with third-generation dual-source CT.

PubMed

Messerli, Michael; Dewes, Patricia; Scholtz, Jan-Erik; Arendt, Christophe; Wildermuth, Simon; Vogl, Thomas J; Bauer, Ralf W

2018-05-01

To investigate the impact of an adaptive detector collimation on the dose parameters and accurateness of scan length adaption at prospectively ECG-triggered sequential cardiac CT with a wide-detector third-generation dual-source CT. Ideal scan lengths for human hearts were retrospectively derived from 103 triple-rule-out examinations. These measures were entered into the new scanner operated in prospectively ECG-triggered sequential cardiac scan mode with three different detector settings: (1) adaptive collimation, (2) fixed 64 × 0.6-mm collimation, and (3) fixed 96 × 0.6-mm collimation. Differences in effective scan length and deviation from the ideal scan length and dose parameters (CTDIvol, DLP) were documented. The ideal cardiac scan length could be matched by the adaptive collimation in every case while the mean scanned length was longer by 15.4% with the 64 × 0.6 mm and by 27.2% with the fixed 96 × 0.6-mm collimation. While the DLP was almost identical between the adaptive and the 64 × 0.6-mm collimation (83 vs. 89 mGycm at 120 kV), it was 62.7% higher with the 96 × 0.6-mm collimation (135 mGycm), p < 0.001. The adaptive detector collimation for prospectively ECG-triggered sequential acquisition allows for adjusting the scan length as accurate as this can only be achieved with a spiral acquisition. This technique allows keeping patient exposure low where patient dose would significantly increase with the traditional step-and-shoot mode. • Adaptive detector collimation allows keeping patient exposure low in cardiac CT. • With novel detectors the desired scan length can be accurately matched. • Differences in detector settings may cause 62.7% of excessive dose.

A Monte Carlo study on the performance evaluation of a parallel hole collimator for a HiReSPECT: A dedicated small-animal SPECT.

PubMed

Abbaspour, Samira; Tanha, Kaveh; Mahmoudian, Babak; Assadi, Majid; Pirayesh Islamian, Jalil

2018-04-22

Collimator geometry has an important contribution on the image quality in SPECT imaging. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of parallel hole collimator hole-size on the functional parameters (including the spatial resolution and sensitivity) and the image quality of a HiReSPECT imaging system using SIMIND Monte Carlo program. To find a proper trade-off between the sensitivity and spatial resolution, the collimator with hole diameter ranges of 0.3-1.5 mm (in steps of 0.3 mm) were used with a fixed septal and hole thickness values (0.2 mm and 34 mm, respectively). Lead, Gold, and Tungsten as the LEHR collimator material were also investigated. The results on a 99m Tc point source scanning with the experimental and also simulated systems were matched to validate the simulated imaging system. The results on the simulation showed that decreasing the collimator hole size, especially in the Gold collimator, improved the spatial resolution to 18% and 3.2% compared to the Lead and the Tungsten, respectively. Meanwhile, the Lead collimator provided a good sensitivity in about of 7% and 8% better than that of Tungsten and Gold, respectively. Overall, the spatial resolution and sensitivity showed small differences among the three types of collimator materials assayed within the defined energy. By increasing the hole size, the Gold collimator produced lower scatter and penetration fractions than Tungsten and Lead collimator. The minimum detectable size of hot rods in micro-Jaszczak phantom on the iterative maximum-likelihood expectation maximization (MLEM) reconstructed images, were determined in the sectors of 1.6, 1.8, 2.0, 2.4 and 2.6 mm for scanning with the collimators in hole sizes of 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, 1.2 and 1.5 mm at a 5 cm distance from the phantom. The Gold collimator with hole size of 0.3 mm provided a better image quality with the HiReSPECT imaging. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Introduction of a novel ultrahigh sensitivity collimator for brain SPECT imaging

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Park, Mi-Ae, E-mail: miaepark@bwh.harvard.edu; Kij

Purpose: Noise levels of brain SPECT images are highest in central regions, due to preferential attenuation of photons emitted from deep structures. To address this problem, the authors have designed a novel collimator for brain SPECT imaging that yields greatly increased sensitivity near the center of the brain without loss of resolution. This hybrid collimator consisted of ultrashort cone-beam holes in the central regions and slant-holes in the periphery (USCB). We evaluated this collimator for quantitative brain imaging tasks. Methods: Owing to the uniqueness of the USCB collimation, the hole pattern required substantial variations in collimator parameters. To utilize themore » lead-casting technique, the authors designed two supporting plates to position about 37 000 hexagonal, slightly tapered pins. The holes in the supporting plates were modeled to yield the desired focal length, hole length, and septal thickness. To determine the properties of the manufactured collimator and to compute the system matrix, the authors prepared an array of point sources that covered the entire detector area. Each point source contained 32 μCi of Tc-99m at the first scan time. The array was imaged for 5 min at each of the 64 shifted locations to yield a 2-mm sampling distance, and hole parameters were calculated. The sensitivity was also measured using a point source placed along the central ray at several distances from the collimator face. High-count projection data from a five-compartment brain phantom were acquired with the three collimators on a dual-head SPECT/CT system. The authors calculated Cramer-Rao bounds on the precision of estimates of striatal and background activity concentration. In order to assess the new collimation system to detect changes in striatal activity, the authors evaluated the precision of measuring a 5% decrease in right putamen activity. The authors also reconstructed images of projection data obtained by summing data from the individual phantom compartments. Results: The sensitivity of the novel cone-beam collimator varied with distance from the detector face; it was higher than that of the fan-beam collimator by factors ranging from 2.7 to 162. Examination of the projections of the point sources revealed that only a few holes were distorted or partially blocked, indicating that the intensive manual fabrication process was very successful. Better reconstructed phantom images were obtained from the USCB+FAN collimator pair than from either LEHR or FAN collimation. For the left caudate, located near the center of the brain, the detected counts were 9.8 (8.3) times higher for UCSB compared with LEHR (FAN), averaged over 60 views. The task-specific SNR for detecting a 5% decrease in putamen uptake was 7.4 for USCB and 3.2 for LEHR. Conclusions: The authors have designed and manufactured a novel collimator for brain SPECT imaging. The sensitivity is much higher than that of a fan-beam collimator. Because of differences between the manufactured collimator and its design, reconstruction of the data requires a measured system matrix. The authors have demonstrated the potential of USCB collimation for improved precision in estimating striatal uptake. The novel collimator may be useful for early detection of Parkinson’s disease, and for monitoring therapy response and disease progression.« less

Overview of Hall D Complex

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chudakov, Eugene A.

Hall D is a new experimental hall at Jefferson Lab, designed for experiments with a photon beam. The primary motivation for Hall D is the GlueX experiment [1,2], dedicated to meson spectroscopy. The Hall D complex consists of: An electron beam line used to extract the 5.5-pass electrons from the accelerator into the Tagger Hall. The designed beam energy is E e = 12 GeV;The Tagger Hall, where the electron beam passes through a thin radiator (~0.01% R.L.) and is deflected into the beam dump. The electrons that lost >30% of their energy in the radiator are detected with scintillatormore » hodoscopes providing a ~0.1% energy resolution for the tagged photons. Aligned diamond radiators allow to produce linearly polarized photons via the Coherent Bremsstrahlung. The beam dump is limited to 60 kW (5 µA at 12 GeV); The Collimator Cave contains a collimator for the photon beam and dipole magnets downstream in order to remove charged particles. The 3.4 mm diameter collimator, located about 75 m downstream of the radiator, selects the central cone of the photon beam increasing its average linear polarization, up to ~40%in the coherent peak at 9 GeV; Hall D contains several elements of the photon beam line, and themain spectrometer. A Pair Spectrometer consists of a thin converter, a dipole magnet, and a two-arm detector used to measure the energy spectrum of the photon beam. The main spectrometer is based on a 2-T superconducting solenoid, 4 m long and 1.85 m bore diameter. The liquid hydrogen target is located in the front part the solenoid. The charged tracks are detected with a set of drift chambers; photons are detected with two electromagnetic calorimeters. There are also scintillator hodoscopes for triggering and time-of-flight measurements. The spectrometer is nearly hermetic in an angular range of 1° < θ < 120 •. The momentum resolution is σ p /p ~ 1 ₋ ₋3% depending on the polar angle θ. The energy resolution of the electromagnetic calorimeters is about 7% at 1 GeV.« less

Microbial UV fluence-response assessment using a novel UV-LED collimated beam system.

PubMed

Bowker, Colleen; Sain, Amanda; Shatalov, Max; Ducoste, Joel

2011-02-01

A research study has been performed to determine the ultraviolet (UV) fluence-response of several target non-pathogenic microorganisms to UV light emitting diodes (UV-LEDs) by performing collimated beam tests. UV-LEDs do not contain toxic mercury, offer design flexibility due to their small size, and have a longer operational life than mercury lamps. Comsol Multiphysics was utilized to create an optimal UV-LED collimated beam design based on number and spacing of UV-LEDs and distance of the sample from the light source while minimizing the overall cost. The optimized UV-LED collimated beam apparatus and a low-pressure mercury lamp collimated beam apparatus were used to determine the UV fluence-response of three surrogate microorganisms (Escherichia coli, MS-2, T7) to 255 nm UV-LEDs, 275 nm UV-LEDs, and 254 nm low-pressure mercury lamps. Irradiation by low-pressure mercury lamps produced greater E. coli and MS-2 inactivation than 255 nm and 275 nm UV-LEDs and similar T7 inactivation to irradiation by 275 nm UV-LEDs. The 275 nm UV-LEDs produced more efficient T7 and E. coli inactivation than 255 nm UV-LEDs while both 255 nm and 275 nm UV-LEDs produced comparable microbial inactivation for MS-2. Differences may have been caused by a departure from the time-dose reciprocity law due to microbial repair mechanisms. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Two normal incidence collimators designed for the calibration of the extreme ultraviolet explorer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jelinsky, Sharon R.; Welsh, Barry; Jelinsky, Patrick; Spiller, Eberhard

1988-01-01

Two Dall-Kirkham, normal incidence collimators have been designed to calibrate the imaging properties of the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer over the wavelength region from 114 to 2000 A. The mirrors of the short-wavelength, 25-cm diameter collimator are superpolished Zerodur which have been multilayer coated for optimal reflectivity at 114 A. The mirrors of the long-wavelength, 41.25-cm diameter collimator are gold coated Zerodur for high reflectance above 300 A. The design, performance, and future use of these collimators in the extreme ultra-violet is discussed.

Ion beam collimating grid to reduce added defects

DOEpatents

Lindquist, Walter B.; Kearney, Patrick A.

2003-01-01

A collimating grid for an ion source located after the exit grid. The collimating grid collimates the ion beamlets and disallows beam spread and limits the beam divergence during transients and steady state operation. The additional exit or collimating grid prevents beam divergence during turn-on and turn-off and prevents ions from hitting the periphery of the target where there is re-deposited material or from missing the target and hitting the wall of the vessel where there is deposited material, thereby preventing defects from being deposited on a substrate to be coated. Thus, the addition of a collimating grid to an ion source ensures that the ion beam will hit and be confined to a specific target area.

Note: Detector collimators for the nanoscale ordered materials diffractometer instrument at the Spallation Neutron Source

DOE PAGES

Tamalonis, A.; Weber, J. K. R.; Neuefeind, J. C.; ...

2015-09-09

We constructed and tested five neutron collimator designs using the nanoscale ordered materials diffractometer (NOMAD) instrument. Collimators were made from High Density PolyEthylene (HDPE) or 5% borated HDPE. In all cases, collimators improved the signal to background ratio and reduced detection of secondary scattering. Moreover, in the Q-range 10-20 Å -1, signal to background ratio improved by factors of approximately 1.6 and 2.0 for 50 and 100 mm deep collimators, respectively. In the Q-range 40-50 Å -1, the improvement factors were 1.8 and 2.7. Secondary scattering as measured at Q similar to 9.5 Å -1 was significantly decreased when themore » collimators were installed.« less

SU-E-T-275: Dose Verification in a Small Animal Image-Guided Radiation Therapy X-Ray Machine: A Dose Comparison between TG-61 Based Look-Up Table and MOSFET Method for Various Collimator Sizes.

PubMed

Rodrigues, A; Nguyen, G; Li, Y; Roy Choudhury, K; Kirsch, D; Das, S; Yoshizumi, T

2012-06-01

To verify the accuracy of TG-61 based dosimetry with MOSFET technology using a tissue-equivalent mouse phantom. Accuracy of mouse dose between a TG-61 based look-up table was verified with MOSFET technology. The look-up table followed a TG-61 based commissioning and used a solid water block and radiochromic film. A tissue-equivalent mouse phantom (2 cm diameter, 8 cm length) was used for the MOSFET method. Detectors were placed in the phantom at the head and center of the body. MOSFETs were calibrated in air with an ion chamber and f-factor was applied to derive the dose to tissue. In CBCT mode, the phantom was positioned such that the system isocenter coincided with the center of the MOSFET with the active volume perpendicular to the beam. The absorbed dose was measured three times for seven different collimators, respectively. The exposure parameters were 225 kVp, 13 mA, and an exposure time of 20 s. For a 10 mm, 15 mm, and 20 mm circular collimator, the dose measured by the phantom was 4.3%, 2.7%, and 6% lower than TG-61 based measurements, respectively. For a 10 × 10 mm, 20 × 20 mm, and 40 × 40 mm collimator, the dose difference was 4.7%, 7.7%, and 2.9%, respectively. The MOSFET data was systematically lower than the commissioning data. The dose difference is due to the increased scatter radiation in the solid water block versus the dimension of the mouse phantom leading to an overestimation of the actual dose in the solid water block. The MOSFET method with the use of a tissue- equivalent mouse phantom provides less labor intensive geometry-specific dosimetry and accuracy with better dose tolerances of up to ± 2.7%. © 2012 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Two self-referencing methods for the measurement of beam spot position.

PubMed

Nyiri, Balazs J; Smale, Jason R; Gerig, Lee H

2012-12-01

Two quantitative methods of measuring electron beam spot position with respect to the collimator axis of rotation (CAOR) are described. Method 1 uses a cylindrical ion chamber (IC) mounted on a jig corotational with the collimator making the relationship among the chamber, jaws, and CAOR fixed and independent of collimator angle. A jaw parallel to the IC axis is set to zero and the IC position adjusted so that the IC signal is approximately 50% of the open field value, providing a large dose gradient in the region of the IC. The cGy∕MU value is measured as a function of collimator rotation, e.g., every 30°. If the beam spot does not lie on the CAOR, the signal from the ion chamber will vary with collimator rotation. Based on a measured spatial sensitivity, the distance of the beam spot from the CAOR can be calculated from the IC signal variation with rotation. The 2nd method is image based. Two stainless steel rods, 3 mm in diameter, are mounted to a jig attached to the Linac collimator. The rods, offset from the CAOR, lay in different planes normal to the CAOR, one at 158 cm SSD and the other at 70 cm SSD. As the collimator rotates the rods move tangent along an envelope circle, the centers of which are on the CAOR in their respective planes. Three images, each at a different collimator rotation, containing the shadows of both rods, are acquired on the Linac EPID. At each angle the shadow of the rods on the EPID defines lines tangent to the projection of the envelope circles. From these the authors determine the projected centers of the two circles at different heights. From the distance of these two points using the two heights and the source to EPID distance, the authors calculate the distance of the beam spot from the CAOR. Measurements with all two techniques were performed on an Elekta Linac. Measurements were performed with the beam spot in nominal clinical position and in a deliberately offset position. Measurements were also performed using the Flexmap image registration∕ball-bearing test. Within their uncertainties, both methods report the same beam spot displacement. In clinical use, a total of 203 monthly beam spot measurements on 14 different beams showed an average displacement of 0.11 mm (σ = 0.07 mm) in-plane and 0.10 mm (σ = 0.07 mm) cross-plane with maximum displacement of 0.37 mm in-plane and 0.34 mm cross-plane. The methods described provide a quantitative measure of beam spot position, are easy to use, and provide another tool for Linac setup and quality assurance. Fundamental to the techniques is that they are self-referencing-i.e., they do not require the user to independently define the CAOR.

Two self-referencing methods for the measurement of beam spot position

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nyiri, Balazs J.; Smale, Jason R.; Gerig, Lee H.

2012-12-15

Purpose: Two quantitative methods of measuring electron beam spot position with respect to the collimator axis of rotation (CAOR) are described. Methods: Method 1 uses a cylindrical ion chamber (IC) mounted on a jig corotational with the collimator making the relationship among the chamber, jaws, and CAOR fixed and independent of collimator angle. A jaw parallel to the IC axis is set to zero and the IC position adjusted so that the IC signal is approximately 50% of the open field value, providing a large dose gradient in the region of the IC. The cGy/MU value is measured as amore » function of collimator rotation, e.g., every 30 Degree-Sign . If the beam spot does not lie on the CAOR, the signal from the ion chamber will vary with collimator rotation. Based on a measured spatial sensitivity, the distance of the beam spot from the CAOR can be calculated from the IC signal variation with rotation. The 2nd method is image based. Two stainless steel rods, 3 mm in diameter, are mounted to a jig attached to the Linac collimator. The rods, offset from the CAOR, lay in different planes normal to the CAOR, one at 158 cm SSD and the other at 70 cm SSD. As the collimator rotates the rods move tangent along an envelope circle, the centers of which are on the CAOR in their respective planes. Three images, each at a different collimator rotation, containing the shadows of both rods, are acquired on the Linac EPID. At each angle the shadow of the rods on the EPID defines lines tangent to the projection of the envelope circles. From these the authors determine the projected centers of the two circles at different heights. From the distance of these two points using the two heights and the source to EPID distance, the authors calculate the distance of the beam spot from the CAOR. Measurements with all two techniques were performed on an Elekta Linac. Measurements were performed with the beam spot in nominal clinical position and in a deliberately offset position. Measurements were also performed using the Flexmap image registration/ball-bearing test. Results: Within their uncertainties, both methods report the same beam spot displacement. In clinical use, a total of 203 monthly beam spot measurements on 14 different beams showed an average displacement of 0.11 mm ({sigma}= 0.07 mm) in-plane and 0.10 mm ({sigma}= 0.07 mm) cross-plane with maximum displacement of 0.37 mm in-plane and 0.34 mm cross-plane. Conclusions: The methods described provide a quantitative measure of beam spot position, are easy to use, and provide another tool for Linac setup and quality assurance. Fundamental to the techniques is that they are self-referencing-i.e., they do not require the user to independently define the CAOR.« less

Efficient dielectric metasurface collimating lenses for mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers.

PubMed

Arbabi, Amir; Briggs, Ryan M; Horie, Yu; Bagheri, Mahmood; Faraon, Andrei

2015-12-28

Light emitted from single-mode semiconductor lasers generally has large divergence angles, and high numerical aperture lenses are required for beam collimation. Visible and near infrared lasers are collimated using aspheric glass or plastic lenses, yet collimation of mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers typically requires more costly aspheric lenses made of germanium, chalcogenide compounds, or other infrared-transparent materials. Here we report mid-infrared dielectric metasurface flat lenses that efficiently collimate the output beam of single-mode quantum cascade lasers. The metasurface lenses are composed of amorphous silicon posts on a flat sapphire substrate and can be fabricated at low cost using a single step conventional UV binary lithography. Mid-infrared radiation from a 4.8 μm distributed-feedback quantum cascade laser is collimated using a polarization insensitive metasurface lens with 0.86 numerical aperture and 79% transmission efficiency. The collimated beam has a half divergence angle of 0.36° and beam quality factor of M2=1.02.

Mini-beam collimator applications at the Advanced Photon Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Shenglan; Keefe, Lisa J.; Mulichak, Anne; Yan, Lifen; Alp, Ercan E.; Zhao, Jiyong; Fischetti, Robert F.

2011-09-01

In 2007, the General Medicine and Cancer Institutes Collaborative Access Team (GM/CA CAT, Sector 23, Advanced Photon Source) began providing mini-beam collimators to its users. These collimators contained individual, 5- or 10-μm pinholes and were rapidly exchangeable, thereby allowing users to tailor the beam size to their experimental needs. The use of these collimators provided a reduction in background noise, and thus improved the signal-to-noise ratio [1,2]. Recent improvements in the collimator design include construction of the device from a monolithic piece of molybdenum with multiple pinholes mounted inside [3]. This allows users to select from various size options from within the beamline control software without the realignment that was previously necessary. In addition, a new, 20-μm pinhole has been added to create a "quad-collimator", resulting in greater flexibility for the users. The mini-beam collimator is now available at multiple crystallographic beamlines and also is a part of the first Mössbauer Microscopic system at sector 3-ID.

Final implementation, commissioning, and performance of embedded collimator beam position monitors in the Large Hadron Collider

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valentino, Gianluca; Baud, Guillaume; Bruce, Roderik; Gasior, Marek; Mereghetti, Alessio; Mirarchi, Daniele; Olexa, Jakub; Redaelli, Stefano; Salvachua, Belen; Valloni, Alessandra; Wenninger, Jorg

2017-08-01

During Long Shutdown 1, 18 Large Hadron Collider (LHC) collimators were replaced with a new design, in which beam position monitor (BPM) pick-up buttons are embedded in the collimator jaws. The BPMs provide a direct measurement of the beam orbit at the collimators, and therefore can be used to align the collimators more quickly than using the standard technique which relies on feedback from beam losses. Online orbit measurements also allow for reducing operational margins in the collimation hierarchy placed specifically to cater for unknown orbit drifts, therefore decreasing the β* and increasing the luminosity reach of the LHC. In this paper, the results from the commissioning of the embedded BPMs in the LHC are presented. The data acquisition and control software architectures are reviewed. A comparison with the standard alignment technique is provided, together with a fill-to-fill analysis of the measured orbit in different machine modes, which will also be used to determine suitable beam interlocks for a tighter collimation hierarchy.

Efficient dielectric metasurface collimating lenses for mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers

DOE PAGES

Arbabi, Amir; Briggs, Ryan M.; Horie, Yu; ...

2015-01-01

Light emitted from single-mode semiconductor lasers generally has large divergence angles, and high numerical aperture lenses are required for beam collimation. Visible and near infrared lasers are collimated using aspheric glass or plastic lenses, yet collimation of mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers typically requires more costly aspheric lenses made of germanium, chalcogenide compounds, or other infrared-transparent materials. We report mid-infrared dielectric metasurface flat lenses that efficiently collimate the output beam of single-mode quantum cascade lasers. The metasurface lenses are composed of amorphous silicon posts on a flat sapphire substrate and can be fabricated at low cost using a single step conventionalmore » UV binary lithography. Mid-infrared radiation from a 4.8 μm distributed-feedback quantum cascade laser is collimated using a polarization insensitive metasurface lens with 0.86 numerical aperture and 79% transmission efficiency. The collimated beam has a half divergence angle of 0.36° and beam quality factor of M² =1.02.« less

Six-axis multi-anvil press for high-pressure, high-temperature neutron diffraction experiments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sano-Furukawa, A., E-mail: sano.asami@jaea.go.jp; Hattori, T.; J-PARC Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Ibaraki 319-1195

2014-11-15

We developed a six-axis multi-anvil press, ATSUHIME, for high-pressure and high-temperature in situ time-of-flight neutron powder diffraction experiments. The press has six orthogonally oriented hydraulic rams that operate individually to compress a cubic sample assembly. Experiments indicate that the press can generate pressures up to 9.3 GPa and temperatures up to 2000 K using a 6-6-type cell assembly, with available sample volume of about 50 mm{sup 3}. Using a 6-8-type cell assembly, the available conditions expand to 16 GPa and 1273 K. Because the six-axis press has no guide blocks, there is sufficient space around the sample to use themore » aperture for diffraction and place an incident slit, radial collimators, and a neutron imaging camera close to the sample. Combination of the six-axis press and the collimation devices realized high-quality diffraction pattern with no contamination from the heater or the sample container surrounding the sample. This press constitutes a new tool for using neutron diffraction to study the structures of crystals and liquids under high pressures and temperatures.« less

Metamaterial-based lossy anisotropic epsilon-near-zero medium for energy collimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Nian-Hai; Zhang, Peng; Koschny, Thomas; Soukoulis, Costas M.

2016-06-01

A lossy anisotropic epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) medium may lead to a counterintuitive phenomenon of omnidirectional bending-to-normal refraction [S. Feng, Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 193904 (2012), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.193904], which offers a fabulous strategy for energy collimation and energy harvesting. Here, in the scope of effective medium theory, we systematically investigate two simple metamaterial configurations, i.e., metal-dielectric-layered structures and the wire medium, to explore the possibility of fulfilling the conditions of such an anisotropic lossy ENZ medium by playing with materials' parameters. Both realistic metamaterial structures and their effective medium equivalences have been numerically simulated, and the results are in excellent agreement with each other. Our study provides clear guidance and therefore paves the way towards the search for proper designs of anisotropic metamaterials for a decent effect of energy collimation and wave-front manipulation.

Device and method for generating a beam of acoustic energy from a borehole, and applications thereof

DOEpatents

Vu, Cung Khac; Sinha, Dipen N; Pantea, Cristian; Nihei, Kurt T; Schmitt, Denis P; Skelt, Christopher

2013-10-01

In some aspects of the invention, a method of generating a beam of acoustic energy in a borehole is disclosed. The method includes generating a first acoustic wave at a first frequency; generating a second acoustic wave at a second frequency different than the first frequency, wherein the first acoustic wave and second acoustic wave are generated by at least one transducer carried by a tool located within the borehole; transmitting the first and the second acoustic waves into an acoustically non-linear medium, wherein the composition of the non-linear medium produces a collimated beam by a non-linear mixing of the first and second acoustic waves, wherein the collimated beam has a frequency based upon a difference between the first frequency and the second frequency; and transmitting the collimated beam through a diverging acoustic lens to compensate for a refractive effect caused by the curvature of the borehole.

Computerized optimization of multiple isocentres in stereotactic convergent beam irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Treuer, U.; Treuer, H.; Hoevels, M.; Müller, R. P.; Sturm, V.

1998-01-01

A method for the fully computerized determination and optimization of positions of target points and collimator sizes in convergent beam irradiation is presented. In conventional interactive trial and error methods, which are very time consuming, the treatment parameters are chosen according to the operator's experience and improved successively. This time is reduced significantly by the use of a computerized procedure. After the definition of target volume and organs at risk in the CT or MR scans, an initial configuration is created automatically. In the next step the target point positions and collimator diameters are optimized by the program. The aim of the optimization is to find a configuration for which a prescribed dose at the target surface is approximated as close as possible. At the same time dose peaks inside the target volume are minimized and organs at risk and tissue surrounding the target are spared. To enhance the speed of the optimization a fast method for approximate dose calculation in convergent beam irradiation is used. A possible application of the method for calculating the leaf positions when irradiating with a micromultileaf collimator is briefly discussed. The success of the procedure has been demonstrated for several clinical cases with up to six target points.

High-Sensitivity Microwave Optics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nunn, W. M., Jr.

1981-01-01

Describes a 3.33-cm wavelength (9 GHz) microwave system that achieves a high overall signal sensitivity and a well-collimated beam with moderate-size equipment. The system has been used to develop microwave versions of the Michelson interferometer, Bragg reflector, Brewster's law and total internal reflection, and Young's interference experiment.…

Demonstration of Laser Plasma X-Ray Source with X-Ray Collimator Final Report CRADA No. TC-1564-99

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lane, S. M.; Forber, R. A.

2017-09-28

This collaborative effort between the University of California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and JMAR Research, Inc. (JRI), was to demonstrate that LLNL x-ray collimators can effectively increase the wafer throughput of JRI's laser based x-ray lithography systems. The technical objectives were expected to be achieved by completion of the following tasks, which are separated into two task lists by funding source. The organization (LLNL or JMAR) having primary responsibility is given parenthetically for each task.

Self-Induced Backaction Optical Pulling Force

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Tongtong; Cao, Yongyin; Wang, Lin; Nie, Zhongquan; Cao, Tun; Sun, Fangkui; Jiang, Zehui; Nieto-Vesperinas, Manuel; Liu, Yongmin; Qiu, Cheng-Wei; Ding, Weiqiang

2018-03-01

We achieve long-range and continuous optical pulling in a periodic photonic crystal background, which supports a unique Bloch mode with the self-collimation effect. Most interestingly, the pulling force reported here is mainly contributed by the intensity gradient force originating from the self-induced backaction of the object to the self-collimation mode. This force is sharply distinguished from the widely held conception of optical tractor beams based on the scattering force. Also, this pulling force is insensitive to the angle of incidence and can pull multiple objects simultaneously.

The value of thyroid shielding in intraoral radiography

PubMed Central

Hazenoot, Bart; Sanderink, Gerard C H; Berkhout, W Erwin R

2016-01-01

Objectives: To evaluate the utility of the application of a thyroid shield in intraoral radiography when using rectangular collimation. Methods: Experimental data were obtained by measuring the absorbed dose at the position of the thyroid gland in a RANDO® (The Phantom Laboratory, Salem, NY) male phantom with a dosemeter. Four protocols were tested: round collimation and rectangular collimation, both with and without thyroid shield. Five exposure positions were deployed: upper incisor (Isup), upper canine (Csup), upper premolar (Psup), upper molar (Msup) and posterior bitewing (BW). Exposures were made with 70 kV and 7 mA and were repeated 10 times. The exposure times were as recommended for the exposure positions for the respective collimator type by the manufacturer for digital imaging. The data were statistically analyzed with a three-way ANOVA test. Significance was set at p < 0.01. Results: The ANOVA test revealed that the differences between mean doses of all protocols and geometries were statistically significant, p < 0.001. For the Isup, thyroid dose levels were comparable with both collimators at a level indicating primary beam exposure. Thyroid shield reduced this dose with circa 75%. For the Csup position, round collimation also revealed primary beam exposure, and thyroid shield yield was 70%. In Csup with rectangular collimation, the thyroid dose was reduced with a factor 4 compared with round collimation and thyroid shield yielded an additional 42% dose reduction. The thyroid dose levels for the Csup, Psup, Msup and BW exposures were lower with rectangular collimation without thyroid shield than with round collimation with thyroid shield. With rectangular collimation, the thyroid shield in Psup, Msup and BW reduced the dose 10% or less, where dose levels were already low, implying no clinical significance. Conclusions: For the exposures in the upper anterior region, thyroid shield results in an important dose reduction for the thyroid. For the other exposures, thyroid shield augments little to the reduction achieved by rectangular collimation. The use of thyroid shield is to be advised, when performing upper anterior radiography. PMID:27008105

Inelastic neutron scattering experiments with the monochromatic imaging mode of the RITA-II spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahl, C. R. H.; Lefmann, K.; Abrahamsen, A. B.; Rønnow, H. M.; Saxild, F.; Jensen, T. B. S.; Udby, L.; Andersen, N. H.; Christensen, N. B.; Jakobsen, H. S.; Larsen, T.; Häfliger, P. S.; Streule, S.; Niedermayer, Ch.

2006-05-01

Recently a monochromatic multiple data taking mode has been demonstrated for diffraction experiments using a RITA type cold neutron spectrometer with a multi-bladed analyser and a position-sensitive detector. Here, we show how this mode can be used in combination with a flexible radial collimator to perform real inelastic neutron scattering experiments. We present the results from inelastic powder, single crystal dispersion and single crystal constant energy mapping experiments. The advantages and complications of performing these experiments are discussed along with a comparison between the imaging mode and the traditional monochromatic focussing mode.

A liquid crystal microlens array with aluminum and graphene electrodes for plenoptic imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lei, Yu; Tong, Qing; Luo, Jun; Zhang, Xinyu; Sang, Hongshi; Xie, Changsheng

2015-12-01

Currently, several semiconducting oxide materials such as typical indium tin oxide are widely used as the transparent conducting electrodes (TCEs) in liquid crystal microlens arrays. In this paper, we fabricate a liquid crystal microlens array using graphene rather than semiconducting oxides as the TCE. Common optical experiments are carried out to acquire the focusing features of the graphene-based liquid crystal microlens array (GLCMLA) driven electrically. The acquired optical fields show that the GLCMLA can converge incident collimating lights efficiently. The relationship between the focal length and the applied voltage signal is presented. Then the GLCMLA is deployed in a plenoptic camera prototype and the raw images are acquired so as to verify their imaging capability. Our experiments demonstrate that graphene has already presented a broad application prospect in the area of adaptive optics.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Igarashi, Noriyuki, E-mail: noriyuki.igarashi@kek.jp; Nitani, Hiroaki; Takeichi, Yasuo

BL-15A is a new x-ray undulator beamline at the Photon Factory. It will be dedicated to two independent research activities, simultaneous XAFS/XRF/XRD experiments, and SAXS/WAXS/GI-SAXS studies. In order to supply a choice of micro-focus, low-divergence and collimated beams, a double surface bimorph mirror was recently developed. To achieve further mirror surface optimization, the pencil beam scanning method was applied for “in-situ” beam inspection and the Inverse Matrix method was used for determination of optimal voltages on the piezoelectric actuators. The corrected beam profiles at every focal spot gave good agreement with the theoretical values and the resultant beam performance ismore » promising for both techniques. Quick and stable switching between highly focused and intense collimated beams was established using this new mirror with the simple motorized stages.« less

Method and apparatus for enhanced sensitivity filmless medical x-ray imaging, including three-dimensional imaging

DOEpatents

Parker, S.

1995-10-24

A filmless X-ray imaging system includes at least one X-ray source, upper and lower collimators, and a solid-state detector array, and can provide three-dimensional imaging capability. The X-ray source plane is distance z{sub 1} above upper collimator plane, distance z{sub 2} above the lower collimator plane, and distance z{sub 3} above the plane of the detector array. The object to be X-rayed is located between the upper and lower collimator planes. The upper and lower collimators and the detector array are moved horizontally with scanning velocities v{sub 1}, v{sub 2}, v{sub 3} proportional to z{sub 1}, z{sub 2} and z{sub 3}, respectively. The pattern and size of openings in the collimators, and between detector positions is proportional such that similar triangles are always defined relative to the location of the X-ray source. X-rays that pass through openings in the upper collimator will always pass through corresponding and similar openings in the lower collimator, and thence to a corresponding detector in the underlying detector array. Substantially 100% of the X-rays irradiating the object (and neither absorbed nor scattered) pass through the lower collimator openings and are detected, which promotes enhanced sensitivity. A computer system coordinates repositioning of the collimators and detector array, and X-ray source locations. The computer system can store detector array output, and can associate a known X-ray source location with detector array output data, to provide three-dimensional imaging. Detector output may be viewed instantly, stored digitally, and/or transmitted electronically for image viewing at a remote site. 5 figs.

Method and apparatus for enhanced sensitivity filmless medical x-ray imaging, including three-dimensional imaging

DOEpatents

Parker, Sherwood

1995-01-01

A filmless X-ray imaging system includes at least one X-ray source, upper and lower collimators, and a solid-state detector array, and can provide three-dimensional imaging capability. The X-ray source plane is distance z.sub.1 above upper collimator plane, distance z.sub.2 above the lower collimator plane, and distance z.sub.3 above the plane of the detector array. The object to be X-rayed is located between the upper and lower collimator planes. The upper and lower collimators and the detector array are moved horizontally with scanning velocities v.sub.1, v.sub.2, v.sub.3 proportional to z.sub.1, z.sub.2 and z.sub.3, respectively. The pattern and size of openings in the collimators, and between detector positions is proportional such that similar triangles are always defined relative to the location of the X-ray source. X-rays that pass through openings in the upper collimator will always pass through corresponding and similar openings in the lower collimator, and thence to a corresponding detector in the underlying detector array. Substantially 100% of the X-rays irradiating the object (and neither absorbed nor scattered) pass through the lower collimator openings and are detected, which promotes enhanced sensitivity. A computer system coordinates repositioning of the collimators and detector array, and X-ray source locations. The computer system can store detector array output, and can associate a known X-ray source location with detector array output data, to provide three-dimensional imaging. Detector output may be viewed instantly, stored digitally, and/or transmitted electronically for image viewing at a remote site.

[Evaluation of Dose Reduction of the Active Collimator in Multi Detector Row CT].

PubMed

Ueno, Hiroyuki; Matsubara, Kosuke

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of active collimator by changing acquisition parameters and obtaining dose profiles in z-axis direction. Dose profiles along z-axis were obtained using XRQA2 Gafchromic film. As a result, the active collimator reduced overranging about 55% compared to that without the active collimator. In addition, by changing the combination of X-ray beam width (32 mm, 40 mm), pitch factor (1.4, 0.6), and the X-ray tube rotation time (0.5 s/rot, 1.0 s/rot), the overranging changed from 19.4 to 34.9 mm. Although the active collimator is effective for reducing overranging, it is necessary to adjust acquisition parameters by taking the properties of the active collimator for acquisition parameters, especially setting beam width, into consideration.

Evaluation of collimation and imaging configuration in scintimammography

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tsui, B.M.W.; Frey, E.C.; Wessell, D.E.

1996-12-31

Conventional scintimammography (SM) with {sup 99m}Tc sestamibi has been limited to taking a single lateral view of the breast using a parallel-hole high resolution (LEHR) collimator. The collimator is placed close to the breast for best possible spatial resolution. However, the collimator geometry precludes imaging the breast from other views. We evaluated using a pinhole collimator instead of a LEHR collimator in SM for improved spatial resolution and detection efficiency, and to allow additional imaging views. Results from theoretical calculations indicated that pinhole collimators could be designed with higher spatial resolution and detection efficiency than LEHR when imaging small tomore » medium size breasts. The geometrical shape of the pinhole collimator allows imaging of the breasts from both the lateral and craniocaudal views. The dual-view images allow better determination of the location of the tumors within the breast and improved detection of tumors located in the medial region of the breast. A breast model that simulates the shape and composition of the breast and breast tumors with different sizes and locations was added to an existing 3D mathematical cardiac-torso (MCAT) phantom. A cylindrically shaped phantom with 10 cm diameter and spherical inserts with different sizes and {sup 99m}Tc sestamibi uptakes with respect to the background provide physical models of breast with tumors. Simulation studies using the breast and MCAT phantoms and experimental studies using the cylindrical phantom confirmed the utility of the pinhole collimator in SM for improved breast tumor detection.« less

Dosimetric comparison between cone/Iris-based and InCise MLC-based CyberKnife plans for single and multiple brain metastases.

PubMed

Jang, Si Young; Lalonde, Ron; Ozhasoglu, Cihat; Burton, Steven; Heron, Dwight; Huq, M Saiful

2016-09-08

We performed an evaluation of the CyberKnife InCise MLC by comparing plan qualities for single and multiple brain lesions generated using the first version of InCise MLC, fixed cone, and Iris collimators. We also investigated differences in delivery efficiency among the three collimators. Twenty-four patients with single or multiple brain mets treated previously in our clinic on a CyberKnife M6 using cone/Iris collimators were selected for this study. Treatment plans were generated for all lesions using the InCise MLC. Number of monitor units, delivery time, target coverage, conformity index, and dose falloff were compared between MLC- and clinical cone/Iris-based plans. Statistical analysis was performed using the non-parametric Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney signed-rank test. The planning accuracy of the MLC-based plans was validated using chamber and film measurements. The InCise MLC-based plans achieved mean dose and target coverage comparable to the cone/Iris-based plans. Although the conformity indices of the MLC-based plans were slightly higher than those of the cone/Iris-based plans, beam delivery time for the MLC-based plans was shorter by 30% ~ 40%. For smaller targets or cases with OARs located close to or abutting target volumes, MLC-based plans provided inferior dose conformity compared to cone/Iris-based plans. The QA results of MLC-based plans were within 5% absolute dose difference with over 90% gamma passing rate using 2%/2 mm gamma criteria. The first version of InCise MLC could be a useful delivery modality, especially for clinical situations for which delivery time is a limiting factor or for multitarget cases. © 2016 The Authors.

3D-printed focused collimator for intra-operative gamma-ray detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holdsworth, David W.; Nikolov, Hristo N.; Pollmann, Steven I.

2017-03-01

Recent developments in targeted radiopharmaceutical labels have increased the need for sensitive, real-time gamma detection during cancer surgery and biopsy. Additive manufacturing (3D printing) in metal has now made it possible to design and fabricate complex metal collimators for compact gamma probes. We describe the design and implementation of a 3D-printed focused collimator that allows for real-time detection of gamma radiation from within a small volume of interest, using a single-crystal large-area detector. The collimator was fabricated using laser melting of powdered stainless steel (316L), using a commercial 3D metal printer (AM125, Renishaw plc). The prototype collimator is 20 mm thick, with hexagonal close-packed holes designed to focus to a point 35 mm below the surface of the collimator face. Tests were carried out with a low-activity (<1 μCi) 241 Am source, using a conventional gamma-ray detector probe, incorporating a 2.5 cm diameter, 2.5 cm thick NaI crystal coupled to a photomultiplier. The measured full-width half maximum (FWHM) was less than 5.6 mm, and collimator detection efficiency was 44%. The ability to fabricate fine features in solid metal makes it possible to develop optimized designs for high-efficiency, focused gamma collimators for real-time intraoperative imaging applications.

Comparison of the efficacy and technical accuracy of different rectangular collimators for intraoral radiography.

PubMed

Zhang, Wenjian; Abramovitch, Kenneth; Thames, Walter; Leon, Inga-Lill K; Colosi, Dan C; Goren, Arthur D

2009-07-01

The objective of this study was to compare the operating efficiency and technical accuracy of 3 different rectangular collimators. A full-mouth intraoral radiographic series excluding central incisor views were taken on training manikins by 2 groups of undergraduate dental and dental hygiene students. Three types of rectangular collimator were used: Type I ("free-hand"), Type II (mechanical interlocking), and Type III (magnetic collimator). Eighteen students exposed one side of the manikin with a Type I collimator and the other side with a Type II. Another 15 students exposed the manikin with Type I and Type III respectively. Type I is currently used for teaching and patient care at our institution and was considered as the control to which both Types II and III were compared. The time necessary to perform the procedure, subjective user friendliness, and the number of technique errors (placement, projection, and cone cut errors) were assessed. The Student t test or signed rank test was used to determine statistical difference (P

SU-G-BRC-04: Collimator Angle Optimization in Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Andersen, A; Johnson, C; Bartlett, G

2016-06-15

Purpose: Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) has revolutionized radiation treatment by decreasing treatment time and monitor units, thus reducing scattered and whole body radiation dose. As the collimator angle changes the apparent leaf gap becomes larger which can impact plan quality, organ at risk (OAR) sparing as well as IMRT QA passing rate which is investigated. Methods: Two sites (prostate and head and neck) that have maximum utilization of VMAT were investigated. Two previously treated VMAT patients were chosen. For each patient 10 plans were created by maintaining constant optimization constraints while varying collimator angles from 0-90 deg at anmore » interval of 10 degrees for the first arc and the appropriate complimentary angle for the second arc. Plans were created with AAA algorithm using 6 MV beam on a Varian IX machine with Millennium 120 MLC. The dose-volume histogram (DVH) for each plan was exported and dosimetric parameters (D98, D95, D50, D2) as well homogeneity index (HI) and conformity index (CI) were computed. Each plan was validated for QA using ArcCheck with gamma index passing criteria of 2%/2 mm and 3%/3 mm. Additionally, normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) for each OAR was computed using Uzan-Nahum software. Results: The CI values for both sites had no impact as target volume coverage in every collimator angle were the same since it was optimized for adequate coverage. The HI which is representative of DVH gradient or dose uniformity in PTV showed a clear trend in both sites. The NTCP for OAR (brain and cochlea) in H&N plan and (bladder and rectum) in prostate plan showed a distinct superiority for collimator angles between 15-30 deg. The gamma passing rates were not correlated with angle. Conclusion: Based on CI, HI, NTCP and gamma passing index, it can be concluded that collimator angles should be maintained within 15–30 deg.« less

Using the Wiener estimator to determine optimal imaging parameters in a synthetic-collimator SPECT system used for small animal imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Alexander; Johnson, Lindsay C.; Shokouhi, Sepideh; Peterson, Todd E.; Kupinski, Matthew A.

2015-03-01

In synthetic-collimator SPECT imaging, two detectors are placed at different distances behind a multi-pinhole aperture. This configuration allows for image detection at different magnifications and photon energies, resulting in higher overall sensitivity while maintaining high resolution. Image multiplexing the undesired overlapping between images due to photon origin uncertainty may occur in both detector planes and is often present in the second detector plane due to greater magnification. However, artifact-free image reconstruction is possible by combining data from both the front detector (little to no multiplexing) and the back detector (noticeable multiplexing). When the two detectors are used in tandem, spatial resolution is increased, allowing for a higher sensitivity-to-detector-area ratio. Due to variability in detector distances and pinhole spacings found in synthetic-collimator SPECT systems, a large parameter space must be examined to determine optimal imaging configurations. We chose to assess image quality based on the task of estimating activity in various regions of a mouse brain. Phantom objects were simulated using mouse brain data from the Magnetic Resonance Microimaging Neurological Atlas (MRM NeAt) and projected at different angles through models of a synthetic-collimator SPECT system, which was developed by collaborators at Vanderbilt University. Uptake in the different brain regions was modeled as being normally distributed about predetermined means and variances. We computed the performance of the Wiener estimator for the task of estimating activity in different regions of the mouse brain. Our results demonstrate the utility of the method for optimizing synthetic-collimator system design.

Small angle light scattering characterization of single micrometric particles in microfluidic flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dannhauser, David; Romeo, Giovanni; Causa, Filippo; Netti, Paolo A.

2013-04-01

A CCD-camera based small angle light scattering (SALS) apparatus has been used to characterize single micrometric particles flowing in a micro-channel. The measured scattering vector spans the range 2x10-2 - 6:8x101μm-1. The incident laser light is collimated to a spot of about 50 μm in diameter at the sample position with a divergence lower than 0.045 rad. Such small collimated laser beam opens the possibility to perform on-line SALS of micron-sized particles flowing in micro-channels. By properly designing the micro-channel and using a viscoelastic liquid as suspending medium we are able to realize a precise 3D focusing of the target particles. The forward scattering emitted from the particle is collected by a lens with high numerical aperture. At the focal point of that lens a homemade beam stop is blocking the incident light. Finally, a second lens maps the scattered light on the CCD sensor, allowing to obtain far field images on short distances. Measurements with mono-disperse polystyrene particles, both in quiescent and in-flow conditions have been realized. Experiments in-flow allow to measure the single particle scattering. Results are validated by comparison with calculations based on the Lorenz-Mie theory. The quality of the measured intensity profiles confirms the possibility to use our apparatus in real multiplex applications, with particles down to 1 μm in radius.

A new dual-collimation batch reactor for determination of ultraviolet inactivation rate constants for microorganisms in aqueous suspensions

PubMed Central

Martin, Stephen B.; Schauer, Elizabeth S.; Blum, David H.; Kremer, Paul A.; Bahnfleth, William P.; Freihaut, James D.

2017-01-01

We developed, characterized, and tested a new dual-collimation aqueous UV reactor to improve the accuracy and consistency of aqueous k-value determinations. This new system is unique because it collimates UV energy from a single lamp in two opposite directions. The design provides two distinct advantages over traditional single-collimation systems: 1) real-time UV dose (fluence) determination; and 2) simple actinometric determination of a reactor factor that relates measured irradiance levels to actual irradiance levels experienced by the microbial suspension. This reactor factor replaces three of the four typical correction factors required for single-collimation reactors. Using this dual-collimation reactor, Bacillus subtilis spores demonstrated inactivation following the classic multi-hit model with k = 0.1471 cm2/mJ (with 95% confidence bounds of 0.1426 to 0.1516). PMID:27498232

A new CT collimator for producing two simultaneous overlapping slices from one scan. [for biomedical applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kwoh, Y. S.; Glenn, W. V., Jr.; Reed, I. S.; Truong, T. K.

1981-01-01

A new CT collimator is developed which is capable of producing two simultaneous successive overlapping images from a single scan. The collimator represents a modification of the standard EMI 5005 collimator achieved by alternately masking one end or portions of both ends of the X-ray detectors at a 13-mm beamwidth so that a set of 540 filtered projections is obtained for each scan which can be separated into two sets of interleaved projections corresponding to views 3 mm apart. Tests have demonstrated that the quality of the images produced from these two projections almost equals the quality of those produced by the standard collimator from two separate scans. The new collimator may thus be used to achieve a speed improvement in the generation of overlapping sections as well as a reduction in X-ray dosage.

Development and validation of a BEAMnrc component module for a miniature multileaf collimator.

PubMed

Doerner, E; Hartmann, G H

2012-05-21

A new component module (CM) named mini multileaf collimator (mMLC) was developed for the Monte Carlo code BEAMnrc. It models the geometry of the add-on miniature multileaf collimator ModuLeaf (MRC Systems GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany, now part of Siemens, Erlangen, Germany). The new CM is partly based on the existing CM called DYNVMLC. The development was performed using a modified EGSnrc platform which enables us to work in the Microsoft Visual Studio environment. In order to validate the new CM, the PRIMUS linac with 6 MV x-rays (Siemens OCS, Concord, CA, USA) equipped with the ModuLeaf mMLC was modelled. Validation was performed by two methods: (a) a ray-tracing method to check the correct geometry of the multileaf collimator (MLC) and (b) a comparison of calculated and measured results of the following dosimetrical parameters: output factors, dose profiles, field edge position penumbra, MLC interleaf leakage and transmission values. Excellent agreement was found for all parameters. It was, in particular, found that the relationship between leaf position and field edge depending on the shape of the leaf ends can be investigated with a higher accuracy by this new CM than by measurements demonstrating the usefulness of the new CM.

Development and validation of a BEAMnrc component module for a miniature multileaf collimator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doerner, E.; Hartmann, G. H.

2012-05-01

A new component module (CM) named mini multileaf collimator (mMLC) was developed for the Monte Carlo code BEAMnrc. It models the geometry of the add-on miniature multileaf collimator ModuLeaf (MRC Systems GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany, now part of Siemens, Erlangen, Germany). The new CM is partly based on the existing CM called DYNVMLC. The development was performed using a modified EGSnrc platform which enables us to work in the Microsoft Visual Studio environment. In order to validate the new CM, the PRIMUS linac with 6 MV x-rays (Siemens OCS, Concord, CA, USA) equipped with the ModuLeaf mMLC was modelled. Validation was performed by two methods: (a) a ray-tracing method to check the correct geometry of the multileaf collimator (MLC) and (b) a comparison of calculated and measured results of the following dosimetrical parameters: output factors, dose profiles, field edge position penumbra, MLC interleaf leakage and transmission values. Excellent agreement was found for all parameters. It was, in particular, found that the relationship between leaf position and field edge depending on the shape of the leaf ends can be investigated with a higher accuracy by this new CM than by measurements demonstrating the usefulness of the new CM.

Collimating lens for light-emitting-diode light source based on non-imaging optics.

PubMed

Wang, Guangzhen; Wang, Lili; Li, Fuli; Zhang, Gongjian

2012-04-10

A collimating lens for a light-emitting-diode (LED) light source is an essential device widely used in lighting engineering. Lens surfaces are calculated by geometrical optics and nonimaging optics. This design progress does not rely on any software optimization and any complex iterative process. This method can be used for any type of light source not only Lambertian. The theoretical model is based on point source. But the practical LED source has a certain size. So in the simulation, an LED chip whose size is 1 mm*1 mm is used to verify the feasibility of the model. The mean results show that the lenses have a very compact structure and good collimating performance. Efficiency is defined as the ratio of the flux in the illuminated plane to the flux from LED source without considering the lens material transmission. Just investigating the loss in the designed lens surfaces, the two types of lenses have high efficiencies of more than 90% and 99%, respectively. Most lighting area (possessing 80% flux) radii are no more than 5 m when the illuminated plane is 200 m away from the light source.

Parameterized source term in the diffusion approximation for enhanced near-field modeling of collimated light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Mengyu; Wang, Shuang; Chen, Xueying; Gao, Feng; Zhao, Huijuan

2016-03-01

Most analytical methods for describing light propagation in turbid medium exhibit low effectiveness in the near-field of a collimated source. Motivated by the Charge Simulation Method in electromagnetic theory as well as the established discrete source based modeling, we have reported on an improved explicit model, referred to as "Virtual Source" (VS) diffuse approximation (DA), to inherit the mathematical simplicity of the DA while considerably extend its validity in modeling the near-field photon migration in low-albedo medium. In this model, the collimated light in the standard DA is analogously approximated as multiple isotropic point sources (VS) distributed along the incident direction. For performance enhancement, a fitting procedure between the calculated and realistic reflectances is adopted in the nearfield to optimize the VS parameters (intensities and locations). To be practically applicable, an explicit 2VS-DA model is established based on close-form derivations of the VS parameters for the typical ranges of the optical parameters. The proposed VS-DA model is validated by comparing with the Monte Carlo simulations, and further introduced in the image reconstruction of the Laminar Optical Tomography system.

Modulation transfer function assessment in parallel beam and fan beam collimators with square and cylindrical holes.

PubMed

Khorshidi, Abdollah; Ashoor, Mansour

2014-05-01

This study investigates modulation transfer function (MTF) in parallel beam (PB) and fan beam (FB) collimators using the Monte Carlo method with full width at half maximum (FWHM), square and circular-shaped holes, and scatter and penetration (S + P) components. A regulation similar to the lead-to-air ratio was used for both collimators to estimate output data. The hole pattern was designed to compare FB by PB parameters. The radioactive source in air and in a water phantom placed in front of the collimators was simulated using MCNP5 code. The test results indicated that the square holes in PB (PBs) had better FWHM than did the cylindrical (PBc) holes. In contrast, the cylindrical holes in the FB (FBc) had better FWHM than the square holes. In general, the resolution of FBc was better than that of the PBc in air and scatter mediums. The S + P decreased for all collimators as the distance from the source to the collimator surface (z) increased. The FBc had a lower S + P than FBs, but PBc had a higher S + P than PBs. Of the FB and PB collimators with the identical hole shapes, PBs had a smaller S + P than FBs, and FBc had a smaller S + P than PBc. The MTF value for the FB was greater than for the PB and had increased spatial frequency; the FBc had higher MTF than the FBs and PB collimators. Estimating the FB using PB parameters and diverse hole shapes may be useful in collimator design to improve the resolution and efficiency of SPECT images.

Sound control by temperature gradients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sánchez-Dehesa, José; Angelov, Mitko I.; Cervera, Francisco; Cai, Liang-Wu

2009-11-01

This work reports experiments showing that airborne sound propagation can be controlled by temperature gradients. A system of two heated tubes is here used to demonstrate the collimation and focusing of an ultrasonic beam by the refractive index profile created by the temperature gradients existing around the tubes. Numerical simulations supporting the experimental findings are also reported.

Neutronics Studies for the Nab Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, Elizabeth; Nab Collaboration

2017-09-01

The Nab experiment at the Spallation Neutron Source at ORNL aims to measure the neutron beta decay electron-neutrino correlation coefficient ``a'' and the Fierz interference term ``b'' with competitive precision. In Nab, the parameter ``a'' is extracted from the proton momentum and electron energy using an asymmetric magnetic spectrometer and two large-area highly pixelated Si detectors . To achieve 10-3 accuracy, there must be low background rates compared to our 1 kHz signal rates. The background is primarily reduced by using coincidence detection of the electron and photon from the decay. However, further reduction is still necessary. Neutron and gamma rates in the Si detectors can lead to false coincidences. The majority of this background radiation can be reduced by well designed collimation and shielding. The collimation design was done with McStas and the background shielding with MCNP6 (Monte Carlo N-Particle 6). Neutrons are absorbed by 6Li -loaded materials or borated polyethylene and gammas close to spectrometer with non magnetic materials such as lead and stainless steel. I will present the shielding design and MCNP6 results.

Chalcogenide molded freeform optics for mid-infrared lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chenard, Francois; Alvarez, Oseas; Yi, Allen

2017-05-01

High-precision chalcogenide molded micro-lenses were produced to collimate mid-infrared Quantum Cascade Lasers (QCLs). Molded cylindrical micro-lens prototypes with aspheric contour (acylindrical), high numerical aperture (NA 0.8) and small focal length (f<2 mm) were fabricated to collimate the QCL fast-axis beam. Another innovative freeform micro-lens has an input acylindrical surface to collimate the fast axis and an orthogonal output acylindrical surface to collimate the slow axis. The thickness of the freeform lens is such that the output fast- and slow-axis beams are circular. This paper presents results on the chalcogenide molded freeform micro-lens designed to collimate and circularize QCL at 4.6 microns.

Development of a Method to Assess the Precision Of the z-axis X-ray Beam Collimation in a CT Scanner

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Yon-Min

2018-05-01

Generally X-ray equipment specifies the beam collimator for the accuracy measurement as a quality control item, but the computed tomography (CT) scanner with high dose has no collimator accuracy measurement item. If the radiation dose is to be reduced, an important step is to check if the beam precisely collimates at the body part for CT scan. However, few ways are available to assess how precisely the X-ray beam is collimated. In this regard, this paper provides a way to assess the precision of z-axis X-ray beam collimation in a CT scanner. After the image plate cassette had been exposed to the X-ray beam, the exposed width was automatically detected by using a computer program developed by the research team to calculate the difference between the exposed width and the imaged width (at isocenter). The result for the precision of z-axis X-ray beam collimation showed that the exposed width was 3.8 mm and the overexposure was high at 304% when a narrow beam of a 1.25 mm imaged width was used. In this study, the precision of the beam collimation of the CT scanner, which is frequently used for medical services, was measured in a convenient way by using the image plate (IP) cassette.

SU-G-IeP4-04: DD-Neutron Source Collimation for Neutron Stimulated Emission Computed Tomography: A Monte Carlo Simulation Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fong, G; Kapadia, A

Purpose: To optimize collimation and shielding for a deuterium-deuterium (DD) neutron generator for an inexpensive and compact clinical neutron imaging system. The envisioned application is cancer diagnosis through Neutron Stimulated Emission Computed Tomography (NSECT). Methods: Collimator designs were tested with an isotropic 2.5 MeV neutron source through GEANT4 simulations. The collimator is a 52×52×52 cm{sup 3} polyethylene block coupled with a 1 cm lead sheet in sequence. Composite opening was modeled into the collimator to permit passage of neutrons. The opening varied in shape (cylindrical vs. tapered), size (1–5 cm source-side and target-side openings) and aperture placements (13–39 cm frommore » source-side). Spatial and energy distribution of neutrons and gammas were tracked from each collimator design. Parameters analyzed were primary beam width (FWHM), divergence, and efficiency (percent transmission) for different configurations of the collimator. Select resultant outputs were then used for simulated NSECT imaging of a virtual breast phantom containing a 2.5 cm diameter tumor to assess the effect of the collimator on spatial resolution, noise, and scan time. Finally, composite shielding enclosure made of polyethylene and lead was designed and evaluated to block 99.99% of neutron and gamma radiation generated in the system. Results: Analysis of primary beam indicated the beam-width is linear to the aperture size. Increasing source-side opening allowed at least 20% more neutron throughput for all designs relative to the cylindrical openings. Maximum throughput for all designs was 364% relative to cylindrical openings. Conclusion: The work indicates potential for collimating and shielding a DD neutron generator for use in a clinical NSECT system. The proposed collimator designs produced a well-defined collimated neutron beam that can be used to image samples of interest with millimeter resolution. Balance in output efficiency, noise reduction, and scan time should be considered to determine the optimal design for specific NSECT applications.« less

Neutron beam optimization based on a 7Li(p,n)7Be reaction for treatment of deep-seated brain tumors by BNCT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zahra Ahmadi, Ganjeh; S. Farhad, Masoudi

2014-10-01

Neutron beam optimization for accelerator-based Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is investigated using a 7Li(p,n)7Be reaction. Design and optimization have been carried out for the target, cooling system, moderator, filter, reflector, and collimator to achieve a high flux of epithermal neutron and satisfy the IAEA criteria. Also, the performance of the designed beam in tissue is assessed by using a simulated Snyder head phantom. The results show that the optimization of the collimator and reflector is critical to finding the best neutron beam based on the 7Li(p,n)7Be reaction. Our designed beam has 2.49×109n/cm2s epithermal neutron flux and is suitable for BNCT of deep-seated brain tumors.

Transport and energy selection of laser generated protons for postacceleration with a compact linac

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinigardi, Stefano; Turchetti, Giorgio; Londrillo, Pasquale; Rossi, Francesco; Giove, Dario; De Martinis, Carlo; Sumini, Marco

2013-03-01

Laser accelerated proton beams have a considerable potential for various applications including oncological therapy. However, the most consolidated target normal sheath acceleration regime based on irradiation of solid targets provides an exponential energy spectrum with a significant divergence. The low count number at the cutoff energy seriously limits at present its possible use. One realistic scenario for the near future is offered by hybrid schemes. The use of transport lines for collimation and energy selection has been considered. We present here a scheme based on a high field pulsed solenoid and collimators which allows one to select a beam suitable for injection at 30 MeV into a compact linac in order to double its energy while preserving a significant intensity. The results are based on a fully 3D simulation starting from laser acceleration.

WE-AB-209-06: Dynamic Collimator Trajectory Algorithm for Use in VMAT Treatment Deliveries

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

MacDonald, L; Thomas, C; Syme, A

2016-06-15

Purpose: To develop advanced dynamic collimator positioning algorithms for optimal beam’s-eye-view (BEV) fitting of targets in VMAT procedures, including multiple metastases stereotactic radiosurgery procedures. Methods: A trajectory algorithm was developed, which can dynamically modify the angle of the collimator as a function of VMAT control point to provide optimized collimation of target volume(s). Central to this algorithm is a concept denoted “whitespace”, defined as area within the jaw-defined BEV field, outside of the PTV, and not shielded by the MLC when fit to the PTV. Calculating whitespace at all collimator angles and every control point, a two-dimensional topographical map depictingmore » the tightness-of-fit of the MLC was generated. A variety of novel searching algorithms identified a number of candidate trajectories of continuous collimator motion. Ranking these candidate trajectories according to their accrued whitespace value produced an optimal solution for navigation of this map. Results: All trajectories were normalized to minimum possible (i.e. calculated without consideration of collimator motion constraints) accrued whitespace. On an acoustic neuroma case, a random walk algorithm generated a trajectory with 151% whitespace; random walk including a mandatory anchor point improved this to 148%; gradient search produced a trajectory with 137%; and bi-directional gradient search generated a trajectory with 130% whitespace. For comparison, a fixed collimator angle of 30° and 330° accumulated 272% and 228% of whitespace, respectively. The algorithm was tested on a clinical case with two metastases (single isocentre) and identified collimator angles that allow for simultaneous irradiation of the PTVs while minimizing normal tissue irradiation. Conclusion: Dynamic collimator trajectories have the potential to improve VMAT deliveries through increased efficiency and reduced normal tissue dose, especially in treatment of multiple cranial metastases, without significant safety concerns that hinder immediate clinical implementation.« less

Evaluation of collimator rotation for volumetric modulated arc therapy lung stereotactic body radiation therapy using flattening filter free.

PubMed

Sandrini, Emmily Santos; da Silva, Ademir Xavier; da Silva, Claudia Menezes

2018-05-25

The collimator in volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) planning is rotated to minimize tongue-and-groove effect and interleaf leakage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of collimator angle on the dosimetric results of VMAT plan for patients with lung cancer undergoing stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) treatment. In the present investigation discrepancies between the calculated dose distributions with different collimators rotations have been studied. Six different collimators rotations (0, 10, 20, 30, 45 and 90 degrees), 6 MV x-ray non-flattened from a TrueBeam accelerator equipped with High-Definition 120MLC were used, as well as two planning technique: One full arc and two half arcs. For rotation between 10 and 45 degrees there were not found a significant variation meanwhile collimator rotation of 0 and 90° may impact on dose distribution resulting in unexpected dose variation. The homogeneity, conformity and gradient indexes as well as dose in organs at risk reached their best values with the half arcs technique and collimator angle between 20° and 45°. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identification of two hard X-ray emitting Be stars using the HEAO 1 scanning modulation collimator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steiner, J. E.; Ferrara, A.; Garcia, M.; Patterson, J.; Schwartz, D. A.; Warwick, R. S.; Watson, M. G.; Mcclintock, J. E.

1984-01-01

Using precise positions from the HEAO 1 Scanning Modulation Collimator experiment, two hard X-ray sources, 4U 0728 - 25 = 3A 0726 - 260 and 4U 2206 + 54 = 3A 2206 + 543, are identified with early-type stars. In both cases broad (10 A FWHM) H-alpha emission is detected. The UBV colors suggest that the optical counterparts are main-sequence B0-B2 stars at 2-6 kpc, implying a mean X-ray luminosity of order 10 to the 35th ergs/sq cm s (2-10 keV). The X-ray emission in both cases is highly variable, and it is suggested that they belong to the class of X-ray emitting Be stars, containing a neutron star in a widely separated binary system.

Bending self-collimated one-way light by using gyromagnetic photonic crystals

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Qing-Bo; Jiangsu Key Construction Laboratory of Modern Measurement Technology and Intelligent System, Huaiyin Normal University, Huaian 223300; Li, Zhen

2015-12-14

We theoretically demonstrate that electromagnetic waves can self-collimate and propagate unidirectionally in photonic crystals fabricated using semicylindrical ferrite rods in magnetized states. The parity and time-reversal symmetries of such photonic crystals are broken, resulting in a self-collimated one-way body wave within the photonic crystals. By applying the bias magnetic field in a complex configuration, the self-collimated one-way wave beam can be bent into arbitrary trajectories within the photonic crystal, providing an avenue for controlling wave beams.

Design consideration of a multipinhole collimator with septa for ultra high-resolution silicon drift detector modules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Min, Byung Jun; Choi, Yong; Lee, Nam-Yong; Lee, Kisung; Ahn, Young Bok; Joung, Jinhun

2009-07-01

The aim of this study was to design a multipinhole (MP) collimator with lead vertical septa coupled to a high-resolution detector module containing silicon drift detectors (SDDs) with an intrinsic resolution approaching the sub-millimeter level. Monte Carlo simulations were performed to determine pinhole parameters such as pinhole diameter, focal length, and number of pinholes. Effects of parallax error and collimator penetration were investigated for the new MP collimator design. The MP detector module was evaluated using reconstructed images of resolution and mathematical cardiac torso (MCAT) phantoms. In addition, the reduced angular sampling effect was investigated over 180°. The images were reconstructed using dedicated maximum likelihood expectation maximization (MLEM) algorithm. An MP collimator with 81-pinhole was designed with a 2-mm-diameter pinhole and a focal length of 40 mm . Planar sensitivity and resolution obtained using the devised MP collimator were 3.9 cps/μCi and 6 mm full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) at a 10 cm distance. The parallax error and penetration ratio were significantly improved using the proposed MP collimation design. The simulation results demonstrated that the proposed MP detector provided enlarged imaging field of view (FOV) and improved the angular sampling effect in resolution and MCAT phantom studies. Moreover, the novel design enables tomography images by simultaneously obtaining eight projections with eight-detector modules located along the 180° orbit surrounding a patient, which allows designing of a stationary cardiac SPECT. In conclusion, the MP collimator with lead vertical septa was designed to have comparable system resolution and sensitivity to those of the low-energy high-resolution (LEHR) collimator per detector. The system sensitivity with an eight-detector configuration would be four times higher than that with a standard dual-detector cardiac SPECT.

A study of lateral fall-off (penumbra) optimisation for pencil beam scanning (PBS) proton therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winterhalter, C.; Lomax, A.; Oxley, D.; Weber, D. C.; Safai, S.

2018-01-01

The lateral fall-off is crucial for sparing organs at risk in proton therapy. It is therefore of high importance to minimize the penumbra for pencil beam scanning (PBS). Three optimisation approaches are investigated: edge-collimated uniformly weighted spots (collimation), pencil beam optimisation of uncollimated pencil beams (edge-enhancement) and the optimisation of edge collimated pencil beams (collimated edge-enhancement). To deliver energies below 70 MeV, these strategies are evaluated in combination with the following pre-absorber methods: field specific fixed thickness pre-absorption (fixed), range specific, fixed thickness pre-absorption (automatic) and range specific, variable thickness pre-absorption (variable). All techniques are evaluated by Monte Carlo simulated square fields in a water tank. For a typical air gap of 10 cm, without pre-absorber collimation reduces the penumbra only for water equivalent ranges between 4-11 cm by up to 2.2 mm. The sharpest lateral fall-off is achieved through collimated edge-enhancement, which lowers the penumbra down to 2.8 mm. When using a pre-absorber, the sharpest fall-offs are obtained when combining collimated edge-enhancement with a variable pre-absorber. For edge-enhancement and large air gaps, it is crucial to minimize the amount of material in the beam. For small air gaps however, the superior phase space of higher energetic beams can be employed when more material is used. In conclusion, collimated edge-enhancement combined with the variable pre-absorber is the recommended setting to minimize the lateral penumbra for PBS. Without collimator, it would be favourable to use a variable pre-absorber for large air gaps and an automatic pre-absorber for small air gaps.

Reduction of the unnecessary dose from the over-range area with a spiral dynamic z-collimator: comparison of beam pitch and detector coverage with 128-detector row CT.

PubMed

Shirasaka, Takashi; Funama, Yoshinori; Hayashi, Mutsukazu; Awamoto, Shinichi; Kondo, Masatoshi; Nakamura, Yasuhiko; Hatakenaka, Masamitsu; Honda, Hiroshi

2012-01-01

Our purpose in this study was to assess the radiation dose reduction and the actual exposed scan length of over-range areas using a spiral dynamic z-collimator at different beam pitches and detector coverage. Using glass rod dosimeters, we measured the unilateral over-range scan dose between the beginning of the planned scan range and the beginning of the actual exposed scan range. Scanning was performed at detector coverage of 80.0 and 40.0 mm, with and without the spiral dynamic z-collimator. The dose-saving ratio was calculated as the ratio of the unnecessary over-range dose, with and without the spiral dynamic z-collimator. In 80.0 mm detector coverage without the spiral dynamic z-collimator, the actual exposed scan length for the over-range area was 108, 120, and 126 mm, corresponding to a beam pitch of 0.60, 0.80, and 0.99, respectively. With the spiral dynamic z-collimator, the actual exposed scan length for the over-range area was 48, 66, and 84 mm with a beam pitch of 0.60, 0.80, and 0.99, respectively. The dose-saving ratios with and without the spiral dynamic z-collimator for a beam pitch of 0.60, 0.80, and 0.99 were 35.07, 24.76, and 13.51%, respectively. With 40.0 mm detector coverage, the dose-saving ratios with and without the spiral dynamic z-collimator had the highest value of 27.23% with a low beam pitch of 0.60. The spiral dynamic z-collimator is important for a reduction in the unnecessary over-range dose and makes it possible to reduce the unnecessary dose by means of a lower beam pitch.

Influence of detector collimation on SNR in four different MDCT scanners using a reconstructed slice thickness of 5 mm.

PubMed

Verdun, F R; Noel, A; Meuli, R; Pachoud, M; Monnin, P; Valley, J-F; Schnyder, P; Denys, A

2004-10-01

The purpose of this paper is to compare the influence of detector collimation on the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for a 5.0 mm reconstructed slice thickness for four multi-detector row CT (MDCT) units. SNRs were measured on Catphan test phantom images from four MDCT units: a GE LightSpeed QX/I, a Marconi MX 8000, a Toshiba Aquilion and a Siemens Volume Zoom. Five-millimetre-thick reconstructed slices were obtained from acquisitions performed using detector collimations of 2.0-2.5 mm and 5.0 mm, 120 kV, a 360 degrees tube rotation time of 0.5 s, a wide range of mA and pitch values in the range of 0.75-0.85 and 1.25-1.5. For each set of acquisition parameters, a Wiener spectrum was also calculated. Statistical differences in SNR for the different acquisition parameters were evaluated using a Student's t-test (P<0.05). The influence of detector collimation on the SNR for a 5.0-mm reconstructed slice thickness is different for different MDCT scanners. At pitch values lower than unity, the use of a small detector collimation to produce 5.0-mm thick slices is beneficial for one unit and detrimental for another. At pitch values higher than unity, using a small detector collimation is beneficial for two units. One manufacturer uses different reconstruction filters when switching from a 2.5- to a 5.0-mm detector collimation. For a comparable reconstructed slice thickness, using a smaller detector collimation does not always reduce image noise. Thus, the impact of the detector collimation on image noise should be determined by standard deviation calculations, and also by assessing the power spectra of the noise. Copyright 2004 Springer-Verlag

Development of online NIR urine analyzing system based on AOTF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Feng; Sun, Zhendong; Li, Xiaoxia

2006-09-01

In this paper, some key techniques on development of on-line MR urine analyzing system based on AOTF (Acousto - Optics Tunable Filter) are introduced. Problems about designing the optical system including collimation of incident light and working distance (the shortest distance for separating incident light and diffracted light) are analyzed and researched. DDS (Direct Digital Synthesizer) controlled by microprocessor is used to realize the wavelength scan. The experiment results show that this MR urine analyzing system based on. AOTF has 10000 - 4000cm -1 wavelength range and O.3ms wavelength transfer rate. Compare with the conventional Fourier Transform NIP. spectrophotometer for analyzing multi-components in urine, this system features low cost, small volume and on-line measurement function. Unscrambler software (multivariate statistical software by CAMO Inc. Norway) is selected as the software for processing the data. This system can realize on line quantitative analysis of protein, urea and creatinine in urine.

Note: Detector collimators for the nanoscale ordered materials diffractometer instrument at the Spallation Neutron Source

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tamalonis, A.; Weber, J. K. R.; Neuefeind, J. C.

2015-09-01

Five neutron collimator designs were constructed and tested at the nanoscale ordered materials diffractometer (NOMAD) instrument. Collimators were made from High Density PolyEthylene (HDPE) or 5% borated HDPE. In all cases, collimators improved the signal to background ratio and reduced detection of secondary scattering. In the Q-range 10-20 (angstrom) -1, signal to background ratio improved by factors of approximately 1.6 and 2.0 for 50 and 100 mm deep collimators, respectively. In the Q-range 40-50 angstrom -1, the improvement factors were 1.8 and 2.7. Secondary scattering as measured at Q similar to 9.5 angstrom -1 was significantly decreased when the collimatorsmore » were installed.« less

An MCNP-based model of a medical linear accelerator x-ray photon beam.

PubMed

Ajaj, F A; Ghassal, N M

2003-09-01

The major components in the x-ray photon beam path of the treatment head of the VARIAN Clinac 2300 EX medical linear accelerator were modeled and simulated using the Monte Carlo N-Particle radiation transport computer code (MCNP). Simulated components include x-ray target, primary conical collimator, x-ray beam flattening filter and secondary collimators. X-ray photon energy spectra and angular distributions were calculated using the model. The x-ray beam emerging from the secondary collimators were scored by considering the total x-ray spectra from the target as the source of x-rays at the target position. The depth dose distribution and dose profiles at different depths and field sizes have been calculated at a nominal operating potential of 6 MV and found to be within acceptable limits. It is concluded that accurate specification of the component dimensions, composition and nominal accelerating potential gives a good assessment of the x-ray energy spectra.

Experimental investigation of multi-scale non-equilibrium plasma dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bellan, Paul

2013-10-01

Lab experiments at Caltech resolve complex, detailed MHD dynamics spatially and temporally. Unbalanced forces drive fast plasma flows which tend to self-collimate via self-pinching. Collimation results from flow stagnation compressing embedded magnetic flux and so amplifying the magnetic field responsible for pinching. Measurements show that the collimated flow is essentially a dense plasma jet with embedded axial and azimuthal magnetic fields, i.e., a magnetic flux tube (flux rope). The measured jet velocity is in good agreement with an MHD acceleration model. Depending on how flux tube radius varies with axial position, jets flow into a flux tube from both ends or from just one end. Jets kink when the flux tube in which they are embedded breaches the Kruskal-Shafranov stability limit. The lateral acceleration of a sufficiently strong kink can produce an enormous effective gravity which provides the environment for an observed fine-scale, extremely fast Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instability. The RT can erode the jet current channel to be smaller than the ion skin depth so there is a cascade from the ideal MHD scale of the kink to the non-MHD ion skin depth scale. This process can result in a magnetic reconnection whereby the jet and its embedded flux tube break. Supported by USDOE.

Aberration-free intraocular lenses - What does this really mean?

PubMed

Langenbucher, Achim; Schröder, Simon; Cayless, Alan; Eppig, Timo

2017-09-01

So-called aberration-free intraocular lenses (IOLs) are well established in modern cataract surgery. Usually, they are designed to perfectly refract a collimated light beam onto the focal point. We show how much aberration can be expected with such an IOL in a convergent light beam such as that found anterior to the human cornea. Additionally, the aberration in a collimated beam is estimated for an IOL that has no aberrations in the convergent beam. The convergent beam is modelled as the pencil of rays corresponding to the spherical wavefront resulting from a typical corneal power of 43m -1 . The IOLs are modelled as infinitely thin phase plates with 20m -1 optical power placed 5mm behind the cornea. Their aberrations are reported in terms of optical path length difference and longitudinal spherical aberration (LSA) of the marginal rays, as well as nominal spherical aberration (SA) calculated based on a Zernike representation of the wavefront-error at the corneal plane within a 6mm aperture. The IOL designed to have no aberrations in a collimated light beam has an optical path length difference of -1.8μm, and LSA of 0.15m -1 in the convergent beam of a typical eye. The corresponding nominal SA is 0.065μm. The IOL designed to have no aberrations in a convergent light beam has an optical path length difference of 1.8μm, and LSA of -0.15m -1 in the collimated beam. An IOL designed to have no aberrations in a collimated light beam will increase the SA of a patient's eye after implantation. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Complete photonic band gaps and tunable self-collimation in the two-dimensional plasma photonic crystals with a new structure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Hai-Feng, E-mail: hanlor@163.com; Nanjing Artillery Academy, Nanjing 211132; Ding, Guo-Wen

2015-02-15

In this paper, the properties of complete photonic band gaps (CPBGs) and tunable self-collimation in two-dimensional plasma photonic crystals (2D PPCs) with a new structure in square lattices, whose dielectric fillers (GaAs) are inserted into homogeneous and nomagnetized plasma background are theoretically investigated by a modified plane wave expansion (PWE) method with a novel technique. The novel PWE method can be utilized to compute the dispersion curves of 2D PPCs with arbitrary-shaped cross section in any lattices. As a comparison, CPBGs of PPCs for four different configurations are numerically calculated. The computed results show that the proposed design has themore » advantages of achieving the larger CPBGs compared to the other three configurations. The influences of geometric parameters of filled unit cell and plasma frequency on the properties of CPBGs are studied in detail. The calculated results demonstrate that CPBGs of the proposed 2D PPCs can be easily engineered by changing those parameters, and the larger CPBGs also can be obtained by optimization. The self-collimation in such 2D PPCs also is discussed in theory under TM wave. The theoretical simulations reveal that the self-collimation phenomena can be found in the TM bands, and both the frequency range of self-collimation and the equifrequency surface contours can be tuned by the parameters as mentioned above. It means that the frequency range and direction of electromagnetic wave can be manipulated by designing, as it propagates in the proposed PPCs without diffraction. Those results can hold promise for designing the tunable applications based on the proposed PPCs.« less

Collimation study for LCLS

DOE PAGES

Marin, E.; Raubenhaimer, T.; Welch, J.; ...

2017-06-13

In this study we investigate the power deposition along the undulator section of the SLAC Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) due to the primary e¯ -beam but also due to potential secondary particles. The expected beam distribution after the LCLS injector is deliberately broadened as an approximated representation of the beam halo. Secondary particles, as e +, e¯ and photons, are generated as a result of tracking the intercepted beam through a dense material. This process is carried out by means of GEANT-4, which has been convoluted into our main tracking engine, LUCRETIA. Simulations show no losses along the undulatormore » section when assuming the nominal primary beam and collimator gaps. However when opening the gaps of collimators located at the first collimator section, by 25%, the fattened beam is partially intercepted by the second collimator section, which is aligned to the undulators. Secondary particles, mostly photons generated at the second collimator section, deposit their energy along the undulator section, at a rate of the order of a milliwatt.« less

Collimation study for LCLS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marin, E.; Raubenhaimer, T.; Welch, J.; White, G.

2017-09-01

In this paper we investigate the power deposition along the undulator section of the SLAC Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) due to the primary e--beam but also due to potential secondary particles. The expected beam distribution after the LCLS injector is deliberately broadened as an approximated representation of the beam halo. Secondary particles, as e+, e- and photons, are generated as a result of tracking the intercepted beam through a dense material. This process is carried out by means of GEANT-4, which has been convoluted into our main tracking engine, LUCRETIA. Simulations show no losses along the undulator section when assuming the nominal primary beam and collimator gaps. However when opening the gaps of collimators located at the first collimator section, by 25%, the fattened beam is partially intercepted by the second collimator section, which is aligned to the undulators. Secondary particles, mostly photons generated at the second collimator section, deposit their energy along the undulator section, at a rate of the order of a milliwatt.

Optimization of planar self-collimating photonic crystals.

PubMed

Rumpf, Raymond C; Pazos, Javier J

2013-07-01

Self-collimation in photonic crystals has received a lot of attention in the literature, partly due to recent interest in silicon photonics, yet no performance metrics have been proposed. This paper proposes a figure of merit (FOM) for self-collimation and outlines a methodical approach for calculating it. Performance metrics include bandwidth, angular acceptance, strength, and an overall FOM. Two key contributions of this work include the performance metrics and identifying that the optimum frequency for self-collimation is not at the inflection point. The FOM is used to optimize a planar photonic crystal composed of a square array of cylinders. Conclusions are drawn about how the refractive indices and fill fraction of the lattice impact each of the performance metrics. The optimization is demonstrated by simulating two spatially variant self-collimating photonic crystals, where one has a high FOM and the other has a low FOM. This work gives optical designers tremendous insight into how to design and optimize robust self-collimating photonic crystals, which promises many applications in silicon photonics and integrated optics.

BPM Design and Impedance Considerations for a Rotatable Collimator for the LHC Collimation Upgrade

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smith, Jeffrey Claiborne; /SLAC; Keller, Lewis

2010-08-26

The Phase II upgrade to the LHC collimation system calls for complementing the 30 high robust Phase I graphite secondary collimators with 30 high Z Phase II collimators. This paper reports on BPM and impedance considerations and measurements of the integrated BPMs in the prototype rotatable collimator to be installed in the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) at CERN. The BPMs are necessary to align the jaws with the beam. Without careful design the beam impedance can result in unacceptable heating of the chamber wall or beam instabilities. The impedance measurements involve utilizing both a single displaced wire and two wiresmore » excited in opposite phase to disentangle the driving and detuning transverse impedances. Trapped mode resonances and longitudinal impedance are to also be measured and compared with simulations. These measurements, when completed, will demonstrate the device is fully operational and has the impedance characteristics and BPM performance acceptable for installation in the SPS.« less

Understanding space charge and controlling beam loss in high intensity synchrotrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cousineau, Sarah M.

Future high intensity synchrotrons will require unprecedented control of beam loss in order to comply with radiation safety regulations and to allow for safe, hands-on maintenance of machine hardware. A major cause of beam loss in high intensity synchrotrons is the space charge force of the beam, which can lead to beam halo and emittance dilution. This dissertation presents a comprehensive study of space charge effects in high intensity synchrotron beams. Experimental measurements taken at the Proton Storage Ring (PSR) in Los Alamos National Laboratory and detailed simulations of the experiments are used to identify and characterize resonances that affect these beams. The collective motion of the beam is extensively studied and is shown to be more relevant than the single particle dynamics in describing the resonance response. The emittance evolution of the PSR beam and methods for reducing the space-charge-induced emittance growth are addressed. In a separate study, the emittance evolution of an intense space charge beam is experimentally measured at the Cooler Injector Synchrotron (CIS) at Indiana University. This dissertation also investigates the sophisticated two-stage collimation system of the future Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) high intensity accumulator ring. A realistic Monte-Carlo collimation simulation is developed and used to optimize the SNS ring collimation system parameters. The finalized parameters and predicted beam loss distribution around the ring are presented. The collimators will additionally be used in conjunction with a set of fast kickers to remove the beam from the gap region before the rise of the extraction magnets. The gap cleaning process is optimized and the cleaning efficiency versus momentum spread of the beam is examined.

Thermomechanical assessment of the effects of a jaw-beam angle during beam impact on Large Hadron Collider collimators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cauchi, Marija; Assmann, R. W.; Bertarelli, A.; Carra, F.; Lari, L.; Rossi, A.; Mollicone, P.; Sammut, N.

2015-02-01

The correct functioning of a collimation system is crucial to safely and successfully operate high-energy particle accelerators, such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). However, the requirements to handle high-intensity beams can be demanding, and accident scenarios must be well studied in order to assess if the collimator design is robust against possible error scenarios. One of the catastrophic, though not very probable, accident scenarios identified within the LHC is an asynchronous beam dump. In this case, one (or more) of the 15 precharged kicker circuits fires out of time with the abort gap, spraying beam pulses onto LHC machine elements before the machine protection system can fire the remaining kicker circuits and bring the beam to the dump. If a proton bunch directly hits a collimator during such an event, severe beam-induced damage such as magnet quenches and other equipment damage might result, with consequent downtime for the machine. This study investigates a number of newly defined jaw error cases, which include angular misalignment errors of the collimator jaw. A numerical finite element method approach is presented in order to precisely evaluate the thermomechanical response of tertiary collimators to beam impact. We identify the most critical and interesting cases, and show that a tilt of the jaw can actually mitigate the effect of an asynchronous dump on the collimators. Relevant collimator damage limits are taken into account, with the aim to identify optimal operational conditions for the LHC.

Large beam deflection using cascaded prism array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Wei-Chih; Tsui, Chi-Leung

2012-04-01

Endoscopes have been utilize in the medical field to observe the internals of the human body to assist the diagnosis of diseases, such as breathing disorders, internal bleeding, stomach ulcers, and urinary tract infections. Endoscopy is also utilized in the procedure of biopsy for the diagnosis of cancer. Conventional endoscopes suffer from the compromise between overall size and image quality due to the required size of the sensor for acceptable image quality. To overcome the size constraint while maintaining the capture image quality, we propose an electro-optic beam steering device based on thermal-plastic polymer, which has a small foot-print (~5mmx5mm), and can be easily fabricated using conventional hot-embossing and micro-fabrication techniques. The proposed device can be implemented as an imaging device inside endoscopes to allow reduction in the overall system size. In our previous work, a single prism design has been used to amplify the deflection generated by the index change of the thermal-plastic polymer when a voltage is applied; it yields a result of 5.6° deflection. To further amplify the deflection, a new design utilizing a cascading three-prism array has been implemented and a deflection angle to 29.2° is observed. The new design amplifies the beam deflection, while keeping the advantage of simple fabrication made possible by thermal-plastic polymer. Also, a photo-resist based collimator lens array has been added to reduce and provide collimation of the beam for high quality imaging purposes. The collimator is able to collimate the exiting beam at 4 μm diameter for up to 25mm, which potentially allows high resolution image capturing.

An evaluation to design high performance pinhole array detector module for four head SPECT: a simulation study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahman, Tasneem; Tahtali, Murat; Pickering, Mark R.

2014-09-01

The purpose of this study is to derive optimized parameters for a detector module employing an off-the-shelf X-ray camera and a pinhole array collimator applicable for a range of different SPECT systems. Monte Carlo simulations using the Geant4 application for tomographic emission (GATE) were performed to estimate the performance of the pinhole array collimators and were compared to that of low energy high resolution (LEHR) parallel-hole collimator in a four head SPECT system. A detector module was simulated to have 48 mm by 48 mm active area along with 1mm, 1.6mm and 2 mm pinhole aperture sizes at 0.48 mm pitch on a tungsten plate. Perpendicular lead septa were employed to verify overlapping and non-overlapping projections against a proper acceptance angle without lead septa. A uniform shape cylindrical water phantom was used to evaluate the performance of the proposed four head SPECT system of the pinhole array detector module. For each head, 100 pinhole configurations were evaluated based on sensitivity and detection efficiency for 140 keV γ-rays, and compared to LEHR parallel-hole collimator. SPECT images were reconstructed based on filtered back projection (FBP) algorithm where neither scatter nor attenuation corrections were performed. A better reconstruction algorithm development for this specific system is in progress. Nevertheless, activity distribution was well visualized using the backprojection algorithm. In this study, we have evaluated several quantitative and comparative analyses for a pinhole array imaging system providing high detection efficiency and better system sensitivity over a large FOV, comparing to the conventional four head SPECT system. The proposed detector module is expected to provide improved performance in various SPECT imaging.

Design and development of MR-compatible SPECT systems for simultaneous SPECT-MR imaging of small animals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsui, Benjamin M. W.; Hugg, James W.; Xu, Jingyan; Chen, Si; Meier, Dirk; Edelstein, William; El-Sharkawy, Abdel; Wagenaar, Douglas J.; Patt, Bradley E.

2011-03-01

We describe a continuing design and development of MR-compatible SPECT systems for simultaneous SPECT-MR imaging of small animals. A first generation prototype SPECT system was designed and constructed to fit inside a MRI system with a gradient bore inner diameter of 12 cm. It consists of 3 angularly offset rings of 8 detectors (1"x1", 16x16 pixels MR-compatible solid-state CZT). A matching 24-pinhole collimator sleeve, made of a tungsten-compound, provides projections from a common FOV of ~25 mm. A birdcage RF coil for MRI data acquisition surrounds the collimator. The SPECT system was tested inside a clinical 3T MRI system. Minimal interference was observed on the simultaneously acquired SPECT and MR images. We developed a sparse-view image reconstruction method based on accurate modeling of the point response function (PRF) of each of the 24 pinholes to provide artifact-free SPECT images. The stationary SPECT system provides relatively low resolution of 3-5 mm but high geometric efficiency of 0.5- 1.2% for fast dynamic acquisition, demonstrated in a SPECT renal kinetics study using Tc-99m DTPA. Based on these results, a second generation prototype MR-compatible SPECT system with an outer diameter of 20 cm that fits inside a mid-sized preclinical MRI system is being developed. It consists of 5 rings of 19 CZT detectors. The larger ring diameter allows the use of optimized multi-pinhole collimator designs, such as high system resolution up to ~1 mm, high geometric efficiency, or lower system resolution without collimator rotation. The anticipated performance of the new system is supported by simulation data.

A High Vacuum High Speed Ion Pump

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Foster, J. S. Jr.; Lawrence, E. O.; Lofgren, E. J.

1952-08-27

A vacuum pump based on the properties of a magnetically collimated electric discharge is described. It has a speed in the range 3000 to 7000 liters a second and a base pressure in the order of 10{sup -6} mm. (auth)

Characterization of plastic and boron carbide additive manufactured neutron collimators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stone, M. B.; Siddel, D. H.; Elliott, A. M.; Anderson, D.; Abernathy, D. L.

2017-12-01

Additive manufacturing techniques allow for the production of materials with complicated geometries with reduced costs and production time over traditional methods. We have applied this technique to the production of neutron collimators for use in thermal and cold neutron scattering instrumentation directly out of boron carbide. We discuss the design and generation of these collimators. We also provide measurements at neutron scattering beamlines which serve to characterize the performance of these collimators. Additive manufacturing of parts using neutron absorbing material may also find applications in radiography and neutron moderation.

Source holder collimator for encapsulating radioactive material and collimating the emanations from the material

DOEpatents

Laurer, G.R.

1974-01-22

This invention provides a transportable device capable of detecting normal levels of a trace element, such as lead in a doughnutshaped blood sample by x-ray fluorescence with a minimum of sample preparation in a relatively short analyzing time. In one embodiment, the blood is molded into a doughnut-shaped sample around an annular array of low-energy radioactive material that is at the center of the doughnut-shaped sample but encapsulated in a collimator, the latter shielding a detector that is close to the sample and facing the same so that the detector receives secondary emissions from the sample while the collimator collimates ths primary emissions from the radioactive material to direct these emissions toward the sample around 360 deg and away from the detector. (Official Gazette)

An empirical model for calculation of the collimator contamination dose in therapeutic proton beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vidal, M.; De Marzi, L.; Szymanowski, H.; Guinement, L.; Nauraye, C.; Hierso, E.; Freud, N.; Ferrand, R.; François, P.; Sarrut, D.

2016-02-01

Collimators are used as lateral beam shaping devices in proton therapy with passive scattering beam lines. The dose contamination due to collimator scattering can be as high as 10% of the maximum dose and influences calculation of the output factor or monitor units (MU). To date, commercial treatment planning systems generally use a zero-thickness collimator approximation ignoring edge scattering in the aperture collimator and few analytical models have been proposed to take scattering effects into account, mainly limited to the inner collimator face component. The aim of this study was to characterize and model aperture contamination by means of a fast and accurate analytical model. The entrance face collimator scatter distribution was modeled as a 3D secondary dose source. Predicted dose contaminations were compared to measurements and Monte Carlo simulations. Measurements were performed on two different proton beam lines (a fixed horizontal beam line and a gantry beam line) with divergent apertures and for several field sizes and energies. Discrepancies between analytical algorithm dose prediction and measurements were decreased from 10% to 2% using the proposed model. Gamma-index (2%/1 mm) was respected for more than 90% of pixels. The proposed analytical algorithm increases the accuracy of analytical dose calculations with reasonable computation times.

Diamond-anvil high-pressure cell with improved x-ray collimation system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schiferl, D.; Olinger, B.W.; Livingston, R.W.

1986-07-22

This patent describes a diamond-anvil high-pressure cell having a tubular piston and a cylinder in which the piston is slidable to effect compression of a pair of opposed diamonds located between the piston and the cylinder. The piston includes a central bore opening on one end, an adjustable X-ray collimation system comprising a tubular insert engageable in the bore of the piston, the insert including a central bore and having first and second ends, with the first end of the insert being closest to the opposed diamonds and the second end of the insert extending out of the open endmore » of the piston, a collimator insertable in the bore of the tubular insert. The collimator has a central bore and having first and second ends corresponding respectively with the first and second ends of the insert, elastomeric pivot means mounted in the bore of the insert at the first end of the insert for flexibly retaining the first end of the collimator while allowing the collimator to pivot within the pivot means, and adjustable locking means located at the second end of the insert for adjusting and securing the second end of the collimator so as to be in alignment with the opposed diamonds.« less

Simulated Design Strategies for SPECT Collimators to Reduce the Eddy Currents Induced by MRI Gradient Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samoudi, Amine M.; Van Audenhaege, Karen; Vermeeren, Günter; Verhoyen, Gregory; Martens, Luc; Van Holen, Roel; Joseph, Wout

2015-10-01

Combining single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) requires the insertion of highly conductive SPECT collimators inside the MRI scanner, resulting in an induced eddy current disturbing the combined system. We reduced the eddy currents due to the insert of a novel tungsten collimator inside transverse and longitudinal gradient coils. The collimator was produced with metal additive manufacturing, that is part of a microSPECT insert for a preclinical SPECT/MRI scanner. We characterized the induced magnetic field due to the gradient field and adapted the collimators to reduce the induced eddy currents. We modeled the x-, y-, and z-gradient coil and the different collimator designs and simulated them with FEKO, a three-dimensional method of moments / finite element methods (MoM/FEM) full-wave simulation tool. We used a time analysis approach to generate the pulsed magnetic field gradient. Simulation results show that the maximum induced field can be reduced by 50.82% in the final design bringing the maximum induced magnetic field to less than 2% of the applied gradient for all the gradient coils. The numerical model was validated with measurements and was proposed as a tool for studying the effect of a SPECT collimator within the MRI gradient coils.

Resolution Enhancement in PET Reconstruction Using Collimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Metzler, Scott D.; Matej, Samuel; Karp, Joel S.

2013-02-01

Collimation can improve both the spatial resolution and sampling properties compared to the same scanner without collimation. Spatial resolution improves because each original crystal can be conceptually split into two (i.e., doubling the number of in-plane crystals) by masking half the crystal with a high-density attenuator (e.g., tungsten); this reduces coincidence efficiency by 4× since both crystals comprising the line of response (LOR) are masked, but yields 4× as many resolution-enhanced (RE) LORs. All the new RE LORs can be measured by scanning with the collimator in different configurations.In this simulation study, the collimator was assumed to be ideal, neither allowing gamma penetration nor truncating the field of view. Comparisons were made in 2D between an uncollimated small-animal system with 2-mm crystals that were assumed to be perfectly absorbing and the same system with collimation that narrowed the effective crystal size to 1 mm. Digital phantoms included a hot-rod and a single-hot-spot, both in a uniform background with activity ratio of 4:1. In addition to the collimated and uncollimated configurations, angular and spatial wobbling acquisitions of the 2-mm case were also simulated. Similarly, configurations with different combinations of the RE LORs were considered including (i) all LORs, (ii) only those parallel to the 2-mm LORs; and (iii) only cross pairs that are not parallel to the 2-mm LORs. Lastly, quantitative studies were conducted for collimated and uncollimated data using contrast recovery coefficient and mean-squared error (MSE) as metrics. The reconstructions show that for most noise levels there is a substantial improvement in image quality (i.e., visual quality, resolution, and a reduction in artifacts) by using collimation even when there are 4 fewer counts or-in some cases-comparing with the noiseless uncollimated reconstruction. By comparing various configurations of sampling, the results show that it is the matched combination of both improved spatial resolution of each LOR and the increase in the number of LORs that yields improved reconstructions. Further, the quantitative studies show that for low-count scans, the collimated data give better MSE for small lesions and the uncollimated data give better MSE for larger lesions; for highcount studies, the collimated data yield better quantitative values for the entire range of lesion sizes that were evaluated.

Prompt gamma imaging of proton pencil beams at clinical dose rate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perali, I.; Celani, A.; Bombelli, L.; Fiorini, C.; Camera, F.; Clementel, E.; Henrotin, S.; Janssens, G.; Prieels, D.; Roellinghoff, F.; Smeets, J.; Stichelbaut, F.; Vander Stappen, F.

2014-10-01

In this work, we present experimental results of a prompt gamma camera for real-time proton beam range verification. The detection system features a pixelated Cerium doped lutetium based scintillation crystal, coupled to Silicon PhotoMultiplier arrays, read out by dedicated electronics. The prompt gamma camera uses a knife-edge slit collimator to produce a 1D projection of the beam path in the target on the scintillation detector. We designed the detector to provide high counting statistics and high photo-detection efficiency for prompt gamma rays of several MeV. The slit design favours the counting statistics and could be advantageous in terms of simplicity, reduced cost and limited footprint. We present the description of the realized gamma camera, as well as the results of the characterization of the camera itself in terms of imaging performance. We also present the results of experiments in which a polymethyl methacrylate phantom was irradiated with proton pencil beams in a proton therapy center. A tungsten slit collimator was used and prompt gamma rays were acquired in the 3-6 MeV energy range. The acquisitions were performed with the beam operated at 100 MeV, 160 MeV and 230 MeV, with beam currents at the nozzle exit of several nA. Measured prompt gamma profiles are consistent with the simulations and we reached a precision (2σ) in shift retrieval of 4 mm with 0.5 × 108, 1.4 × 108 and 3.4 × 108 protons at 100, 160 and 230 MeV, respectively. We conclude that the acquisition of prompt gamma profiles for in vivo range verification of proton beam with the developed gamma camera and a slit collimator is feasible in clinical conditions. The compact design of the camera allows its integration in a proton therapy treatment room and further studies will be undertaken to validate the use of this detection system during treatment of real patients.

Benchmark gamma-ray skyshine experiment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nason, R.R.; Shultis, J.K.; Faw, R.E.

1982-01-01

A benchmark gamma-ray skyshine experiment is descibed in which /sup 60/Co sources were either collimated into an upward 150-deg conical beam or shielded vertically by two different thicknesses of concrete. A NaI(Tl) spectrometer and a high pressure ion chamber were used to measure, respectively, the energy spectrum and the 4..pi..-exposure rate of the air-reflected gamma photons up to 700 m from the source. Analyses of the data and comparison to DOT discrete ordinates calculations are presented.

Illumination design for semiconductor backlight inspection and application extensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Wei; Rutherford, Todd; Hart, Darcy

2013-09-01

High speed strobe based illumination scheme is one of the most critical factors for high throughput semiconductor defect inspection applications. HB LEDs are always the first and best options for such applications due to numerous unique advantages such as excellent spatial and temporal stability, fast responding time, large and linear intensity dynamic range and no heat issue for the extremely low duty cycle applications. For some applications where a large area is required to be illuminated simultaneously, it remains a great challenge to efficiently package a large amount of HB-LEDs in a highly confined 3D space, to generate a seamless illuminated area with high luminance efficiency and spatial uniformity. A novel 3D structured collimation lens is presented in this paper. The non-circular edge shape reduces the intensity drop at the channel boundaries, while the secondary curvatures on the top of the collimator lens efficiently guides the light into desired angular space. The number of the edges and the radius of the top surface curvature are control parameters for the system level performance and the manufacture cost trade-off. The proposed 3D structured LED collimation lens also maintains the benefits of traditional LED collimation lens such as coupling efficiency and mold manufacture capability. The applications can be extended into other non-illumination area like parallelism measurement and solar panel concentrator etc.

A Monte Carlo simulation study for the gamma-ray/neutron dual-particle imager using rotational modulation collimator (RMC).

PubMed

Kim, Hyun Suk; Choi, Hong Yeop; Lee, Gyemin; Ye, Sung-Joon; Smith, Martin B; Kim, Geehyun

2018-03-01

The aim of this work is to develop a gamma-ray/neutron dual-particle imager, based on rotational modulation collimators (RMCs) and pulse shape discrimination (PSD)-capable scintillators, for possible applications for radioactivity monitoring as well as nuclear security and safeguards. A Monte Carlo simulation study was performed to design an RMC system for the dual-particle imaging, and modulation patterns were obtained for gamma-ray and neutron sources in various configurations. We applied an image reconstruction algorithm utilizing the maximum-likelihood expectation-maximization method based on the analytical modeling of source-detector configurations, to the Monte Carlo simulation results. Both gamma-ray and neutron source distributions were reconstructed and evaluated in terms of signal-to-noise ratio, showing the viability of developing an RMC-based gamma-ray/neutron dual-particle imager using PSD-capable scintillators.

On the selection of gantry and collimator angles for isocenter localization using Winston-Lutz tests.

PubMed

Du, Weiliang; Johnson, Jennifer L; Jiang, Wei; Kudchadker, Rajat J

2016-01-08

In Winston-Lutz (WL) tests, the isocenter of a linear accelerator (linac) is determined as the intersection of radiation central axes (CAX) from multiple gantry, collimator, and couch angles. It is well known that the CAX can wobble due to mechanical imperfections of the linac. Previous studies suggested that the wobble varies with gantry and collimator angles. Therefore, the isocenter determined in the WL tests has a profound dependence on the gantry and collimator angles at which CAX are sampled. In this study, we evaluated the systematic and random errors in the iso-centers determined with different CAX sampling schemes. Digital WL tests were performed on six linacs. For each WL test, 63 CAX were sampled at nine gantry angles and seven collimator angles. Subsets of these data were used to simulate the effects of various CAX sampling schemes. An isocenter was calculated from each subset of CAX and compared against the reference isocenter, which was calculated from 48 opposing CAX. The differences between the calculated isocenters and the reference isocenters ranged from 0 to 0.8 mm. The differences diminished to less than 0.2 mm when 24 or more CAX were sampled. Isocenters determined with collimator 0° were vertically lower than those determined with collimator 90° and 270°. Isocenter localization errors in the longitudinal direction (along the axis of gantry rotation) showed a strong dependence on the collimator angle selected. The errors in all directions were significantly reduced when opposing collimator angles and opposing gantry angles were employed. The isocenter localization errors were less than 0.2 mm with the common CAX sampling scheme, which used four cardinal gantry angles and two opposing collimator angles. Reproducibility stud-ies on one linac showed that the mean and maximum variations of CAX during the WL tests were 0.053 mm and 0.30 mm, respectively. The maximal variation in the resulting isocenters was 0.068 mm if 48 CAX were used, or 0.13 mm if four CAX were used. Quantitative results from this study are useful for understanding and minimizing the isocenter uncertainty in WL tests.

Microdosimetric investigation of a fast neutron radiobiology facility utilising the d(4)-9Be reaction.

PubMed

Waker, A J; Maughan, R L

1986-11-01

For fast neutron therapy and radiobiology beams, knowledge of the primary neutron spectrum is the most fundamental requirement for the definition of radiation quality. However, microdosimetric measurements in the form of single-event spectra not only complement the primary neutron spectrum as a statement of radiation quality but also provide a sensitive method of detecting changes in the radiation field in situations where it is no longer possible to have precise knowledge of the primary neutron spectrum, for example after collimator changes and in positions where the radiation field consists of a large scattered component. For the various collimator arrangements employed at the Gray Laboratory facility small perturbations of the radiation field are observed which can be related to a softening of the primary neutron spectrum with increasing field size of the collimator. Gamma fraction determinations are in very good agreement with measurements employing the dual chamber technique and also show small changes with collimator field size giving rise to gamma components ranging from 0.09 to 0.12, the higher values being measured for the larger field sizes. Quality changes represented by the shape of the measured event-size spectra and the derived microdosimetric parameters were greatest for off axis and phantom measurements. With increasing depth in water, yD was found to decrease from 47.3 keV micron-1 at 5 cm to 35.6 keV micron-1 at 15 cm depth, and the gamma fraction was found to increase from 0.23 to 0.40. Although there is no generally accepted and agreed method of relating microdosimetric information to biological effectiveness, the dual radiation theory in its original form (Kellerer and Rossi 1972) has been shown to be a very useful model for the assessment of the biological effectiveness of fast neutrons (Kellerer et al 1976). The microdosimetric parameter which is used in the dual radiation model is the dose mean specific energy corrected for saturation zeta* which, for a 2 micron simulated diameter, is related to the dose mean lineal energy corrected for saturation y* by zeta* = y* keV micron-1 X 0.51 X 10(-2) Gy. Values of y* determined for each of the collimator arrangements used at the Gray Laboratory show a spread of some 6% (table 1) and, as the dose fraction between lineal energies 5 and 150 keV micron-1 (the recoil proton component) do not alter by more than 3%, radiobiological experiments performed with different collimator arrangements would show no observable differences.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Online virtual isocenter based radiation field targeting for high performance small animal microirradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stewart, James M. P.; Ansell, Steve; Lindsay, Patricia E.; Jaffray, David A.

2015-12-01

Advances in precision microirradiators for small animal radiation oncology studies have provided the framework for novel translational radiobiological studies. Such systems target radiation fields at the scale required for small animal investigations, typically through a combination of on-board computed tomography image guidance and fixed, interchangeable collimators. Robust targeting accuracy of these radiation fields remains challenging, particularly at the millimetre scale field sizes achievable by the majority of microirradiators. Consistent and reproducible targeting accuracy is further hindered as collimators are removed and inserted during a typical experimental workflow. This investigation quantified this targeting uncertainty and developed an online method based on a virtual treatment isocenter to actively ensure high performance targeting accuracy for all radiation field sizes. The results indicated that the two-dimensional field placement uncertainty was as high as 1.16 mm at isocenter, with simulations suggesting this error could be reduced to 0.20 mm using the online correction method. End-to-end targeting analysis of a ball bearing target on radiochromic film sections showed an improved targeting accuracy with the three-dimensional vector targeting error across six different collimators reduced from 0.56+/- 0.05 mm (mean  ±  SD) to 0.05+/- 0.05 mm for an isotropic imaging voxel size of 0.1 mm.

Intensity limits of the PSI Injector II cyclotron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolano, A.; Adelmann, A.; Barlow, R.; Baumgarten, C.

2018-03-01

We investigate limits on the current of the PSI Injector II high intensity separate-sector isochronous cyclotron, in its present configuration and after a proposed upgrade. Accelerator Driven Subcritical Reactors, neutron and neutrino experiments, and medical isotope production all benefit from increases in current, even at the ∼ 10% level: the PSI cyclotrons provide relevant experience. As space charge dominates at low beam energy, the injector is critical. Understanding space charge effects and halo formation through detailed numerical modelling gives clues on how to maximise the extracted current. Simulation of a space-charge dominated low energy high intensity (9.5 mA DC) machine, with a complex collimator set up in the central region shaping the bunch, is not trivial. We use the OPAL code, a tool for charged-particle optics calculations in large accelerator structures and beam lines, including 3D space charge. We have a precise model of the present (production) Injector II, operating at 2.2 mA current. A simple model of the proposed future (upgraded) configuration of the cyclotron is also investigated. We estimate intensity limits based on the developed models, supported by fitted scaling laws and measurements. We have been able to perform more detailed analysis of the bunch parameters and halo development than any previous study. Optimisation techniques enable better matching of the simulation set-up with Injector II parameters and measurements. We show that in the production configuration the beam current scales to the power of three with the beam size. However, at higher intensities, 4th power scaling is a better fit, setting the limit of approximately 3 mA. Currents of over 5 mA, higher than have been achieved to date, can be produced if the collimation scheme is adjusted.

Research and development of a dedicated collimator for 14.2 MeV fast neutrons for imaging using a D-T generator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabo-Napadensky, I.; Weiss-Babai, R.; Gayer, A.; Vartsky, D.; Bar, D.; Mor, I.; Chacham-Zada, R.; Cohen, M.; Tamim, N.

2012-06-01

One of the main problems in neutron imaging is the scattered radiation that accompanies the direct neutrons that reach the imaging detectors and affect the image quality. We have developed a dedicated collimator for 14.2 MeV fast neutrons. The collimator optimizes the amount of scattered radiation to primary neutrons that arrive at the imaging plane. We have used different materials within the collimator in order to lower the scattered radiation that arrives at the scanned object. The image quality and the signal to noise ratios that are measured show that a mixture of BORAX (Na2B4O7ṡ10H2O) and water in the experimental beam collimator give the best results. We have used GEANT4 to simulate the collimator performance, the simulations predict the optimized material looking on the ratios of the scattered to primary neutrons that contribute in the detector. We present our experimental setup, report the results of the experimental and related simulation studies with neutrons beam generated by a 14.2 MeV D-T neutron generator.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Arcadi, Giorgio; Ghosh, Pradipta; Centre de Physique Théorique, Ecole polytechnique, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 91128 Palaiseau Cedex

We investigate a simple setup in which an excess in the di-photon invariant mass distribution around 750 GeV, as seen by the ATLAS and CMS collaborations, is originated through a pair of collimated photon pairs. In this framework a scalar state s decays into two light pseudo-Goldstone bosons a, each of which subsequently decays into a pair of collimated photons which are misidentified as a single photon. In a minimal context of spontaneous symmetry breaking, we show that coupling a complex scalar field Φ=(s+ia)/√2 to a fermionic dark matter candidate χ, also responsible for generating its mass, allows for themore » correct relic density in a large region of the parameter space, while not being excluded by the direct or indirect detection experiments. Moreover, the correct relic abundance can naturally co-exist with a relatively large width for the resonant field s.« less

[Development of an experimental apparatus for energy calibration of a CdTe detector by means of diagnostic X-ray equipment].

PubMed

Fukuda, Ikuma; Hayashi, Hiroaki; Takegami, Kazuki; Konishi, Yuki

2013-09-01

Diagnostic X-ray equipment was used to develop an experimental apparatus for calibrating a CdTe detector. Powder-type samples were irradiated with collimated X-rays. On excitation of the atoms, characteristic X-rays were emitted. We prepared Nb2O5, SnO2, La2O3, Gd2O3, and WO3 metal oxide samples. Experiments using the diagnostic X-ray equipment were carried out to verify the practicality of our apparatus. First, we verified that the collimators involving the apparatus worked well. Second, the X-ray spectra were measured using the prepared samples. Finally, we analyzed the spectra, which indicated that the energy calibration curve had been obtained at an accuracy of ±0.06 keV. The developed apparatus could be used conveniently, suggesting it to be useful for the practical training of beginners and researchers.

Collimator of multiple plates with axially aligned identical random arrays of apertures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoover, R. B.; Underwood, J. H. (Inventor)

1973-01-01

A collimator is disclosed for examining the spatial location of distant sources of radiation and for imaging by projection, small, near sources of radiation. The collimator consists of a plurality of plates, all of which are pierced with an identical random array of apertures. The plates are mounted perpendicular to a common axis, with like apertures on consecutive plates axially aligned so as to form radiation channels parallel to the common axis. For near sources, the collimator is interposed between the source and a radiation detector and is translated perpendicular to the common axis so as to project radiation traveling parallel to the common axis incident to the detector. For far sources the collimator is scanned by rotating it in elevation and azimuth with a detector to determine the angular distribution of the radiation from the source.

Protecting LHC components against radiation resulting from an unsynchronized beam abort

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nikolai V. Mokhov et al.

2001-06-26

The effect of possible accidental beam loss in the LHC on the IP5 and IP6 insertion elements is studied via realistic Monte Carlo simulations. The scenario studied is beam loss due to unsynchronized abort at an accidental prefire of one of the abort kicker modules. Simulations show that this beam loss would result in severe heating of the IP5 and IP6 superconducting (SC) quadrupoles. Contrary to the previous considerations with a stationary set of collimators in IP5, collimators in IP6 close to the cause are proposed: a movable collimator upstream of the Q4 quadrupole and a stationary one upstream ofmore » the extraction septumMSD. The calculated temperature rise in the optimal set of collimators is quite acceptable. All SC magnets are protected by these collimators against damage.« less

Method and apparatus for a multibeam beacon laser assembly for optical communications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Biswas, Abhijit (Inventor); Sanji, Babak (Inventor); Wright, Malcolm W. (Inventor); Page, Norman Alan (Inventor)

2005-01-01

An optical beacon is comprised of a telescope having a primary focal plane or Coud? focal plane, a plurality of fiber coupled laser sources for generating a plurality of beams, a collimator for collimating the plurality of beams, and optics for combining and focusing the plurality of collimated beams onto the primary or Coud? focal plane of the telescope. The telescope propagates the optical beacon, which is arranged into a ring of incoherent plurality of collimated beams. The apparatus further comprises fiber splitters coupled to each laser source to provide at least eight beams from at least four laser sources. The optics comprises a prism assembly, a combiner lens, a focusing lens and a field lens for focusing the plurality of collimated beams onto the primary focal plane or Coud? focal plane of the telescope.

A Silicon SPECT System for Molecular Imaging of the Mouse Brain.

PubMed

Shokouhi, Sepideh; Fritz, Mark A; McDonald, Benjamin S; Durko, Heather L; Furenlid, Lars R; Wilson, Donald W; Peterson, Todd E

2007-01-01

We previously demonstrated the feasibility of using silicon double-sided strip detectors (DSSDs) for SPECT imaging of the activity distribution of iodine-125 using a 300-micrometer thick detector. Based on this experience, we now have developed fully customized silicon DSSDs and associated readout electronics with the intent of developing a multi-pinhole SPECT system. Each DSSD has a 60.4 mm × 60.4 mm active area and is 1 mm thick. The strip pitch is 59 micrometers, and the readout of the 1024 strips on each side gives rise to a detector with over one million pixels. Combining four high-resolution DSSDs into a SPECT system offers an unprecedented space-bandwidth product for the imaging of single-photon emitters. The system consists of two camera heads with two silicon detectors stacked one behind the other in each head. The collimator has a focused pinhole system with cylindrical-shaped pinholes that are laser-drilled in a 250 μm tungsten plate. The unique ability to collect projection data at two magnifications simultaneously allows for multiplexed data at high resolution to be combined with lower magnification data with little or no multiplexing. With the current multi-pinhole collimator design, our SPECT system will be capable of offering high spatial resolution, sensitivity and angular sampling for small field-of-view applications, such as molecular imaging of the mouse brain.

Optimum angle-cut of collimator for dense objects in high-energy proton radiography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Hai-Bo; Zheng, Na

2016-02-01

The use of minus identity lenses with an angle-cut collimator can achieve high contrast images in high-energy proton radiography. This article presents the principles of choosing the angle-cut aperture of the collimator for different energies and objects. Numerical simulation using the Monte Carlo code Geant4 has been implemented to investigate the entire radiography for the French test object. The optimum angle-cut apertures of the collimators are also obtained for different energies. Supported by NSAF (11176001) and Science and Technology Developing Foundation of China Academy of Engineering Physics (2012A0202006)

Compact collimators designed with a modified point approximation for light-emitting diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Tao; Wang, Gang

2017-09-01

We present a novel freeform lens design method for an application to LED collimating illumination. The method is derived from a basic geometric-optics analysis and construction approach. By using this method, a compact collimated lenses with Aspect Ratio = 0.219 is presented. Moreover, the utility efficiency (UE) inside the angle defined by ideal concentrator hypothesis with different lens-to-LED size ratios for both this lens and TIR lens are presented. A prototype of the collimator lens is also made to verify the practical performance of the lens, which has light distribution very compatible with the simulation results.

Freeform lens design for LED collimating illumination.

PubMed

Chen, Jin-Jia; Wang, Te-Yuan; Huang, Kuang-Lung; Liu, Te-Shu; Tsai, Ming-Da; Lin, Chin-Tang

2012-05-07

We present a simple freeform lens design method for an application to LED collimating illumination. The method is derived from a basic geometric-optics analysis and construction approach. By using this method, a highly collimating lens with LED chip size of 1.0 mm × 1.0 mm and optical simulation efficiency of 86.5% under a view angle of ± 5 deg is constructed. To verify the practical performance of the lens, a prototype of the collimator lens is also made, and an optical efficiency of 90.3% with a beam angle of 4.75 deg is measured.

High resolution collimator system for X-ray detector

DOEpatents

Eberhard, Jeffrey W.; Cain, Dallas E.

1987-01-01

High resolution in an X-ray computerized tomography (CT) inspection system is achieved by using a collimator/detector combination to limit the beam width of the X-ray beam incident on a detector element to the desired resolution width. In a detector such as a high pressure Xenon detector array, a narrow tapered collimator is provided above a wide detector element. The collimator slits have any desired width, as small as a few mils at the top, the slit width is easily controlled, and they are fabricated on standard machines. The slit length determines the slice thickness of the CT image.

Collimator optimization and collimator-detector response compensation in myocardial perfusion SPECT using the ideal observer with and without model mismatch and an anthropomorphic model observer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghaly, Michael; Links, Jonathan M.; Frey, Eric C.

2016-03-01

The collimator is the primary factor that determines the spatial resolution and noise tradeoff in myocardial perfusion SPECT images. In this paper, the goal was to find the collimator that optimizes the image quality in terms of a perfusion defect detection task. Since the optimal collimator could depend on the level of approximation of the collimator-detector response (CDR) compensation modeled in reconstruction, we performed this optimization for the cases of modeling the full CDR (including geometric, septal penetration and septal scatter responses), the geometric CDR, or no model of the CDR. We evaluated the performance on the detection task using three model observers. Two observers operated on data in the projection domain: the Ideal Observer (IO) and IO with Model-Mismatch (IO-MM). The third observer was an anthropomorphic Channelized Hotelling Observer (CHO), which operated on reconstructed images. The projection-domain observers have the advantage that they are computationally less intensive. The IO has perfect knowledge of the image formation process, i.e. it has a perfect model of the CDR. The IO-MM takes into account the mismatch between the true (complete and accurate) model and an approximate model, e.g. one that might be used in reconstruction. We evaluated the utility of these projection domain observers in optimizing instrumentation parameters. We investigated a family of 8 parallel-hole collimators, spanning a wide range of resolution and sensitivity tradeoffs, using a population of simulated projection (for the IO and IO-MM) and reconstructed (for the CHO) images that included background variability. We simulated anterolateral and inferior perfusion defects with variable extents and severities. The area under the ROC curve was estimated from the IO, IO-MM, and CHO test statistics and served as the figure-of-merit. The optimal collimator for the IO had a resolution of 9-11 mm FWHM at 10 cm, which is poorer resolution than typical collimators used for MPS. When the IO-MM and CHO used a geometric or no model of the CDR, the optimal collimator shifted toward higher resolution than that obtained using the IO and the CHO with full CDR modeling. With the optimal collimator, the IO-MM and CHO using geometric modeling gave similar performance to full CDR modeling. Collimators with poorer resolution were optimal when CDR modeling was used. The agreement of rankings between the IO-MM and CHO confirmed that the IO-MM is useful for optimization tasks when model mismatch is present due to its substantially reduced computational burden compared to the CHO.

Measurement system and model for simultaneously measuring 6DOF geometric errors.

PubMed

Zhao, Yuqiong; Zhang, Bin; Feng, Qibo

2017-09-04

A measurement system to simultaneously measure six degree-of-freedom (6DOF) geometric errors is proposed. The measurement method is based on a combination of mono-frequency laser interferometry and laser fiber collimation. A simpler and more integrated optical configuration is designed. To compensate for the measurement errors introduced by error crosstalk, element fabrication error, laser beam drift, and nonparallelism of two measurement beam, a unified measurement model, which can improve the measurement accuracy, is deduced and established using the ray-tracing method. A numerical simulation using the optical design software Zemax is conducted, and the results verify the correctness of the model. Several experiments are performed to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed system and measurement model.

High intensity multi beam design of SANS instrument for Dhruva reactor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abbas, Sohrab, E-mail: abbas@barc.gov.in; Aswal, V. K.; Désert, S.

A new and versatile design of Small Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) instrument based on utilization of multi-beam is presented. The multi-pinholes and multi-slits as SANS collimator for medium flux Dhruva rearctor have been proposed and their designs have been validated using McStas simulations. Various instrument configurations to achieve different minimum wave vector transfers in scattering experiments are envisioned. These options enable smooth access to minimum wave vector transfers as low as ~ 6×10{sup −4} Å{sup −1} with a significant improvement in neutron intensity, allowing faster measurements. Such angularly well defined and intense neutron beam will allow faster SANS studies ofmore » agglomerates larger than few tens of nm.« less

Development and deployment of the Collimated Directional Radiation Detection System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guckes, Amber L.; Barzilov, Alexander

2017-09-01

The Collimated Directional Radiation Detection System (CDRDS) is capable of imaging radioactive sources in two dimensions (as a directional detector). The detection medium of the CDRDS is a single Cs2LiYCl6:Ce3+ scintillator cell enriched in 7Li (CLYC-7). The CLYC-7 is surrounded by a heterogeneous high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and lead (Pb) collimator. These materials make-up a coded aperture inlaid in the collimator. The collimator is rotated 360° by a stepper motor which enables time-encoded imaging of a radioactive source. The CDRDS is capable of spectroscopy and pulse shape discrimination (PSD) of photons and fast neutrons. The measurements of a radioactive source are carried out in discrete time steps that correlate to the angular rotation of the collimator. The measurement results are processed using a maximum likelihood expectation (MLEM) algorithm to create an image of the measured radiation. This collimator design allows for the directional detection of photons and fast neutrons simultaneously by utilizing only one CLYC-7 scintillator. Directional detection of thermal neutrons can also be performed by utilizing another suitable scintillator. Moreover, the CDRDS is portable, robust, and user friendly. This unit is capable of utilizing wireless data transfer for possible radiation mapping and network-centric applications. The CDRDS was tested by performing laboratory measurements with various gamma-ray and neutron sources.

Analysis of eddy currents induced by transverse and longitudinal gradient coils in different tungsten collimators geometries for SPECT/MRI integration.

PubMed

Samoudi, Amine M; Van Audenhaege, Karen; Vermeeren, Günter; Poole, Michael; Tanghe, Emmeric; Martens, Luc; Van Holen, Roel; Joseph, Wout

2015-12-01

We investigated the temporal variation of the induced magnetic field due to the transverse and the longitudinal gradient coils in tungsten collimators arranged in hexagonal and pentagonal geometries with and without gaps between the collimators. We modeled x-, y-, and z-gradient coils and different arrangements of single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) collimators using FEKO, a three-dimensional electromagnetic simulation tool. A time analysis approach was used to generate the pulsed magnetic field gradient. The approach was validated with measurements using a 7T MRI scanner. Simulations showed an induced magnetic field representing 4.66% and 0.87% of the applied gradient field (gradient strength = 500 mT/m) for longitudinal and transverse gradient coils, respectively. These values can be reduced by 75% by adding gaps between the collimators for the pentagonal arrangement, bringing the maximum induced magnetic field to less than 2% of the applied gradient for all of the gradient coils. Characterization of the maximum induced magnetic field shows that by adding gaps between the collimators for an integrated SPECT/MRI system, eddy currents can be corrected by the MRI system to avoid artifact. The numerical model was validated and was proposed as a tool for studying the effect of a SPECT collimator within the MRI gradient coils. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Focusing, collimation and flux throughput at the IMCA-CAT bending-magnet beamline at the Advanced Photon Source

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Koshelev, Irina; Huang, Rong; Graber, Timothy

2009-09-02

The IMCA-CAT bending-magnet beamline was upgraded with a collimating mirror in order to achieve the energy resolution required to conduct high-quality multi- and single-wavelength anomalous diffraction (MAD/SAD) experiments without sacrificing beamline flux throughput. Following the upgrade, the bending-magnet beamline achieves a flux of 8 x 10{sup 11} photons s{sup -1} at 1 {angstrom} wavelength, at a beamline aperture of 1.5 mrad (horizontal) x 86 {mu}rad (vertical), with energy resolution (limited mostly by the intrinsic resolution of the monochromator optics) {delta}E/E = 1.5 x 10{sup -4} (at 10 kV). The beamline operates in a dynamic range of 7.5-17.5 keV and deliversmore » to the sample focused beam of size (FWHM) 240 {micro}m (horizontally) x 160 {micro}m (vertically). The performance of the 17-BM beamline optics and its deviation from ideally shaped optics is evaluated in the context of the requirements imposed by the needs of protein crystallography experiments. An assessment of flux losses is given in relation to the (geometric) properties of major beamline components.« less

Measuring Collimator Infrared (IR) Spectral Transmission

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-01

TECHNICAL REPORT RDMR-WD-16-15 MEASURING COLLIMATOR INFRARED (IR) SPECTRAL TRANSMISSION Christopher L. Dobbins Weapons...AND DATES COVERED Final 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Measuring Collimator Infrared (IR) Spectral Transmission 5. FUNDING NUMBERS 6. AUTHOR(S) Christopher L...release; distribution is unlimited. 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE A 13. ABSTRACT (Maximum 200 Words) Several Infrared (IR) imaging systems have been measured

Focus collimator press for a collimator for gamma ray cameras

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

York, R.N.; York, D.L.

A focus collimator press for collimators for gamma ray cameras is described comprising a pivot arm of fixed length mounted on a travelling pivot which is movable in the plane of a spaced apart work table surface in a direction toward and away from the work table. A press plate is carried at the opposite end of the fixed length pivot arm, and is maintained in registration with the same portion of the work table for pressing engagement with each undulating radiation opaque strip as it is added to the top of a collimator stack in process by movement ofmore » the travelling pivot inward toward the work table. This enables the press plate to maintain its relative position above the collimator stack and at the same time the angle of the press plate changes, becoming less acute in relation to the work table as the travelling pivot motes inwardly toward the work table. The fixed length of the pivot arm is substantially equal to the focal point of the converging apertures formed by each pair of undulating strips stacked together. Thus, the focal point of each aperture row falls substantially on the axis of the travelling pivot, and since it moves in the plane of the work table surface the focal point of each aperture row is directed to lie in the same common plane. When one of two collimator stacks made in this way is rotated 180 degrees and the two bonded together along their respective first strips, all focal points of every aperture row lie on the central axis of the completed collimator.« less

Poster - 23: Dosimetric Characterization and Transferability of an Accessory Mounted Mini-Beam Collimator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Davis, William; Crewson, Cody; Alexander, Andrew

Objective: The dosimetric characterization of an accessory-mounted mini-beam collimator across three beam matched linear accelerators. Materials and Methods: Percent depth dose and profiles were measured for the open and mini-beam collimated fields. The average beam quality and peak-to-valley dose ratio (PVDR), the ratio of average peak dose to average valley dose, were obtained from these measurements. The open field relative output and the mini-beam collimator factor, the ratio of the mini-beam dose to open field dose at the beam center, were measured for square fields of side 2, 3, 4, and 5 cm. Mini-beam output as a function of collimatormore » inclination angle relative to the central axis was also investigated. Results and Discussion: Beam quality for both the open and mini-beam collimated fields agreed across all linacs to within ±1.0%. The PVDR was found to vary by up to ±6.6% from the mean. For the 2, 3, and 4 cm fields the average open field relative output with respect to the 5 cm field was 0.874±0.4%, 0.921±0.3%, and 0.962±0.1%. The average collimator factors were 0.450±3.9%, 0.443±3.9%, 0.438±3.9%, and 0.434±3.9%. A decrease in collimator factor greater than 7% was found for an inclination angle change of 0.09°. Conclusion: The mini-beam collimator has revealed a difference between the three linacs not apparent in the open field data, yet transferability can still be attained through thorough dosimetric characterization.« less

Influence of detector collimation and beam pitch for identification and image quality of ground-glass attenuation and nodules on 16- and 64-detector row CT systems: experimental study using chest phantom.

PubMed

Ohno, Yoshiharu; Koyama, Hisanobu; Kono, Astushi; Terada, Mari; Inokawa, Hiroyasu; Matsumoto, Sumiaki; Sugimura, Kazuro

2007-12-01

The purpose of the present study was to determine the influence of detector collimation and beam pitch for identification and image quality of ground-glass attenuation (GGA) and nodules on 16- and 64-detector row CTs, by using a commercially available chest phantom. A chest CT phantom including simulated GGAs and nodules was scanned with different detector collimations, beam pitches and tube currents. The probability and image quality of each simulated abnormality was visually assessed with a five-point scoring system. ROC-analysis and ANOVA were then performed to compare the identification and image quality of either protocol with standard values. Detection rates of low-dose CTs were significantly reduced when tube currents were set at 40mA or less by using detector collimation 16 and 64x0.5mm and 16 and 32mmx1.0mm for low pitch, and at 100mA or less by using detector collimation 16 and 64x0.5mm and 16 and 32mmx1.0mm for high pitch (p<0.05). Image qualities of low-dose CTs deteriorated significantly when tube current was set at 100mA or less by using detector collimation 16 and 64x0.5mm and 16 and 32x1.0mm for low pitch, and at 150mA or less by using detector collimation 16 and 64x0.5mm and 16 and 32x1.0mm for high pitch (p<0.05). Detector collimation and beam pitch were important factors for the image quality and identification of GGA and nodules by 16- and 64-detector row CT.

Variable-energy collimator for high-energy radiation

DOEpatents

Hill, R.A.

1982-03-03

An apparatus is disclosed providing a variable aperture energy beam collimator. A plurality of beam opaque blocks are in sliding interface edge contact to form a variable aperture. The blocks may be offset at the apex angle to provide a non-equilateral aperture. A plurality of collimator block assemblies may be employed for providing a channel defining a collimated beam. Adjacent assemblies are inverted front-to-back with respect to one another for preventing noncollimated ;energy from emergine from the apparatus. An adjustment mechanism comprises a cable attached to at least one block and a hand wheel mechanism for operating the cable. The blocks are supported by guide rods engaging slide brackets on the blocks. The guide rods are pivotally connected at each end to intermediate actuators supported on rotatable shafts to change the shape of the aperture. A divergent collimated beam may be obtained by adjusting the apertures of adjacent stages to be unequal.

Apparatus and method for combining light from two or more fibers into a single fiber

DOEpatents

Klingsporn, Paul Edward

2007-02-20

An apparatus and method for combining light signals carried on a plurality of input fibers onto a single receiving fiber with a high degree of efficiency. The apparatus broadly comprises the receiving fiber and a plurality of input fiber-lens assemblies, with each fiber lens assembly including an input fiber; a collimating lens interposed between the input fiber and the receiving fiber and adapted to collimate the light signal; and a focusing lens interposed between the collimating lens and the receiving fiber and adapted to focus the collimated light signal onto the face of the receiving fiber. The components of each fiber-lens assembly are oriented along an optic axis that is inclined relative to the receiving fiber, with the inclination angle depending at least in part on the input fiber's numerical aperture and the focal lengths and diameters of the collimating and focusing lenses.

Apparatus and method for combining light from two or more fibers into a single fiber

DOEpatents

Klingsporn, Paul Edward

2006-03-14

An apparatus and method for combining light signals carried on a plurality of input fibers onto a single receiving fiber with a high degree of efficiency. The apparatus broadly comprises the receiving fiber and a plurality of input fiber-lens assemblies, with each fiber lens assembly including an input fiber; a collimating lens interposed between the input fiber and the receiving fiber and adapted to collimate the light signal; and a focusing lens interposed between the collimating lens and the receiving fiber and adapted to focus the collimated light signal onto the face of the receiving fiber. The components of each fiber-lens assembly are oriented along an optic axis that is inclined relative to the receiving fiber, with the inclination angle depending at least in part on the input fiber's numerical aperture and the focal lengths and diameters of the collimating and focusing lenses.

Variable aperture collimator for high energy radiation

DOEpatents

Hill, Ronald A.

1984-05-22

An apparatus is disclosed providing a variable aperture energy beam collimator. A plurality of beam opaque blocks are in sliding interface edge contact to form a variable aperture. The blocks may be offset at the apex angle to provide a non-equilateral aperture. A plurality of collimator block assemblies may be employed for providing a channel defining a collimated beam. Adjacent assemblies are inverted front-to-back with respect to one another for preventing noncollimated energy from emerging from the apparatus. An adjustment mechanism comprises a cable attached to at least one block and a hand wheel mechanism for operating the cable. The blocks are supported by guide rods engaging slide brackets on the blocks. The guide rods are pivotally connected at each end to intermediate actuators supported on rotatable shafts to change the shape of the aperture. A divergent collimated beam may be obtained by adjusting the apertures of adjacent stages to be unequal.

A Preliminary Research on the Development of the Hard X-Ray Imaging Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, C. X.; Cai, M. S.; Hu, Y. M.; Huang, Y. Y.; Gong, Y. Z.

2014-03-01

Since the 1860s, astronomers have explored a new field with the discovery of X-ray. Instead of the conventional imaging technique by using mirrors or lens, which can not work in the high-energy bands, direct imaging, coded aperture, and Fourier transform are used for the high-energy imaging. It can be implemented in various hardware configurations, among which the spatial modulation collimator are widely used. We adopt the grating collimator based on Fourier transform that is discussed in detail. This paper makes an investigation on the fabrication process of grating. The key components of the hard X-ray telescope based on the spatial modulation are developed, which contains 8 CsI-detector modules, 8-channel shaping amplifiers, and data acquisition system. The preliminary test results of readout electronics system are obtained.

Development of a hemispherical rotational modulation collimator system for imaging spatial distribution of radiation sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Na, M.; Lee, S.; Kim, G.; Kim, H. S.; Rho, J.; Ok, J. G.

2017-12-01

Detecting and mapping the spatial distribution of radioactive materials is of great importance for environmental and security issues. We design and present a novel hemispherical rotational modulation collimator (H-RMC) system which can visualize the location of the radiation source by collecting signals from incident rays that go through collimator masks. The H-RMC system comprises a servo motor-controlled rotating module and a hollow heavy-metallic hemisphere with slits/slats equally spaced with the same angle subtended from the main axis. In addition, we also designed an auxiliary instrument to test the imaging performance of the H-RMC system, comprising a high-precision x- and y-axis staging station on which one can mount radiation sources of various shapes. We fabricated the H-RMC system which can be operated in a fully-automated fashion through the computer-based controller, and verify the accuracy and reproducibility of the system by measuring the rotational and linear positions with respect to the programmed values. Our H-RMC system may provide a pivotal tool for spatial radiation imaging with high reliability and accuracy.

Full-field fan-beam x-ray fluorescence computed tomography system design with linear-array detectors and pinhole collimation: a rapid Monte Carlo study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Siyuan; Li, Liang; Li, Ruizhe; Chen, Zhiqiang

2017-11-01

We present the design concept and initial simulations for a polychromatic full-field fan-beam x-ray fluorescence computed tomography (XFCT) device with pinhole collimators and linear-array photon counting detectors. The phantom is irradiated by a fan-beam polychromatic x-ray source filtered by copper. Fluorescent photons are stimulated and then collected by two linear-array photon counting detectors with pinhole collimators. The Compton scatter correction and the attenuation correction are applied in the data processing, and the maximum-likelihood expectation maximization algorithm is applied for the image reconstruction of XFCT. The physical modeling of the XFCT imaging system was described, and a set of rapid Monte Carlo simulations was carried out to examine the feasibility and sensitivity of the XFCT system. Different concentrations of gadolinium (Gd) and gold (Au) solutions were used as contrast agents in simulations. Results show that 0.04% of Gd and 0.065% of Au can be well reconstructed with the full scan time set at 6 min. Compared with using the XFCT system with a pencil-beam source or a single-pixel detector, using a full-field fan-beam XFCT device with linear-array detectors results in significant scanning time reduction and may satisfy requirements of rapid imaging, such as in vivo imaging experiments.

Topological detector: measuring continuous dosimetric quantities with few-element detector array.

PubMed

Han, Zhaohui; Brivio, Davide; Sajo, Erno; Zygmanski, Piotr

2016-08-21

A prototype topological detector was fabricated and investigated for quality assurance of radiation producing medical devices. Unlike a typical array or flat panel detector, a topological detector, while capable of achieving a very high spatial resolution, consists of only a few elements and therefore is much simpler in construction and more cost effective. The key feature allowing this advancement is a geometry-driven design that is customized for a specific dosimetric application. In the current work, a topological detector of two elements was examined for the positioning verification of the radiation collimating devices (jaws, MLCs, and blades etc). The detector was diagonally segmented from a rectangular thin film strip (2.5 cm  ×  15 cm), giving two contiguous but independent detector elements. The segmented area was the central portion of the strip measuring 5 cm in length. Under irradiation, signals from each detector element were separately digitized using a commercial multichannel data acquisition system. The center and size of an x-ray field, which were uniquely determined by the collimator positions, were shown mathematically to relate to the difference and sum of the two signals. As a proof of concept, experiments were carried out using slit x-ray fields ranging from 2 mm to 20 mm in size. It was demonstrated that, the collimator positions can be accurately measured with sub-millimeter precisions.

Design a freeform microlens array module for any arbitrary-shape collimated beam shaping and color mixing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Enguo; Wu, Rengmao; Guo, Tailiang

2014-06-01

Collimated beam shaping with freeform surface usually employs a predefined mapping to tailor one or multiple freeform surfaces. Limitation on those designs is that the source, the freeform optics and the target are in fixed one-to-one correspondence with each other. To overcome this drawback, this paper presents a kind of freeform microlens array module integrated with an ultra-thin freeform microlens array and a condenser lens to reshape any arbitrary-shape collimated beam into a prescribed uniform rectangular illumination and achieve color mixing. The design theory is explicitly given, and some key issues are addressed. Several different application examples are given, and the target is obtained with high uniformity and energy efficiency. This freeform microlens array module, which shows better flexibility and practicality than the regular designs, can be used not only to reshape any arbitrary-shape collimated beam (or a collimated beam integrated with several sub-collimated beams), but also most importantly to achieve color mixing. With excellent optical performance and ultra-compact volume, this optical module together with the design theory can be further introduced into other applications and will have a huge market potential in the near future.

Development of a 0.5m clear aperture Cassegrain type collimator telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ekinci, Mustafa; Selimoǧlu, Özgür

2016-07-01

Collimator is an optical instrument used to evaluate performance of high precision instruments, especially space-born high resolution telescopes. Optical quality of the collimator telescope needs to be better than the instrument to be measured. This requirement leads collimator telescope to be a very precise instrument with high quality mirrors and a stable structure to keep it operational under specified conditions. In order to achieve precision requirements and to ensure repeatability of the mounts for polishing and metrology, opto-mechanical principles are applied to mirror mounts. Finite Element Method is utilized to simulate gravity effects, integration errors and temperature variations. Finite element analyses results of deformed optical surfaces are imported to optical domain by using Zernike polynomials to evaluate the design against specified WFE requirements. Both mirrors are aspheric and made from Zerodur for its stability and near zero CTE, M1 is further light-weighted. Optical quality measurements of the mirrors are achieved by using custom made CGHs on an interferometric test setup. Spider of the Cassegrain collimator telescope has a flexural adjustment mechanism driven by precise micrometers to overcome tilt errors originating from finite stiffness of the structure and integration errors. Collimator telescope is assembled and alignment methods are proposed.

Commissioning of a compact laser-based proton beam line for high intensity bunches around 10Â MeV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Busold, S.; Schumacher, D.; Deppert, O.; Brabetz, C.; Kroll, F.; Blažević, A.; Bagnoud, V.; Roth, M.

2014-03-01

We report on the first results of experiments with a new laser-based proton beam line at the GSI accelerator facility in Darmstadt. It delivers high current bunches at proton energies around 9.6 MeV, containing more than 109 particles in less than 10 ns and with tunable energy spread down to 2.7% (ΔE/E0 at FWHM). A target normal sheath acceleration stage serves as a proton source and a pulsed solenoid provides for beam collimation and energy selection. Finally a synchronous radio frequency (rf) field is applied via a rf cavity for energy compression at a synchronous phase of -90 deg. The proton bunch is characterized at the end of the very compact beam line, only 3 m behind the laser matter interaction point, which defines the particle source.

Differential optical shadow sensor for sub-nanometer displacement measurement and its application to drag-free satellites.

PubMed

Zoellner, Andreas; Tan, Si; Saraf, Shailendhar; Alfauwaz, Abdul; DeBra, Dan; Buchman, Sasha; Lipa, John A

2017-10-16

We present a method for 3D sub-nanometer displacement measurement using a set of differential optical shadow sensors. It is based on using pairs of collimated beams on opposite sides of an object that are partially blocked by it. Applied to a sphere, our 3-axis sensor module consists of 8 parallel beam-detector sets for redundancy. The sphere blocks half of each beam's power in the nominal centered position, and any displacement can be measured by the differential optical power changes amongst the pairs of detectors. We have experimentally demonstrated a displacement sensitivity of 0.87nm/Hz at 1 Hz and 0.39nm/Hz at 10 Hz. We describe the application of the module to the inertial sensor of a drag-free satellite, which can potentially be used for navigation, geodesy and fundamental science experiments as well as ground based applications.

Sequential x-ray diffraction topography at 1-BM x-ray optics testing beamline at the advanced photon source

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stoupin, Stanislav, E-mail: sstoupin@aps.anl.gov; Shvyd’ko, Yuri; Trakhtenberg, Emil

2016-07-27

We report progress on implementation and commissioning of sequential X-ray diffraction topography at 1-BM Optics Testing Beamline of the Advanced Photon Source to accommodate growing needs of strain characterization in diffractive crystal optics and other semiconductor single crystals. The setup enables evaluation of strain in single crystals in the nearly-nondispersive double-crystal geometry. Si asymmetric collimator crystals of different crystallographic orientations were designed, fabricated and characterized using in-house capabilities. Imaging the exit beam using digital area detectors permits rapid sequential acquisition of X-ray topographs at different angular positions on the rocking curve of a crystal under investigation. Results on sensitivity andmore » spatial resolution are reported based on experiments with high-quality Si and diamond crystals. The new setup complements laboratory-based X-ray topography capabilities of the Optics group at the Advanced Photon Source.« less

Effect of MLC leaf position, collimator rotation angle, and gantry rotation angle errors on intensity-modulated radiotherapy plans for nasopharyngeal carcinoma

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bai, Sen; Li, Guangjun; Wang, Maojie

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of multileaf collimator (MLC) leaf position, collimator rotation angle, and accelerator gantry rotation angle errors on intensity-modulated radiotherapy plans for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. To compare dosimetric differences between the simulating plans and the clinical plans with evaluation parameters, 6 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma were selected for simulation of systematic and random MLC leaf position errors, collimator rotation angle errors, and accelerator gantry rotation angle errors. There was a high sensitivity to dose distribution for systematic MLC leaf position errors in response to field size. When the systematic MLC position errors weremore » 0.5, 1, and 2 mm, respectively, the maximum values of the mean dose deviation, observed in parotid glands, were 4.63%, 8.69%, and 18.32%, respectively. The dosimetric effect was comparatively small for systematic MLC shift errors. For random MLC errors up to 2 mm and collimator and gantry rotation angle errors up to 0.5°, the dosimetric effect was negligible. We suggest that quality control be regularly conducted for MLC leaves, so as to ensure that systematic MLC leaf position errors are within 0.5 mm. Because the dosimetric effect of 0.5° collimator and gantry rotation angle errors is negligible, it can be concluded that setting a proper threshold for allowed errors of collimator and gantry rotation angle may increase treatment efficacy and reduce treatment time.« less

1-D ELECTRO-OPTIC BEAM STEERING DEVICE

PubMed Central

Wang, Wei-Chih; Tsui, Chi Leung

2011-01-01

In this paper, we present the design and fabrication of a 1D beam steering device based on planar electro-optic thermal-plastic prisms and a collimator lens array. With the elimination of moving parts, the proposed device is able to overcome the mechanical limitations of present scanning devices, such as fatigue and low operating frequency, while maintaining a small system footprint (~0.5mm×0.5mm). From experimental data, our prototype device is able to achieve a maximum deflection angle of 5.6° for a single stage prism design and 29.2° for a cascaded three prisms stage design. The lens array shows a 4µm collimated beam diameter. PMID:22199458

SU-F-T-131: No Increase in Biological Effectiveness Through Collimator Scattered Low Energy Protons

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Matsuura, T; Takao, S; Matsuzaki, Y

Purpose: To reduce the lateral penumbra of low-energy proton beams, brass collimators are often used in spot-scanning proton therapy (SSPT). This study investigates the increase in biological effectiveness through collimator scattered protons in SSPT. Methods: The SSPT system of the Hokkaido University Hospital Proton Beam Therapy Center, which consists of a scanning nozzle, a 2-cm thick brass collimator, and a 4-cm thick energy absorber, was simulated with our validated Geant4 Monte Carlo code (ver. 9.3). A water phantom was irradiated with proton pencil beams of 76, 110, and 143 MeV. The tested collimator opening areas (COA) were 5×5, 10×10, andmore » 15×15 cm{sup 2}. Comparisons were made among the dose-averaged LET values of protons that hit the collimators (LETDColl), protons that did not hit the collimators (LETDNoColl), and all protons (LETDTotal). X-ray equivalent doses (Deq) were calculated using the linear-quadratic model with LETDNoColl and LETDTotal, and their maximum difference was determined over regions where the physical dose was greater than 10% of the peak dose of 2 Gy. Results: The ratio of the dose contribution of collimator scattered protons to that of all protons, defined as λ, was large at high proton energies and large COAs. The maximum λ value ranged from 3% (76 MeV, 5×5 cm{sup 2}) to 29% (143 MeV, 15×15 cm{sup 2}). Moreover, a large difference between LETDColl and LETDNoColl was only found in regions where λ was below 20% (ΔLETD > 2 keV/µm) and 8% (ΔLETD > 5 keV/µm). Consequently, the maximum difference between LETDNoColl and LETDTotal was as small as 0.8 keV/µm in all simulated voxels, and the difference of Deq reached a maximum of 1.5% that of the peak dose obtained at the water surface with a 76 MeV beam. Conclusion: Although collimator scattered protons have high LET, they only increase the physical dose, not the biological effectiveness.« less

Method and system for determining depth distribution of radiation-emitting material located in a source medium and radiation detector system for use therein

DOEpatents

Benke, Roland R.; Kearfott, Kimberlee J.; McGregor, Douglas S.

2003-03-04

A method, system and a radiation detector system for use therein are provided for determining the depth distribution of radiation-emitting material distributed in a source medium, such as a contaminated field, without the need to take samples, such as extensive soil samples, to determine the depth distribution. The system includes a portable detector assembly with an x-ray or gamma-ray detector having a detector axis for detecting the emitted radiation. The radiation may be naturally-emitted by the material, such as gamma-ray-emitting radionuclides, or emitted when the material is struck by other radiation. The assembly also includes a hollow collimator in which the detector is positioned. The collimator causes the emitted radiation to bend toward the detector as rays parallel to the detector axis of the detector. The collimator may be a hollow cylinder positioned so that its central axis is perpendicular to the upper surface of the large area source when positioned thereon. The collimator allows the detector to angularly sample the emitted radiation over many ranges of polar angles. This is done by forming the collimator as a single adjustable collimator or a set of collimator pieces having various possible configurations when connected together. In any one configuration, the collimator allows the detector to detect only the radiation emitted from a selected range of polar angles measured from the detector axis. Adjustment of the collimator or the detector therein enables the detector to detect radiation emitted from a different range of polar angles. The system further includes a signal processor for processing the signals from the detector wherein signals obtained from different ranges of polar angles are processed together to obtain a reconstruction of the radiation-emitting material as a function of depth, assuming, but not limited to, a spatially-uniform depth distribution of the material within each layer. The detector system includes detectors having different properties (sensitivity, energy resolution) which are combined so that excellent spectral information may be obtained along with good determinations of the radiation field as a function of position.

Analysis and experimental demonstration of conformal adaptive phase-locked fiber array for laser communications and beam projection applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Ling

The primary goal of this research is the analysis, development, and experimental demonstration of an adaptive phase-locked fiber array system for free-space optical communications and laser beam projection applications. To our knowledge, the developed adaptive phase-locked system composed of three fiber collimators (subapertures) with tip-tilt wavefront phase control at each subaperture represents the first reported fiber array system that implements both phase-locking control and adaptive wavefront tip-tilt control capabilities. This research has also resulted in the following innovations: (a) The first experimental demonstration of a phase-locked fiber array with tip-tilt wave-front aberration compensation at each fiber collimator; (b) Development and demonstration of the fastest currently reported stochastic parallel gradient descent (SPGD) system capable of operation at 180,000 iterations per second; (c) The first experimental demonstration of a laser communication link based on a phase-locked fiber array; (d) The first successful experimental demonstration of turbulence and jitter-induced phase distortion compensation in a phase-locked fiber array optical system; (e) The first demonstration of laser beam projection onto an extended target with a randomly rough surface using a conformal adaptive fiber array system. Fiber array optical systems, the subject of this study, can overcome some of the draw-backs of conventional monolithic large-aperture transmitter/receiver optical systems that are usually heavy, bulky, and expensive. The primary experimental challenges in the development of the adaptive phased-locked fiber-array included precise (<5 microrad) alignment of the fiber collimators and development of fast (100kHz-class) phase-locking and wavefront tip-tilt control systems. The precise alignment of the fiber collimator array is achieved through a specially developed initial coarse alignment tool based on high precision piezoelectric picomotors and a dynamic fine alignment mechanism implemented with specially designed and manufactured piezoelectric fiber positioners. Phase-locking of the fiber collimators is performed by controlling the phases of the output beams (beamlets) using integrated polarization-maintaining (PM) fiber-coupled LiNbO3 phase shifters. The developed phase-locking controllers are based on either the SPGD algorithm or the multi-dithering technique. Subaperture wavefront phase tip-tilt control is realized using piezoelectric fiber positioners that are controlled using a computer-based SPGD controller. Both coherent (phase-locked) and incoherent beam combining in the fiber array system are analyzed theoretically and experimentally. Two special fiber-based beam-combining testbeds have been built to demonstrate the technical feasibility of phase-locking compensation prior to free-space operation. In addition, the reciprocity of counter-propagating beams in a phase-locked fiber array system has been investigated. Coherent beam combining in a phase-locking system with wavefront phase tip-tilt compensation at each subaperture is successfully demonstrated when laboratory-simulated turbulence and wavefront jitters are present in the propagation path of the beamlets. In addition, coherent beam combining with a non-cooperative extended target in the control loop is successfully demonstrated.

Electron radiography

DOEpatents

Merrill, Frank E.; Morris, Christopher

2005-05-17

A system capable of performing radiography using a beam of electrons. Diffuser means receive a beam of electrons and diffuse the electrons before they enter first matching quadrupoles where the diffused electrons are focused prior to the diffused electrons entering an object. First imaging quadrupoles receive the focused diffused electrons after the focused diffused electrons have been scattered by the object for focusing the scattered electrons. Collimator means receive the scattered electrons and remove scattered electrons that have scattered to large angles. Second imaging quadrupoles receive the collimated scattered electrons and refocus the collimated scattered electrons and map the focused collimated scattered electrons to transverse locations on an image plane representative of the electrons' positions in the object.

High-Sensitivity X-ray Polarimetry with Amorphous Silicon Active-Matrix Pixel Proportional Counters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Black, J. K.; Deines-Jones, P.; Jahoda, K.; Ready, S. E.; Street, R. A.

2003-01-01

Photoelectric X-ray polarimeters based on pixel micropattern gas detectors (MPGDs) offer order-of-magnitude improvement in sensitivity over more traditional techniques based on X-ray scattering. This new technique places some of the most interesting astronomical observations within reach of even a small, dedicated mission. The most sensitive instrument would be a photoelectric polarimeter at the focus of 2 a very large mirror, such as the planned XEUS. Our efforts are focused on a smaller pathfinder mission, which would achieve its greatest sensitivity with large-area, low-background, collimated polarimeters. We have recently demonstrated a MPGD polarimeter using amorphous silicon thin-film transistor (TFT) readout suitable for the focal plane of an X-ray telescope. All the technologies used in the demonstration polarimeter are scalable to the areas required for a high-sensitivity collimated polarimeter. Leywords: X-ray polarimetry, particle tracking, proportional counter, GEM, pixel readout

Laboratory Plasma Source as an MHD Model for Astrophysical Jets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mayo, Robert M.

1997-01-01

The significance of the work described herein lies in the demonstration of Magnetized Coaxial Plasma Gun (MCG) devices like CPS-1 to produce energetic laboratory magneto-flows with embedded magnetic fields that can be used as a simulation tool to study flow interaction dynamic of jet flows, to demonstrate the magnetic acceleration and collimation of flows with primarily toroidal fields, and study cross field transport in turbulent accreting flows. Since plasma produced in MCG devices have magnetic topology and MHD flow regime similarity to stellar and extragalactic jets, we expect that careful investigation of these flows in the laboratory will reveal fundamental physical mechanisms influencing astrophysical flows. Discussion in the next section (sec.2) focuses on recent results describing collimation, leading flow surface interaction layers, and turbulent accretion. The primary objectives for a new three year effort would involve the development and deployment of novel electrostatic, magnetic, and visible plasma diagnostic techniques to measure plasma and flow parameters of the CPS-1 device in the flow chamber downstream of the plasma source to study, (1) mass ejection, morphology, and collimation and stability of energetic outflows, (2) the effects of external magnetization on collimation and stability, (3) the interaction of such flows with background neutral gas, the generation of visible emission in such interaction, and effect of neutral clouds on jet flow dynamics, and (4) the cross magnetic field transport of turbulent accreting flows. The applicability of existing laboratory plasma facilities to the study of stellar and extragalactic plasma should be exploited to elucidate underlying physical mechanisms that cannot be ascertained though astrophysical observation, and provide baseline to a wide variety of proposed models, MHD and otherwise. The work proposed herin represents a continued effort on a novel approach in relating laboratory experiments to astrophysical jet observation. There exists overwhelming similarity among these flows that has already produced some fascinating results and is expected to continue a high pay off in future flow similarity studies.

Performance optimization of a bendable parabolic cylinder collimating X-ray mirror for the ALS micro-XAS beamline 10.3.2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yashchuk, Valeriy V.; Morrison, Gregory Y.; Marcus, Matthew A.

The Advanced Light Source (ALS) beamline (BL) 10.3.2 is an apparatus for X-ray microprobe spectroscopy and diffraction experiments, operating in the energy range 2.4–17 keV. The performance of the beamline, namely the spatial and energy resolutions of the measurements, depends significantly on the collimation quality of light incident on the monochromator. In the BL 10.3.2 end-station, the synchrotron source is imaged 1:1 onto a set of roll slits which form a virtual source. The light from this source is collimated in the vertical direction by a bendable parabolic cylinder mirror. Details are presented of the mirror design, which allows formore » precision assembly, alignment and shaping of the mirror, as well as for extending of the mirror operating lifetime by a factor of ~10. Assembly, mirror optimal shaping and preliminary alignment were performed ex situ in the ALS X-ray Optics Laboratory (XROL). Using an original method for optimal ex situ characterization and setting of bendable X-ray optics developed at the XROL, a root-mean-square (RMS) residual surface slope error of 0.31 µrad with respect to the desired parabola, and an RMS residual height error of less than 3 nm were achieved. Once in place at the beamline, deviations from the designed optical geometry ( e.g. due to the tolerances for setting the distance to the virtual source, the grazing incidence angle, the transverse position) and/or mirror shape ( e.g. due to a heat load deformation) may appear. Due to the errors, on installation the energy spread from the monochromator is typically a few electron-volts. Here, a new technique developed and successfully implemented for at-wavelength ( in situ) fine optimal tuning of the mirror, enabling us to reduce the collimation-induced energy spread to ~0.05 eV, is described.« less

Performance optimization of a bendable parabolic cylinder collimating X-ray mirror for the ALS micro-XAS beamline 10.3.2

PubMed Central

Yashchuk, Valeriy V.; Morrison, Gregory Y.; Marcus, Matthew A.; Domning, Edward E.; Merthe, Daniel J.; Salmassi, Farhad; Smith, Brian V.

2015-01-01

The Advanced Light Source (ALS) beamline (BL) 10.3.2 is an apparatus for X-ray microprobe spectroscopy and diffraction experiments, operating in the energy range 2.4–17 keV. The performance of the beamline, namely the spatial and energy resolutions of the measurements, depends significantly on the collimation quality of light incident on the monochromator. In the BL 10.3.2 end-station, the synchrotron source is imaged 1:1 onto a set of roll slits which form a virtual source. The light from this source is collimated in the vertical direction by a bendable parabolic cylinder mirror. Details are presented of the mirror design, which allows for precision assembly, alignment and shaping of the mirror, as well as for extending of the mirror operating lifetime by a factor of ∼10. Assembly, mirror optimal shaping and preliminary alignment were performed ex situ in the ALS X-ray Optics Laboratory (XROL). Using an original method for optimal ex situ characterization and setting of bendable X-ray optics developed at the XROL, a root-mean-square (RMS) residual surface slope error of 0.31 µrad with respect to the desired parabola, and an RMS residual height error of less than 3 nm were achieved. Once in place at the beamline, deviations from the designed optical geometry (e.g. due to the tolerances for setting the distance to the virtual source, the grazing incidence angle, the transverse position) and/or mirror shape (e.g. due to a heat load deformation) may appear. Due to the errors, on installation the energy spread from the monochromator is typically a few electron-volts. Here, a new technique developed and successfully implemented for at-wavelength (in situ) fine optimal tuning of the mirror, enabling us to reduce the collimation-induced energy spread to ∼0.05 eV, is described. PMID:25931083

Performance optimization of a bendable parabolic cylinder collimating X-ray mirror for the ALS micro-XAS beamline 10.3.2

DOE PAGES

Yashchuk, Valeriy V.; Morrison, Gregory Y.; Marcus, Matthew A.; ...

2015-04-08

The Advanced Light Source (ALS) beamline (BL) 10.3.2 is an apparatus for X-ray microprobe spectroscopy and diffraction experiments, operating in the energy range 2.4–17 keV. The performance of the beamline, namely the spatial and energy resolutions of the measurements, depends significantly on the collimation quality of light incident on the monochromator. In the BL 10.3.2 end-station, the synchrotron source is imaged 1:1 onto a set of roll slits which form a virtual source. The light from this source is collimated in the vertical direction by a bendable parabolic cylinder mirror. Details are presented of the mirror design, which allows formore » precision assembly, alignment and shaping of the mirror, as well as for extending of the mirror operating lifetime by a factor of ~10. Assembly, mirror optimal shaping and preliminary alignment were performed ex situ in the ALS X-ray Optics Laboratory (XROL). Using an original method for optimal ex situ characterization and setting of bendable X-ray optics developed at the XROL, a root-mean-square (RMS) residual surface slope error of 0.31 µrad with respect to the desired parabola, and an RMS residual height error of less than 3 nm were achieved. Once in place at the beamline, deviations from the designed optical geometry ( e.g. due to the tolerances for setting the distance to the virtual source, the grazing incidence angle, the transverse position) and/or mirror shape ( e.g. due to a heat load deformation) may appear. Due to the errors, on installation the energy spread from the monochromator is typically a few electron-volts. Here, a new technique developed and successfully implemented for at-wavelength ( in situ) fine optimal tuning of the mirror, enabling us to reduce the collimation-induced energy spread to ~0.05 eV, is described.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mihailescu, Lucian

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus related to ion beam therapy. In one aspect, a system includes a position sensitive detector and a collimator. The position sensitive detector configured to detect gamma rays generated by an ion beam interacting with a target. The collimator is positioned between the target and the position sensitive detector. The collimator includes a plurality of knife-edge slits, with a first knife-edge slit intersecting with a second knife-edge slit.

Steering and collimating ballistic electrons with amphoteric refraction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Radu, A.; Dragoman, D.; Iftimie, S.

2012-07-15

We show that amphoteric refraction of ballistic electrons, i.e., positive or negative refraction depending on the incidence angle, occurs at an interface between an isotropic and an anisotropic medium and can be employed to steer and collimate electron beams. The steering angle is determined by the materials' parameters, but the degree of collimation can be tuned in a significant range by changing the energy of ballistic electrons.

Optimization of Shielding- Collimator Parameters for ING-27 Neutron Generator Using MCNP5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hegazy, Aya Hamdy; Skoy, V. R.; Hossny, K.

2018-04-01

Neutron generators are now used in various fields. They produce only fast neutrons; D-D neutron generator produces 2.45 MeV neutrons and D-T produces 14.1 MeV neutrons. In order to optimize shielding-collimator parameters to achieve higher neutron flux at the investigated sample (The signal) with lower neutron and gamma rays flux at the area of the detectors, design iterations are widely used. This work was applied to ROMASHA setup, TANGRA project, FLNP, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research. The studied parameters were; (1) shielding-collimator material, (2) Distance between the shielding-collimator assembly first plate and center of the neutron beam, and (3) thickness of collimator sheets. MCNP5 was used to simulate ROMASHA setup after it was validated on the experimental results of irradiation of Carbon-12 sample for one hour to detect its 4.44 MeV characteristic gamma line. The ratio between the signal and total neutron flux that enters each detector was calculated and plotted, concluding that the optimum shielding-collimator assembly is Tungsten of 5 cm thickness for each plate, and a distance of 2.3 cm. Also, the ratio between the signal and total gamma rays flux was calculated and plotted for each detector, leading to the previous conclusion but the distance was 1 cm.

SU-F-T-547: Off-Isocenter Winston-Lutz Test for Stereotactic Radiosurgery/stereotactic Body Radiotherapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gao, J; Liu, X

2016-06-15

Purpose: To perform a quantitative study to verify that the mechanical field center coincides with the radiation field center when both are off from the isocenter during the single-isocenter technique in linear accelerator-based SRS/SBRT procedure to treat multiple lesions. Methods: We developed an innovative method to measure this accuracy, called the off-isocenter Winston-Lutz test, and here we provide a practical clinical guideline to implement this technique. We used ImagePro V.6 to analyze images of a Winston-Lutz phantom obtained using a Varian 21EX linear accelerator with an electronic portal imaging device, set up as for single-isocenter SRS/SBRT for multiple lesions. Wemore » investigated asymmetry field centers that were 3 cm and 5 cm away from the isocenter, as well as performing the standard Winston-Lutz test. We used a special beam configuration to acquire images while avoiding collision, and we investigated both jaw and multileaf collimation. Results: For the jaw collimator setting, at 3 cm off-isocenter, the mechanical field deviated from the radiation field by about 2.5 mm; at 5 cm, the deviation was above 3 mm, up to 4.27 mm. For the multileaf collimator setting, at 3 cm off-isocenter, the deviation was below 1 mm; at 5 cm, the deviation was above 1 mm, up to 1.72 mm, which is 72% higher than the tolerance threshold. Conclusion: These results indicated that the further the asymmetry field center is from the machine isocenter, the larger the deviation of the mechanical field from the radiation field, and the distance between the center of the asymmetry field and the isocenter should not exceed 3 cm in of our clinic. We recommend that every clinic that uses linear accelerator, multileaf collimator-based SRS/SBRT perform the off-isocenter Winston-Lutz test in addition to the standard Winston-Lutz test and use their own deviation data to design the treatment plan.« less

TU-FG-201-07: Development of SRS Conical Collimator Collision Prediction Software for Radiation Treatment Safety

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gutti, V; Morrow, A; Kim, S

Purpose: Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) treatments using conical collimators can potentially result in gantry collision with treatment table due to limited collision-clear spaces. An in-house software was developed to help the SRS treatment planner mitigate potential SRS conical collimator (Varian Medical System, Palo Alto, CA) collisions with the treatment table. This software was designed to remove treatment re-planning secondary to unexpected collisions. Methods: A BrainLAB SRS ICT Frameless Extension used for SRS treatments in our clinic was mathematically modelled using surface points registered to the 3D co-ordinate space of the couch extension. The surface points are transformed based on the treatmentmore » isocenter point and potential collisions are determined in 3D space for couch and gantry angle combinations. The distance between the SRS conical collimators and LINAC isocenter is known. The collision detection model was programmed in MATLAB (Mathwork, Natick, MA) to display graphical plots of the calculations, and the plotted data is used to avoid the gantry and couch angle combinations that would likely result in a collision. We have utilized the cone collision tool for 23 SRS cone treatment plans (8 retrospective and 15 prospective for 10 patients). Results: Twenty one plans strongly agreed with the software tool prediction for collision. However, in two plans, a collision was observed with a 0.5 cm margin when the software predicted no collision. Therefore, additional margins were added to the clearance criteria in the program to achieve a lower risk of actual collisions. Conclusion: Our in-house developed collision check software successfully avoided SRS cone re-planning by 91.3% due to a reduction in cone collisions with the treatment table. Future developments to our software will include a CT image data set based collision prediction model as well as a beam angle optimization tool to avoid normal critical tissues as well as previously treated lesions.« less

Controlled deterministic implantation by nanostencil lithography at the limit of ion-aperture straggling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alves, A. D. C.; Newnham, J.; van Donkelaar, J. A.; Rubanov, S.; McCallum, J. C.; Jamieson, D. N.

2013-04-01

Solid state electronic devices fabricated in silicon employ many ion implantation steps in their fabrication. In nanoscale devices deterministic implants of dopant atoms with high spatial precision will be needed to overcome problems with statistical variations in device characteristics and to open new functionalities based on controlled quantum states of single atoms. However, to deterministically place a dopant atom with the required precision is a significant technological challenge. Here we address this challenge with a strategy based on stepped nanostencil lithography for the construction of arrays of single implanted atoms. We address the limit on spatial precision imposed by ion straggling in the nanostencil—fabricated with the readily available focused ion beam milling technique followed by Pt deposition. Two nanostencils have been fabricated; a 60 nm wide aperture in a 3 μm thick Si cantilever and a 30 nm wide aperture in a 200 nm thick Si3N4 membrane. The 30 nm wide aperture demonstrates the fabricating process for sub-50 nm apertures while the 60 nm aperture was characterized with 500 keV He+ ion forward scattering to measure the effect of ion straggling in the collimator and deduce a model for its internal structure using the GEANT4 ion transport code. This model is then applied to simulate collimation of a 14 keV P+ ion beam in a 200 nm thick Si3N4 membrane nanostencil suitable for the implantation of donors in silicon. We simulate collimating apertures with widths in the range of 10-50 nm because we expect the onset of J-coupling in a device with 30 nm donor spacing. We find that straggling in the nanostencil produces mis-located implanted ions with a probability between 0.001 and 0.08 depending on the internal collimator profile and the alignment with the beam direction. This result is favourable for the rapid prototyping of a proof-of-principle device containing multiple deterministically implanted dopants.

Radiation Safety Considerations Near Collimators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stevens, A. J.

1997-04-15

The primary collimators are clearly a concern as regards radiation safety since they are intended to be the place where "lost" beam particles interact. These collimators and the beam dumps, therefore, are expected to be the "hot spots" in the machine. Unfortunately, the amount of beam which will end up on the collimators is not really known. For the purposes of this note, the assumption will be made that, averaged over a year, 20% of the beam in each ring will interact in the limiting aperture collimator for that ring, and at most 10% of stored beam in in amore » single hour. Faults will also be considered, but the annual assumed beam loss will be shown to be the limiting factor. The annual beam per ring from the Beam Loss Scenario (BLS) is the equivalent of 5.5 x 10 14 au ions at 100 GeV/u. It should be noted that this number assumes operation at 4 times the design intensity for 38 weeks a year at 100% efficiency. The 20% loss assumption is somewhat higher than given by Ref. [1] because the internal dump aperture is larger than was assumed when the BLS was written and will therefore "catch" less lost particles than assumed at that time. For the purposes of the estimates made here, therefore, the loss assumption per primary collimator in normal operation are assumed to be 1.1 x 10 14 Au ions per year and 2.85 x 10 10 Au ions per hour. The last number is 10% of the maximum beam per ring per hour in the BLS which corresponds to 1.25 fill per hour. The assumption will also be made that both primary collimators are located downstream of the crossing point at 8 o'clock. In subsequent sections of this note the following potential problems are considered: (1) prompt radiation occupied regions nearest to the collimators, (2) skyshine, and (3) soil activation. Section VII recommends actions to address these problems.« less

SU-G-TeP2-04: Comprehensive Machine Isocenter Evaluation with Separation of Gantry, Collimator, and Table Variables

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hancock, S; Clements, C; Hyer, D

2016-06-15

Purpose: To develop and demonstrate application of a method that characterizes deviation of linac x-ray beams from the centroid of the volumetric radiation isocenter as a function of gantry, collimator, and table variables. Methods: A set of Winston-Lutz ball-bearing images was used to determine the gantry radiation isocenter as the midrange of deviation values resulting from gantry and collimator rotation. Also determined were displacement of table axis from gantry isocenter and recommended table axis adjustment. The method, previously reported, has been extended to include the effect of collimator walkout by obtaining measurements with 0 and 180 degree collimator rotation formore » each gantry angle. Twelve images were used to characterize the volumetric isocenter for the full range of available gantry, collimator, and table rotations. Results: Three Varian True Beam, two Elekta Infinity and four Versa HD linacs at five institutions were tested using identical methodology. Varian linacs exhibited substantially less deviation due to head sag than Elekta linacs (0.4 mm vs. 1.2 mm on average). One linac from each manufacturer had additional isocenter deviation of 0.3 to 0.4 mm due to jaw instability with gantry and collimator rotation. For all linacs, the achievable isocenter tolerance was dependent on adjustment of collimator position offset, transverse position steering, and alignment of the table axis with gantry isocenter, facilitated by these test results. The pattern and magnitude of table axis wobble vs. table angle was reproducible and unique to each machine. Conclusion: This new method provides a comprehensive set of isocenter deviation values including all variables. It effectively facilitates minimization of deviation between beam center and target (ball-bearing) position. This method was used to quantify the effect of jaw instability on isocenter deviation and to identify the offending jaw. The test is suitable for incorporation into a routine machine QA program. Software development was performed by Radiological Imaging Technology, Inc.« less

The "collimator monitoring fill factor" of a two-dimensional detector array, a measure of its ability to detect collimation errors.

PubMed

Stelljes, Tenzin Sonam; Looe, Hui Khee; Harder, Dietrich; Poppe, Björn

2017-03-01

Two-dimensional detector arrays are routinely used for constancy checks and treatment plan verification in photon-beam radiotherapy. In addition to the spatial resolution of the dose profiles, the "coverage" of the radiation field with respect to the detection of any beam collimation deficiency appears as the second characteristic feature of a detector array. The here proposed "collimator monitoring fill factor" (CM fill factor) has been conceived to serve as a quantitative characteristic of this "coverage". The CM fill factor is defined as the probability of a 2D array to detect any collimator position error. Therefore, it is represented by the ratio of the "sensitive area" of a single detector, in which collimator position errors are detectable, and the geometrical "cell area" associated with this detector within the array. Numerical values of the CM fill factor have been Monte Carlo simulated for 2D detector arrays equipped with air-vented ionization chambers, liquid-filled ionization chambers and diode detectors and were compared with the "FWHM fill factor" defined by Gago-Arias et al. (2012). For arrays with vented ionization chambers, the differences between the CM fill factor and the FWHM fill factor are moderate, but occasionally the latter exceeds unity. For narrower detectors such as liquid-filled ionization chambers and Si diodes and for small sampling distances, large differences between the FWHM fill factor and the CM fill factor have been observed. These differences can be explained by the shapes of the fluence response functions of these narrow detectors. A new parameter "collimator monitoring fill factor" (CM fill factor), applicable to quantitate the collimator position error detection probability of a 2D detector array, has been proposed. It is designed as a help in classifying the clinical performance of two-dimensional detector arrays in photon-beam radiotherapy. © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Multiple light scattering in metallic ejecta produced under intense shockwave compression.

PubMed

Franzkowiak, J-E; Mercier, P; Prudhomme, G; Berthe, L

2018-04-10

A roughened metallic plate, subjected to intense shock wave compression, gives rise to an expanding ejecta particle cloud. Photonic Doppler velocimetry (PDV), a fiber-based heterodyne velocimeter, is often used to track ejecta velocities in dynamic compression experiments and on nanosecond time scales. Shortly after shock breakout at the metal-vacuum interface, a particular feature observed in many experiments in the velocity spectrograms is what appear to be slow-moving ejecta, below the free-surface velocity. Using Doppler Monte Carlo simulations incorporating the transport of polarization in the ejecta, we show that this feature is likely to be explained by the multiple scattering of light, rather than by possible collisions among particles, slowing down the ejecta. As the cloud expands in a vacuum, the contribution of multiple scattering decreases due to the limited field of view of the pigtailed collimator used to probe the ejecta, showing that the whole geometry of the system must be taken into account in the calculations to interpret and predict PDV measurements.

Fuzzy jets

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mackey, Lester; Nachman, Benjamin; Schwartzman, Ariel

Collimated streams of particles produced in high energy physics experiments are organized using clustering algorithms to form jets . To construct jets, the experimental collaborations based at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) primarily use agglomerative hierarchical clustering schemes known as sequential recombination. We propose a new class of algorithms for clustering jets that use infrared and collinear safe mixture models. These new algorithms, known as fuzzy jets , are clustered using maximum likelihood techniques and can dynamically determine various properties of jets like their size. We show that the fuzzy jet size adds additional information to conventional jet tagging variablesmore » in boosted topologies. Furthermore, we study the impact of pileup and show that with some slight modifications to the algorithm, fuzzy jets can be stable up to high pileup interaction multiplicities.« less

Fuzzy jets

DOE PAGES

Mackey, Lester; Nachman, Benjamin; Schwartzman, Ariel; ...

2016-06-01

Collimated streams of particles produced in high energy physics experiments are organized using clustering algorithms to form jets . To construct jets, the experimental collaborations based at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) primarily use agglomerative hierarchical clustering schemes known as sequential recombination. We propose a new class of algorithms for clustering jets that use infrared and collinear safe mixture models. These new algorithms, known as fuzzy jets , are clustered using maximum likelihood techniques and can dynamically determine various properties of jets like their size. We show that the fuzzy jet size adds additional information to conventional jet tagging variablesmore » in boosted topologies. Furthermore, we study the impact of pileup and show that with some slight modifications to the algorithm, fuzzy jets can be stable up to high pileup interaction multiplicities.« less

Quasi-random array imaging collimator

DOEpatents

Fenimore, E.E.

1980-08-20

A hexagonally shaped quasi-random no-two-holes-touching imaging collimator. The quasi-random array imaging collimator eliminates contamination from small angle off-axis rays by using a no-two-holes-touching pattern which simultaneously provides for a self-supporting array increasing throughput by elimination of a substrate. The present invention also provides maximum throughput using hexagonally shaped holes in a hexagonal lattice pattern for diffraction limited applications. Mosaicking is also disclosed for reducing fabrication effort.

Random array grid collimator

DOEpatents

Fenimore, E.E.

1980-08-22

A hexagonally shaped quasi-random no-two-holes touching grid collimator. The quasi-random array grid collimator eliminates contamination from small angle off-axis rays by using a no-two-holes-touching pattern which simultaneously provides for a self-supporting array increasng throughput by elimination of a substrate. The presentation invention also provides maximum throughput using hexagonally shaped holes in a hexagonal lattice pattern for diffraction limited applications. Mosaicking is also disclosed for reducing fabrication effort.

Nondestructive Evaluation of Aircraft Composites Using Terahertz Time Domain Spectroscopy

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-12-10

substrate lenses : collimating and aplanatic. In a collimating lens , the rays emitted near the optic axis emerge as a collimated beam, while the rays...emitted at larger angles emerge at substantial angles or are internally reflected and lost. The aplanatic hyperhemispherical lens design, which...propagates out of the lens before it spreads. Many of the hemispherical designs result in the spreading of the THz beam at a given angle , which can then be

Design and tolerance analysis of two null corrector designs for the Space Telescope fine guidance aspheric collimating mirror

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Friedman, I.; Casas, R. E.

1982-01-01

The collimating mirror within the Fine Guidance Subsystem of the Space Telescope's Pointing Control System is aspherized in order to correct the pupil aberration. A null corrector is needed to test the collimating mirror in autocollimation. Triplet and doublet null corrector designs are subjected to tolerance sensitivity analyses, and the doublet design is chosen despite its more restricted tolerances because of its compactness and simplicity.

Loss Control and Collimation for the LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burkhardt, H.

2005-06-01

The total energy stored in the LHC is expected to reach 360 Mega Joule, which is about two orders of magnitude higher than in HERA or the Tevatron. Damage and quench protection in the LHC require a highly efficient and at the same time very robust collimation system. The currently planned system, the status of the project and the expected performance of the collimation system from injection up to operation with colliding beams will be presented.

Astrophysics of magnetically collimated jets generated from laser-produced plasmas.

PubMed

Ciardi, A; Vinci, T; Fuchs, J; Albertazzi, B; Riconda, C; Pépin, H; Portugall, O

2013-01-11

The generation of astrophysically relevant jets, from magnetically collimated, laser-produced plasmas, is investigated through three-dimensional, magnetohydrodynamic simulations. We show that for laser intensities I∼10(12)-10(14) W cm(-2), a magnetic field in excess of ∼0.1  MG, can collimate the plasma plume into a prolate cavity bounded by a shock envelope with a standing conical shock at its tip, which recollimates the flow into a supermagnetosonic jet beam. This mechanism is equivalent to astrophysical models of hydrodynamic inertial collimation, where an isotropic wind is focused into a jet by a confining circumstellar toruslike envelope. The results suggest an alternative mechanism for a large-scale magnetic field to produce jets from wide-angle winds.

Design optimisation of a TOF-based collimated camera prototype for online hadrontherapy monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinto, M.; Dauvergne, D.; Freud, N.; Krimmer, J.; Letang, J. M.; Ray, C.; Roellinghoff, F.; Testa, E.

2014-12-01

Hadrontherapy is an innovative radiation therapy modality for which one of the main key advantages is the target conformality allowed by the physical properties of ion species. However, in order to maximise the exploitation of its potentialities, online monitoring is required in order to assert the treatment quality, namely monitoring devices relying on the detection of secondary radiations. Herein is presented a method based on Monte Carlo simulations to optimise a multi-slit collimated camera employing time-of-flight selection of prompt-gamma rays to be used in a clinical scenario. In addition, an analytical tool is developed based on the Monte Carlo data to predict the expected precision for a given geometrical configuration. Such a method follows the clinical workflow requirements to simultaneously have a solution that is relatively accurate and fast. Two different camera designs are proposed, considering different endpoints based on the trade-off between camera detection efficiency and spatial resolution to be used in a proton therapy treatment with active dose delivery and assuming a homogeneous target.

SU-F-T-670: From the OR to the Radiobiology Lab: The Journey of a Small X-Ray Source

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lehmann, J; The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW; The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW

Purpose: Irradiation of small animal tumor models within laboratories is vital to radiobiological experiments. Often the animals are not able to be brought back into the lab after being taken out for irradiation. Cell biology laboratories benefit from irradiation capability available around the clock without regard to patient load in an associated radiotherapy clinic. Commercial systems are available, but bulky and expensive. Methods: An intraoperative kV irradiation system (IntraBeam™) designed to deliver spherical dose distributions to surgical cavities has been repurposed for the irradiation of cell plates and small laboratory animals. An applicator has been altered to allow for simple,more » open fields. Special collimators are being developed. BEAMnrc Monte Carlo simulations with the “NRC swept BEAM” source model have been performed to characterize the dose distributions, to develop optimal collimators and as basis for dose prescription. Measurements with radiochromic film and with an ionization chamber were performed to characterize the beam and to validate the simulations. Results: Using its highest setting (50 kV and 40 µA) the x-ray unit is capable of delivering dose rates over 1 Gy/min homogeneously to standard cell plates even without an optimized collimator. Smaller areas (tumors in animals) can be irradiated with significantly higher dose rates (> 20 Gy/min) depending on distance of the source to the tumor. The HVL was found to be 0.21 mm Al which means the shielding requirements for the device are easily achievable in the lab. Conclusion: A mobile irradiation facility is feasible. It will allow easier access to radiation for radiobiology experiments. The modified system is versatile in that for cell plates homogenous irradiations can be achieved through distance from the source, while for high dose rate small field irradiations the source can be brought in close proximity to the target.« less

SU-E-T-457: Design and Characterization of An Economical 192Ir Hemi-Brain Small Animal Irradiator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grams, M; Wilson, Z; Sio, T

Purpose: To describe the design and dosimetric characterization of a simple and economical small animal irradiator. Methods: A high dose rate 192Ir brachytherapy source from a commercially available afterloader was used with a 1.3 centimeter thick tungsten collimator to provide sharp beam penumbra suitable for hemi-brain irradiation of mice. The unit is equipped with continuous gas anesthesia to allow robust animal immobilization. Dosimetric characterization of the device was performed with Gafchromic film. The penumbra from the small animal irradiator was compared under similar collimating conditions to the penumbra from 6 MV photons, 6 MeV electrons, and 20 MeV electrons frommore » a linear accelerator as well as 300 kVp photons from an orthovoltage unit and Monte Carlo simulated 90 MeV protons. Results: The tungsten collimator provides a sharp penumbra suitable for hemi-brain irradiation, and dose rates on the order of 200 cGy/minute were achieved. The sharpness of the penumbra attainable with this device compares favorably to those measured experimentally for 6 MV photons, and 6 and 20 MeV electron beams from a linear accelerator. Additionally, the penumbra was comparable to those measured for a 300 kVp orthovoltage beam and a Monte Carlo simulated 90 MeV proton beam. Conclusions: The small animal irradiator described here can be built for under $1,000 and used in conjunction with any commercial brachytherapy afterloader to provide a convenient and cost-effective option for small animal irradiation experiments. The unit offers high dose rate delivery and sharp penumbra, which is ideal for hemi-brain irradiation of mice. With slight modifications to the design, irradiation of sites other than the brain could be accomplished easily. Due to its simplicity and low cost, the apparatus described is an attractive alternative for small animal irradiation experiments requiring a sharp penumbra.« less

Wavelength locking of single emitters and multi-emitter modules: simulation and experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yanson, Dan; Rappaport, Noam; Peleg, Ophir; Berk, Yuri; Dahan, Nir; Klumel, Genady; Baskin, Ilya; Levy, Moshe

2016-03-01

Wavelength-stabilized high-brightness single emitters are commonly used in fiber-coupled laser diode modules for pumping Yb-doped lasers at 976 nm, and Nd-doped ones at 808 nm. We investigate the spectral behavior of single emitters under wavelength-selective feedback from a volume Bragg (or hologram) grating (VBG) in a multi-emitter module. By integrating a full VBG model as a multi-layer thin film structure with commercial raytracing software, we simulated wavelength locking conditions as a function of beam divergence and angular alignment tolerances. Good correlation between the simulated VBG feedback strength and experimentally measured locking ranges, in both VBG misalignment angle and laser temperature, is demonstrated. The challenges of assembling multi-emitter modules based on beam-stacked optical architectures are specifically addressed, where the wavelength locking conditions must be achieved simultaneously with high fiber coupling efficiency for each emitter in the module. It is shown that angular misorientation between fast and slow-axis collimating optics can have a dramatic effect on the spectral and power performance of the module. We report the development of our NEON-S wavelength-stabilized fiber laser pump module, which uses a VBG to provide wavelength-selective optical feedback in the collimated portion of the beam. Powered by our purpose-developed high-brightness single emitters, the module delivers 47 W output at 11 A from an 0.15 NA fiber and a 0.3 nm linewidth at 976 nm. Preliminary wavelength-locking results at 808 nm are also presented.

On the structure and stability of magnetic tower jets

DOE PAGES

Huarte-Espinosa, M.; Frank, A.; Blackman, E. G.; ...

2012-09-05

Modern theoretical models of astrophysical jets combine accretion, rotation, and magnetic fields to launch and collimate supersonic flows from a central source. Near the source, magnetic field strengths must be large enough to collimate the jet requiring that the Poynting flux exceeds the kinetic energy flux. The extent to which the Poynting flux dominates kinetic energy flux at large distances from the engine distinguishes two classes of models. In magneto-centrifugal launch models, magnetic fields dominate only at scales <~ 100 engine radii, after which the jets become hydrodynamically dominated (HD). By contrast, in Poynting flux dominated (PFD) magnetic tower models,more » the field dominates even out to much larger scales. To compare the large distance propagation differences of these two paradigms, we perform three-dimensional ideal magnetohydrodynamic adaptive mesh refinement simulations of both HD and PFD stellar jets formed via the same energy flux. We also compare how thermal energy losses and rotation of the jet base affects the stability in these jets. For the conditions described, we show that PFD and HD exhibit observationally distinguishable features: PFD jets are lighter, slower, and less stable than HD jets. Here, unlike HD jets, PFD jets develop current-driven instabilities that are exacerbated as cooling and rotation increase, resulting in jets that are clumpier than those in the HD limit. Our PFD jet simulations also resemble the magnetic towers that have been recently created in laboratory astrophysical jet experiments.« less

Discovering structure and evolution within the coronae of Seyfert galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilkins, Daniel; Gallo, Luigi C.; Silva, Catia; Costantini, Elisa

2017-08-01

Detailed analysis of the reflection and reverberation of X-rays from the innermost regions of AGN accretion discs reveals the structure and processes that produce the intense continuum emission and the extreme variability we see, right down to the innermost stable orbit and event horizon of the black hole. Observations of Seyfert galaxies spanning more than a decade have enabled measurement of the geometry of the corona and how it evolves, leading to orders of magnitude in variability. They reveal processes the corona undergoes during transient events, notably the collimation and ejection of the corona during X-ray flares, reminiscent of the aborted launching of a jet.Recent reverberation studies, of the Seyfert galaxy I Zwicky 1 with XMM-Newton, are revealing structures within the corona for the very first time. A persistent collimated core is discovered, akin to the base of a jet embedded in the innermost regions alongside an extended corona related to the accretion disc. The detection of the flare in the X-ray emission enables the evolution of both the collimated and extended portions of the corona to be tracked. The flare is seen originating as an increase in activity above the accretion disc before propagating inwards, energising the collimated core at a later time, leading to a second sharp increase in the X-ray luminosity.This gives us important constraints on the processes by which energy is liberated from black hole accretion flows, how they are governed over time and how jets are launched, giving us the deepest insight to date of how these extreme objects are powered.

Water-cooled hard-soldered kilowatt laser diode arrays operating at high duty cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klumel, Genady; Karni, Yoram; Oppenhaim, Jacob; Berk, Yuri; Shamay, Moshe; Tessler, Renana; Cohen, Shalom; Risemberg, Shlomo

2010-04-01

High brightness laser diode arrays are increasingly found in defense applications either as efficient optical pumps or as direct energy sources. In many instances, duty cycles of 10- 20 % are required, together with precise optical collimation. System requirements are not always compatible with the use of microchannel based cooling, notwithstanding their remarkable efficiency. Simpler but effective solutions, which will not involve high fluid pressure drops as well as deionized water, are needed. The designer is faced with a number of challenges: effective heat removal, minimization of the built- in and operational stresses as well as precise and accurate fast axis collimation. In this article, we report on a novel laser diode array which includes an integral tap water cooling system. Robustness is achieved by all around hard solder bonding of passivated 940nm laser bars. Far field mapping of the beam, after accurate fast axis collimation will be presented. It will be shown that the design of water cooling channels , proper selection of package materials, careful design of fatigue sensitive parts and active collimation technique allow for long life time and reliability, while not compromising the laser diode array efficiency, optical power density ,brightness and compactness. Main performance characteristics are 150W/bar peak optical power, 10% duty cycle and more than 50% wall plug efficiency with less than 1° fast axis divergence. Lifetime of 0.5 Gshots with less than 10% power degradation has been proved. Additionally, the devices have successfully survived harsh environmental conditions such as thermal cycling of the coolant temperature and mechanical shocks.

A novel calibration method for non-orthogonal shaft laser theodolite measurement system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu, Bin, E-mail: wubin@tju.edu.cn, E-mail: xueting@tju.edu.cn; Yang, Fengting; Ding, Wen

2016-03-15

Non-orthogonal shaft laser theodolite (N-theodolite) is a new kind of large-scale metrological instrument made up by two rotary tables and one collimated laser. There are three axes for an N-theodolite. According to naming conventions in traditional theodolite, rotary axes of two rotary tables are called as horizontal axis and vertical axis, respectively, and the collimated laser beam is named as sight axis. And the difference between N-theodolite and traditional theodolite is obvious, since the former one with no orthogonal and intersecting accuracy requirements. So the calibration method for traditional theodolite is no longer suitable for N-theodolite, while the calibration methodmore » applied currently is really complicated. Thus this paper introduces a novel calibration method for non-orthogonal shaft laser theodolite measurement system to simplify the procedure and to improve the calibration accuracy. A simple two-step process, calibration for intrinsic parameters and for extrinsic parameters, is proposed by the novel method. And experiments have shown its efficiency and accuracy.« less

GRAVITATIONAL MODEL OF HIGH-ENERGY PARTICLES IN A COLLIMATED JET

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

De Freitas Pacheco, J. A.; Gariel, J.; Marcilhacy, G.

2012-11-10

Observations suggest that relativistic particles play a fundamental role in the dynamics of jets emerging from active galactic nuclei as well as in their interaction with the intracluster medium. However, no general consensus exists concerning the acceleration mechanism of those high-energy particles. A gravitational acceleration mechanism is proposed here in which particles leaving precise regions within the ergosphere of a rotating supermassive black hole (BH) produce a highly collimated flow. These particles follow unbound geodesics which are asymptotically parallel to the spin axis of the BH and are characterized by the energy E, the Carter constant Q, and zero angularmore » momentum of the component L{sub z} . If environmental effects are neglected, the present model predicts the presence of electrons with energies around 9.4 GeV at distances of about 140 kpc from the ergosphere. The present mechanism can also accelerate protons up to the highest energies observed in cosmic rays by the present experiments.« less

Progress towards a laser produced relativistic electron-positron pair plasma

DOE PAGES

Chen, Hui; Bonlie, J.; Cauble, R.; ...

2016-04-01

Here, a set of experiments has been performed exploring unique characteristics of pair jets and plasmas at several energetic short-pulse laser facilities including Titan at Livermore and OMEGA EP in Rochester, as well as the Osaka LFEX and AWE Orion lasers. New results are summarized, including positron beam emittance, scaling of pair production vs. laser energy, and initial results on the pair jet collimation using electromagnetic fields.

Response to comment on "Hydrogen mapping of the lunar South Pole using the LRO neutron detector experiment LEND".

PubMed

Mitrofanov, I G; Boynton, W V; Litvak, M L; Sanin, A B; Starr, R D

2011-11-25

Critical comments from Lawrence et al. are considered on the capability of the collimated neutron telescope Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) on NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) for mapping lunar epithermal neutrons, as presented in our paper. We present two different analyses to show that our previous estimated count rates are valid and support the conclusions of that paper.

Measurements and simulations of boron carbide as degrader material for proton therapy.

PubMed

Gerbershagen, Alexander; Baumgarten, Christian; Kiselev, Daniela; van der Meer, Robert; Risters, Yannic; Schippers, Marco

2016-07-21

We report on test measurements using boron carbide (B4C) as degrader material in comparison with the conventional graphite, which is currently used in many proton therapy degraders. Boron carbide is a material of lower average atomic weight and higher density than graphite. Calculations predict that, compared to graphite, the use of boron carbide results in a lower emittance behind the degrader due to the shorter degrader length. Downstream of the acceptance defining collimation system we expect a higher beam transmission, especially at low beam energies. This is of great interest in proton therapy applications as it allows either a reduction of the beam intensity extracted from the cyclotron leading to lower activation or a reduction of the treatment time. This paper summarizes the results of simulations and experiments carried out at the PROSCAN facility at the Paul Scherrer Institute(1). The simulations predict an increase in the transmitted beam current after the collimation system of approx. 30.5% for beam degradation from 250 to 84 MeV for a boron carbide degrader compared to graphite. The experiment carried out with a boron carbide block reducing the energy to 84 MeV yielded a transmission improvement of 37% compared with the graphite degrader set to that energy.

SRXRF analysis with spatial resolution of dental calculus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sánchez, Héctor Jorge; Pérez, Carlos Alberto; Grenón, Miriam

2000-09-01

This work presents elemental-composition studies of dental calculus by X-ray fluorescence analysis using synchrotron radiation. The intrinsic characteristics of synchrotron light allow for a semi-quantitative analysis with spatial resolution. The experiments were carried out in the high-vacuum station of the XRF beamline at the Synchrotron Light National Laboratory (Campinas, Brazil). All the measurements were performed in conventional geometry (45°+45°) and the micro-collimation was attained via a pair of orthogonal slits mounted in the beamline. In this way, pixels of 50 μm×50 μm were obtained keeping a high flux of photons on the sample. Samples of human dental calculus were measured in different positions along their growing axis, in order to determine variations of the compositions in the pattern of deposit. Intensity ratios of minor elements and traces were obtained, and linear profiles and surface distributions were determined. As a general summary, we can conclude that μXRF experiments with spatial resolution on dental calculus are feasible with simple collimation and adequate positioning systems, keeping a high flux of photon. These results open interesting perspectives for the future station of the line, devoted to μXRF, which will reach resolutions of the order of 10 μm.

Spectral response of fiber-coupled Fabry-Perot etalons.

PubMed

Ionov, Pavel

2014-03-01

In many remote sensing applications one or multiple Fabry-Perot etalons are used as high-spectral-resolution filter elements. These etalons are often coupled to a receiving telescope with a multimode fiber, leading to subtle effects of the fiber mode order on the overall spectral response of the system. A theoretical model is developed to treat the spectral response of the combined system: fiber, collimator, and etalon. The method is based on a closed-form expression of the diffracted mode in terms of a Hankel transform. In this representation, it is shown how the spectral effect of the fiber and collimator can be separated from the details of the etalon and can be viewed as a mode-dependent spectral broadening and shift.

A QUANTITATIVE COMPARISON OF LUNAR ORBITAL NEUTRON DATA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eke, V. R.; Teodoro, L. F. A.; Lawrence, D. J.

2012-03-01

Data from the Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) Collimated Sensors for Epithermal Neutrons (CSETN) are used in conjunction with a model based on results from the Lunar Prospector (LP) mission to quantify the extent of the background in the LEND CSETN. A simple likelihood analysis implies that at least 90% of the lunar component of the LEND CSETN flux results from high-energy epithermal (HEE) neutrons passing through the walls of the collimator. Thus, the effective FWHM of the LEND CSETN field of view is comparable to that of the omni-directional LP Neutron Spectrometer. The resulting map of HEE neutrons offersmore » the opportunity to probe the hydrogen abundance at low latitudes and to provide constraints on the distribution of lunar water.« less

Investigation of attenuation coefficients of some stainless steel and aluminum alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caner, Zafer; Tufan, Mustafa ćaǧatay

2018-02-01

In this study, attenuation coefficients of two different stainless steel alloys (AISI 304 and AISI 310), which have a wide range of applications from home appliances to the automotive sector, and two different aluminum alloys (6013 and 5083), which have a high mechanical strength and a light weight structure and are used in many fields from aviation to military vehicles, has been determined. For this purpose, we used gamma spectrometer system with NaI(Tl) detector. In our measurements, we used Eu-152, Ra-226 and Co-60 as gamma ray sources. To narrow the beam of gamma rays, we designed the new steel based collimator. We also investigated the effect of using collimator. Obtained results were compared with the NIST XCOM values.

Revealing structure within the coronae of Seyfert galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilkins, D.

2017-10-01

Detailed analysis of the reflection and reverberation of X-rays from the innermost regions of AGN accretion discs reveals the structure and processes that produce the intense continuum emission and the extreme variability we see, right down to the innermost stable orbit and event horizon of the black hole. Observations of Seyfert galaxies spanning more than a decade have enabled measurement of the geometry of the corona and how it evolves, leading to orders of magnitude of variability. They reveal processes the corona undergoes during transient events, notably the collimation and ejection of the corona during X-ray flares, reminiscent of the aborted launching of a jet. Recent reverberation studies, including those of the Seyfert galaxy I Zwicky 1 with XMM-Newton, are revealing structures within the corona for the first time. A persistent collimated core is found, akin to the base of a jet embedded in the innermost regions. The evolution of both the collimated and extended portions point to the mechanisms powering the X-ray emission and variability. This gives us important constraints on the processes by which energy is liberated from black hole accretion flows and by which jets are launched, allowing us to understand how these extreme objects are powered.

Design of a radiation facility for very small specimens used in radiobiology studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez, Manuel; Jeraj, Robert

2008-06-01

A design of a radiation facility for very small specimens used in radiobiology is presented. This micro-irradiator has been primarily designed to irradiate partial bodies in zebrafish embryos 3-4 mm in length. A miniature x-ray, 50 kV photon beam, is used as a radiation source. The source is inserted in a cylindrical brass collimator that has a pinhole of 1.0 mm in diameter along the central axis to produce a pencil photon beam. The collimator with the source is attached underneath a computer-controlled movable table which holds the specimens. Using a 45° tilted mirror, a digital camera, connected to the computer, takes pictures of the specimen and the pinhole collimator. From the image provided by the camera, the relative distance from the specimen to the pinhole axis is calculated and coordinates are sent to the movable table to properly position the samples in the beam path. Due to its monitoring system, characteristic of the radiation beam, accuracy and precision of specimen positioning, and automatic image-based specimen recognition, this radiation facility is a suitable tool to irradiate partial bodies in zebrafish embryos, cell cultures or any other small specimen used in radiobiology research.

Highly ionized collimated outflow from HE 0238-1904

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muzahid, S.; Srianand, R.; Savage, B. D.; Narayanan, A.; Mohan, V.; Dewangan, G. C.

2012-07-01

We present a detailed analysis of a highly ionized, multiphased and collimated outflowing gas detected through O V, O VI, Ne VIII and Mg X absorption associated with the QSO HE 0238-1904 (zem≃ 0.629). Based on the similarities in the absorption-line profiles and estimated covering fractions, we find that the O VI and Ne VIII absorption trace the same phase of the absorbing gas. Simple photoionization models can reproduce the observed ?, ? and ? from a single phase whereas the low-ionization species (e.g. N III, N IV and O IV) originate from a different phase. The measured ? ratio is found to be remarkably similar (within a factor of ˜2) in several individual absorption components kinematically spread over ˜1800 km s-1. Under photoionization this requires a fine-tuning between hydrogen density (nH) and the distance of the absorbing gas from the Quasi Stellar Object (QSO). Alternatively, this can also be explained by collisional ionization in hot gas with T≥ 105.7 K. Long-term stability favours the absorbing gas being located outside the broad-line region. We speculate that the collimated flow of such a hot gas could possibly be triggered by the radio jet interaction.

Studies of auroral X-ray imaging from high altitude spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mckenzie, D. L.; Mizera, P. F.; Rice, C. J.

1980-01-01

Results of a study of techniques for imaging the aurora from a high altitude satellite at X-ray wavelengths are summarized. The X-ray observations allow the straightforward derivation of the primary auroral X-ray spectrum and can be made at all local times, day and night. Five candidate imaging systems are identified: X-ray telescope, multiple pinhole camera, coded aperture, rastered collimator, and imaging collimator. Examples of each are specified, subject to common weight and size limits which allow them to be intercompared. The imaging ability of each system is tested using a wide variety of sample spectra which are based on previous satellite observations. The study shows that the pinhole camera and coded aperture are both good auroral imaging systems. The two collimated detectors are significantly less sensitive. The X-ray telescope provides better image quality than the other systems in almost all cases, but a limitation to energies below about 4 keV prevents this system from providing the spectra data essential to deriving electron spectra, energy input to the atmosphere, and atmospheric densities and conductivities. The orbit selection requires a tradeoff between spatial resolution and duty cycle.

Hybrid algorithm for simulating the collimated transmittance of homogeneous stratified turbid media

PubMed Central

Cruzado, Beatriz Morales; Atencio, José Alberto Delgado; Vázquez y Montiel, Sergio; Gómez, Erick Sarmiento

2015-01-01

In this work we describe the development of a program that simulates the propagation of photons through refractive and reflecting optical components such as lenses, mirrors and stops that includes a biological tissue sample as the main issue to be investigated in order to get a simulated value of light distribution, in particular, of the unscattered light. The analysis of the photons that travel through the sample is based on the program Monte Carlo Multi-Layered with some modifications that consider a Gaussian beam as initial source of light. Position, directional cosines and weight of photons exiting the turbid media are used to propagate them through an optical system. As a mean of validation of the program, we selected a typical optical system for measurement of collimated transmittance. Therefore, several tests were carried out to find the optical system that gives the theoretical collimated transmittance at different values of the optical properties of the turbid media. Along this validation, the optimal experimental configuration is found. Using this results, a comparison between the simulated optimal configuration and the experimental set-up was done, by using a colloidal suspension as a turbid media. PMID:26137375

SU-F-T-604: Dosimetric Evaluation of Intracranial Stereotactic Radiotherapy Plans On a LINAC

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sheth, N; Tabibian, A; Rose, J

2016-06-15

Purpose: To evaluate the dosimetry of cranial stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) plans of varying techniques on linac that meets appropriate TG-142 tolerances using 1 cm leaf width multileaf collimator (MLC). Methods: Seventeen spherical targets were generated in the center of a head phantom with diameters ranging 8 mm to 40 mm. SRT plans used 100° non-coplanar arcs and 5 couch angles with 35° spacing. The field size was target plus 1 mm margin. Four plans were created for each target: symmetrical jaws blocking for 5 arcs with 0° collimator (J1C), symmetrical jaws blocking with 5 clockwise arcs with 0° collimator andmore » 5 counter-clockwise arcs with 45° collimator (J2C), MLC blocking for 5 dynamic conformal arcs with 0° collimator (M1C), and MLC blocking for 5 clockwise dynamic conformal arcs with 0° collimators and 5 counter-clockwise dynamic conformal arcs with 45° collimator (M2C).Conformity was evaluated using a ratio of Rx to target volume (PITV). Heterogeneity was determined using a ratio of maximum dose to Rx dose. Falloff was scored using CGIg: difference of effective radii of spheres equal to half and full Rx volumes. Results: All plans met RTOG SRS criteria for conformity and heterogeneity. The mean PITV was 1.52±0.07, 1.49±0.08, 1.39±0.05, and 1.37±0.04 for J1C, J2C, M1C, and M2C plans respectively. The mean CGIg was 75.35±15.79, 74.19±16.66, 77.14±15.12, and 76.28±15.78 for J1C, J2C, M1C, and M2C plans respectively. The mean MDPD was 1.25±0.00 for all techniques. Conclusion: Clinically acceptable SRT plans for spherical targets were created on a linac with 1 cm MLC. Adding two collimator angles and MLC to arcs each improved conformity. The MLC improved the dose falloff while two collimator angles degraded it. This technique can expand the availability of SRT to patients especially to those who cannot travel to a facility with a dedicated stereotactic radiosurgery machine.« less

Dosimetric effect of limited aperture multileaf collimator on VMAT plan quality: A study of prostate and head-and-neck cancers.

PubMed

Murtaza, Ghulam; Mehmood, Shahid; Rasul, Shahid; Murtaza, Imran; Khan, Ehsan Ullah

2018-01-01

The aim of study was to evaluate the dosimetric effect of collimator-rotation on VMAT plan quality, when using limited aperture multileaf collimator of Elekta Beam Modulator™ providing a maximum aperture of 21 cm × 16 cm. The increased use of VMAT technique to deliver IMRT from conventional to very specialized treatments present a challenge in plan optimization. In this study VMAT plans were optimized for prostate and head and neck cancers using Elekta Beam-Modulator TM , whereas previous studies were reported for conventional Linac aperture. VMAT plans for nine of each prostate and head-and-neck cancer patients were produced using the 6 MV photon beam for Elekta-SynergyS ® Linac using Pinnacle 3 treatment planning system. Single arc, dual arc and two combined independent-single arcs were optimized for collimator angles (C) 0°, 90° and 0°-90° (0°-90°; i.e. the first-arc was assigned C0° and second-arc was assigned C90°). A treatment plan comparison was performed among C0°, C90° and C(0°-90°) for single-arc dual-arc and two independent-single-arcs VMAT techniques to evaluate the influence of extreme collimator rotations (C0° and 90°) on VMAT plan quality. Plan evaluation criteria included the target coverage, conformity index, homogeneity index and doses to organs at risk. A 'two-sided student t -test' ( p  ≤ 0.05) was used to determine if there was a significant difference in dose volume indices of plans. For both prostate and head-and-neck, plan quality at collimator angles C0° and C(0°-90°) was clinically acceptable for all VMAT-techniques, except SA for head-and-neck. Poorer target coverage, higher normal tissue doses and significant p -values were observed for collimator angle 90° when compared with C0° and C(0°-90°). A collimator rotation of 0° provided significantly better target coverage and sparing of organs-at-risk than a collimator rotation of 90° for all VMAT techniques.

SU-F-T-588: Asymmetries in the CyberKnife Iris 2 Collimator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cernica, G; Ji, H; McRae, D

Purpose: The Iris 2 dodecahedral collimator in the CyberKnife unit can demonstrate visible asymmetry in the shaped radiation field, as seen on routine films. Specifically some edges of the collimator project longer than others. PDDs and output factors remain unaffected by this asymmetry. An in-house program was written to analyze the impact of this asymmetry on profiles. Methods: Two years of routine chromodynamic films were retrospectively analyzed using an in-house developed program. Films were obtained on a weekly basis in a plastic phantom on the vendor-provided mount. Profiles were obtained every degree. A dodecahedron was fitted to the 50% isodosemore » line and the positions and sizes of the upper and lower hexagonal collimators were derived. The collimators’ profiles at every degree, symmetry and centering were calculated and trended over the months. Results: Asymmetries in the obtained profiles were apparent. The upper and lower collimators were off-centered (0.31 mm, p<10–8), they did not project the same field size at 80 cm (0.46 mm difference, p<10–31). Profiles as a function of angle demonstrate a periodicity, but short and long profiles are rarely 15° apart, but vary from 9° to 21°. In addition, a second, intermediate minimum is seen at every other short profile. A trend in the field size over time is noted and can be monitored to identify servicing needs. Conclusion: Despite its differences, the asymmetric Iris 2 collimator did not demonstrate large deviations in PDDs and output factors. Due to the asymmetry, the 15° apart profiles obtained at commissioning do not represent the true large and short blade profiles of the collimator. Averaging of the profiles in the commissioning process hides this difference.« less

Studies on focal alveolar bone healing with technetium (Tc)-99m labeled methylene diphosphonate and gold-collimated cadmium telluride probe

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tsuchimochi, M.; Hosain, F.; Engelke, W.

1991-01-01

The benefit of using a collimator for a miniaturized cadmium telluride probe was evaluated by monitoring the bone-healing processes for 13 weeks after the induction of small iatrogenic alveolar bone lesions in one side of the mandible in beagles. Technetium (Tc)-99m labeled methylene diphosphonate (200 to 300 MBq, 5.1 to 8.1 mCi, in a solution of 0.5 to 1 ml, intravenously) was used as a bone-seeking radiopharmaceutical. The radioactivity over the bone lesion (L) and the contralateral normal site (C) in the mandible were measured between 1.5 and 2 hours after injection of the tracer, and the activity ratio L/Cmore » served as an index of relative bone uptake. A study of six dogs revealed that the healing response to a hemispheric bone defect of 2 mm diameter in the cortical bone could not be detected by an uncollimated probe, and in a repeated study in two dogs the use of a gold collimator (5 mm in diameter, 5 mm in length) did not increase the L/C ratio significantly. A second study in six dogs with 5 mm lesions showed that although systematic trends in the time courses of the L/C ratio obtained both with and without the collimator could be demonstrated, the L/C ratio of collimated versus uncollimated measurements was significantly (p less than 0.005) increased. In three of the latter six dogs, abscesses developed after 9 weeks, leading to a second increase (p less than 0.05) of the L/C ratio with collimation compared with the noninflammation group; without collimation no significant (p greater than 0.15) difference between the two groups could be demonstrated.« less

Experimental Comparison of Knife-Edge and Multi-Parallel Slit Collimators for Prompt Gamma Imaging of Proton Pencil Beams.

PubMed

Smeets, Julien; Roellinghoff, Frauke; Janssens, Guillaume; Perali, Irene; Celani, Andrea; Fiorini, Carlo; Freud, Nicolas; Testa, Etienne; Prieels, Damien

2016-01-01

More and more camera concepts are being investigated to try and seize the opportunity of instantaneous range verification of proton therapy treatments offered by prompt gammas emitted along the proton tracks. Focusing on one-dimensional imaging with a passive collimator, the present study experimentally compared in combination with the first, clinically compatible, dedicated camera device the performances of instances of the two main options: a knife-edge slit (KES) and a multi-parallel slit (MPS) design. These two options were experimentally assessed in this specific context as they were previously demonstrated through analytical and numerical studies to allow similar performances in terms of Bragg peak retrieval precision and spatial resolution in a general context. Both collimators were prototyped according to the conclusions of Monte Carlo optimization studies under constraints of equal weight (40 mm tungsten alloy equivalent thickness) and of the specificities of the camera device under consideration (in particular 4 mm segmentation along beam axis and no time-of-flight discrimination, both of which less favorable to the MPS performance than to the KES one). Acquisitions of proton pencil beams of 100, 160, and 230 MeV in a PMMA target revealed that, in order to reach a given level of statistical precision on Bragg peak depth retrieval, the KES collimator requires only half the dose the present MPS collimator needs, making the KES collimator a preferred option for a compact camera device aimed at imaging only the Bragg peak position. On the other hand, the present MPS collimator proves more effective at retrieving the entrance of the beam in the target in the context of an extended camera device aimed at imaging the whole proton track within the patient.

SU-F-T-425: Head-Scatter Off-Axis for FFF Megavoltage Photon Beams

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhu, T; Penjweini, R; Dimofte, A

Purpose: Head-scatter photons inside a clinical accelerator cause the output to change with collimator setting. On the central-axis, this contribution is well-described by output factor in air (or head-scatter factor). However, a few studies have examined this component at off-axis points. Methods: We define the head-scatter off-axis ratio, HOA, as the ratio of the water kerma in air due to head-scatter photons at the off-axis position x to the water kerma from direct primary photons on the central axis: HOA(cx,cy,xy) = (Q(cx,cy,x) – QP(cx,cy,x))/QP(cx,cy,0), where Q(cx, cy,x), QP(cx,cy,x) are charges measured by an ionization chamber in a miniphantom for collimatormore » setting cx × cy and cx × 3 cm, respectively, at off-axis point x. “Direct primary” is those photons that come from the source without interactions in the intervening structures. Results: We measured HOA for two energies (6XFFF and 6X) along X and Y jaw directions for various collimator settings. The shape of HOA has well defined penumbra for collimator setting larger than 10 × 10 cm2. Conclusion: The narrow gaussian component is interpreted as the source of photons scattered in the flattening filter and the primary collimator. The broad component is attributed to photons scattered in the secondary (variable) collimators. By a direct comparison between 6X and 6XFFF beams, we can confirm that the second component is indeed coming from collimator jaws and identify the parts coming from the primary collimator and the flattening filter, respectively.« less

Collimator Design for a Brain SPECT/MRI Insert

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salvado, Debora; Erlandsson, Kjell; Bousse, Alexandre; Occhipinti, Michele; Busca, Paolo; Fiorini, Carlo; Hutton, Brian F.

2015-08-01

This project's goal is to design a SPECT insert for a clinical MRI system for simultaneous brain SPECT/MR imaging, with a high-sensitivity collimator and high-resolution detectors. We have compared eight collimator designs, four multi-pinhole and four multi-slit slit-slat configurations. The collimation was designed for a system with 2 rings of 25 5 × 5 cm detectors. We introduce the concept of 1/2-pinhole and 1/2-slit, which are transaxially shared between two adjacent detectors. Analytical geometric efficiency was calculated for an activity distribution corresponding to a human brain and a range of intrinsic detector resolutions Ri and target resolutions Rt at the centre of the FOV. Noise-free data were simulated with and without depth-of-interaction (DOI) information, 0.8 mm Ri and 10 mm Rt FWHM, and reconstructed for uniform, Defrise, Derenzo, and Zubal brain phantoms. Comparing the multi-pinhole and multi-slit slit-slat collimators, the former gives better reconstructed uniformity and transaxial resolution, while the latter gives better axial resolution. Although the 2 ×2-pinhole and 2-slit designs give the highest sensitivities, they result in a sub-optimal utilisation of the detector FOV. The best options are therefore the 5+ 2 1/2-pinhole and the 1 + 2 1/2-slit systems, with sensitivities of 1.8 ×10-4 and 3.2 ×10-4, respectively. Noiseless brain phantom reconstructions with the multi-pinhole collimator are slightly superior as compared to slit-slat, in terms of symmetry and accuracy of the activity distribution, but the same is not true when noise is included. DOI information reduces artefacts and improves uniformity in geometric phantoms. Further evaluation is needed with prototype collimators.

Design and development of new collimator cones for fractionated stereotactic radiation therapy in Samsung Medical Center.

PubMed

Ahn, Y C; Ju, S G; Kim, D Y; Choi, D R; Huh, S J; Park, Y H; Lim, D H; Kim, M K

1999-05-01

In stereotactic radiotherapy using X-Knife system, the commercially supplied collimator cone system had a few mechanical limitations. The authors have developed new collimator cones to overcome these limitations and named them "SMC type" collimator cones. We made use of cadmium-free cerrobend alloy within the stainless steel cylinder housing. We made nine cones of relatively larger sizes (3.0 cm to 7.0 cm in diameter) and of shorter length with bigger clearance from the isocenter than the commercial cones. The cone housing and the collimator cones were designed to insert into the wedge mount of the gantry head to enable double-exposure linac-gram taking. The mechanical accuracy of pointing to the isocenter was tested by ball test and cone rotation test, and the dosimetric measurements were performed, all of which were with satisfactory results. A new innovative quality assurance procedure using linac-grams on the patients at the actual treatment setup was attempted after taking 10 sets of AP and lateral linac-grams and the overall mechanical isocenter accuracy was excellent (average error = 0.4 +/- 0.2 mm). We have developed the SMC type collimator cone system mainly for fractionated stereotactic radiation therapy use with our innovative ideas. The new cones' mechanical accuracy and physical properties were satisfactory for clinical use, and the verification of the isocenter accuracy on the actual treatment setup has become possible.

End-to-End Beam Simulations for the New Muon G-2 Experiment at Fermilab

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Korostelev, Maxim; Bailey, Ian; Herrod, Alexander

2016-06-01

The aim of the new muon g-2 experiment at Fermilab is to measure the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon with an unprecedented uncertainty of 140 ppb. A beam of positive muons required for the experiment is created by pion decay. Detailed studies of the beam dynamics and spin polarization of the muons are important to predict systematic uncertainties in the experiment. In this paper, we present the results of beam simulations and spin tracking from the pion production target to the muon storage ring. The end-to-end beam simulations are developed in Bmad and include the processes of particle decay,more » collimation (with accurate representation of all apertures) and spin tracking.« less

Design of an Experiment to Measure ann Using 3H(γ, pn)n at HIγS★

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friesen, F. Q. L.; Ahmed, M. W.; Crowe, B. J.; Crowell, A. S.; Cumberbatch, L. C.; Fallin, B.; Han, Z.; Howell, C. R.; Malone, R. M.; Markoff, D.; Tornow, W.; Witała, H.

2016-03-01

We provide an update on the development of an experiment at TUNL for determining the 1S0 neutron-neutron (nn) scattering length (ann) from differential cross-section measurements of three-body photodisintegration of the triton. The experiment will be conducted using a linearly polarized gamma-ray beam at the High Intensity Gamma-ray Source (HIγS) and tritium gas contained in thin-walled cells. The main components of the planned experiment are a 230 Ci gas target system, a set of wire chambers and silicon strip detectors on each side of the beam axis, and an array of neutron detectors on each side beyond the silicon detectors. The protons emitted in the reaction are tracked in the wire chambers and their energy and position are measured in silicon strip detectors. The first iteration of the experiment will be simplified, making use of a collimator system, and silicon detectors to interrogate the main region of interest near 90° in the polar angle. Monte-Carlo simulations based on rigorous 3N calculations have been conducted to validate the sensitivity of the experimental setup to ann. This research supported in part by the DOE Office of Nuclear Physics Grant Number DE-FG02-97ER41033

A novel software and conceptual design of the hardware platform for intensity modulated radiation therapy.

PubMed

Nguyen, Dan; Ruan, Dan; O'Connor, Daniel; Woods, Kaley; Low, Daniel A; Boucher, Salime; Sheng, Ke

2016-02-01

To deliver high quality intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) using a novel generalized sparse orthogonal collimators (SOCs), the authors introduce a novel direct aperture optimization (DAO) approach based on discrete rectangular representation. A total of seven patients-two glioblastoma multiforme, three head & neck (including one with three prescription doses), and two lung-were included. 20 noncoplanar beams were selected using a column generation and pricing optimization method. The SOC is a generalized conventional orthogonal collimators with N leaves in each collimator bank, where N = 1, 2, or 4. SOC degenerates to conventional jaws when N = 1. For SOC-based IMRT, rectangular aperture optimization (RAO) was performed to optimize the fluence maps using rectangular representation, producing fluence maps that can be directly converted into a set of deliverable rectangular apertures. In order to optimize the dose distribution and minimize the number of apertures used, the overall objective was formulated to incorporate an L2 penalty reflecting the difference between the prescription and the projected doses, and an L1 sparsity regularization term to encourage a low number of nonzero rectangular basis coefficients. The optimization problem was solved using the Chambolle-Pock algorithm, a first-order primal-dual algorithm. Performance of RAO was compared to conventional two-step IMRT optimization including fluence map optimization and direct stratification for multileaf collimator (MLC) segmentation (DMS) using the same number of segments. For the RAO plans, segment travel time for SOC delivery was evaluated for the N = 1, N = 2, and N = 4 SOC designs to characterize the improvement in delivery efficiency as a function of N. Comparable PTV dose homogeneity and coverage were observed between the RAO and the DMS plans. The RAO plans were slightly superior to the DMS plans in sparing critical structures. On average, the maximum and mean critical organ doses were reduced by 1.94% and 1.44% of the prescription dose. The average number of delivery segments was 12.68 segments per beam for both the RAO and DMS plans. The N = 2 and N = 4 SOC designs were, on average, 1.56 and 1.80 times more efficient than the N = 1 SOC design to deliver. The mean aperture size produced by the RAO plans was 3.9 times larger than that of the DMS plans. The DAO and dose domain optimization approach enabled high quality IMRT plans using a low-complexity collimator setup. The dosimetric quality is comparable or slightly superior to conventional MLC-based IMRT plans using the same number of delivery segments. The SOC IMRT delivery efficiency can be significantly improved by increasing the leaf numbers, but the number is still significantly lower than the number of leaves in a typical MLC.

Proton Electrostatic Analyzer.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-02-01

Detector Assembly ......................................... 11 2.2 Analyzer (Energy Selector) Assembly............................ 12 2.3 Collimator...Spectrometer assembly ........................................ 13 2.2 Base plate .................................................. 14 - ~ 2.3 Detector ... sensitive vehicle systems. Space objects undergo differential charging due to variations in physical properties among their surface regions. The rate and

The Hard X-ray experiment on the Astronomical Netherlands Satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gursky, H.; Schnopper, H.; Parsignault, D.

1975-01-01

The Hard X-ray Experiment flown on the Astronomical Netherlands Satellite is described. The instrument consists of two parts. One is a large-area detector of about 60 sq cm in total area, sensitive in the energy range between 1.5 and 30 keV. Two counters comprise this detector, each collimated 10 min by 3 deg and offset in the narrow direction by 4 min. The other part is a Bragg-crystal assembly consisting of two PET crystals and counters aligned to search for the silicon emission lines near 2 keV. Instrument characteristics and orbital operations are described.

A wide and collimated radio jet in 3C84 on the scale of a few hundred gravitational radii

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giovannini, G.; Savolainen, T.; Orienti, M.; Nakamura, M.; Nagai, H.; Kino, M.; Giroletti, M.; Hada, K.; Bruni, G.; Kovalev, Y. Y.; Anderson, J. M.; D'Ammando, F.; Hodgson, J.; Honma, M.; Krichbaum, T. P.; Lee, S.-S.; Lico, R.; Lisakov, M. M.; Lobanov, A. P.; Petrov, L.; Sohn, B. W.; Sokolovsky, K. V.; Voitsik, P. A.; Zensus, J. A.; Tingay, S.

2018-06-01

Understanding the formation of relativistic jets in active galactic nuclei remains an elusive problem1. This is partly because observational tests of jet formation models suffer from the limited angular resolution of ground-based very-long-baseline interferometry that has thus far been able to probe the structure of the jet acceleration and collimation region in only two sources2,3. Here, we report observations of 3C84 (NGC 1275)—the central galaxy of the Perseus cluster—made with an interferometric array including the orbiting radio telescope of the RadioAstron4 mission. The data transversely resolve the edge-brightened jet in 3C84 only 30 μas from the core, which is ten times closer to the central engine than was possible in previous ground-based observations5 and allows us to measure the jet collimation profile from 102 to 104 gravitational radii (rg) from the black hole. The previously found5, almost cylindrical jet profile on scales larger than a few thousand rg is seen to continue at least down to a few hundred rg from the black hole, and we find a broad jet with a transverse radius of ≳250 rg at only 350 rg from the core. This implies that either the bright outer jet layer goes through a very rapid lateral expansion on scales ≲102 rg or it is launched from the accretion disk.

A wide and collimated radio jet in 3C84 on the scale of a few hundred gravitational radii

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giovannini, G.; Savolainen, T.; Orienti, M.; Nakamura, M.; Nagai, H.; Kino, M.; Giroletti, M.; Hada, K.; Bruni, G.; Kovalev, Y. Y.; Anderson, J. M.; D'Ammando, F.; Hodgson, J.; Honma, M.; Krichbaum, T. P.; Lee, S.-S.; Lico, R.; Lisakov, M. M.; Lobanov, A. P.; Petrov, L.; Sohn, B. W.; Sokolovsky, K. V.; Voitsik, P. A.; Zensus, J. A.; Tingay, S.

2018-04-01

Understanding the formation of relativistic jets in active galactic nuclei remains an elusive problem1. This is partly because observational tests of jet formation models suffer from the limited angular resolution of ground-based very-long-baseline interferometry that has thus far been able to probe the structure of the jet acceleration and collimation region in only two sources2,3. Here, we report observations of 3C84 (NGC 1275)—the central galaxy of the Perseus cluster—made with an interferometric array including the orbiting radio telescope of the RadioAstron4 mission. The data transversely resolve the edge-brightened jet in 3C84 only 30 μas from the core, which is ten times closer to the central engine than was possible in previous ground-based observations5 and allows us to measure the jet collimation profile from 102 to 104 gravitational radii (rg) from the black hole. The previously found5, almost cylindrical jet profile on scales larger than a few thousand rg is seen to continue at least down to a few hundred rg from the black hole, and we find a broad jet with a transverse radius of ≳250 rg at only 350 rg from the core. This implies that either the bright outer jet layer goes through a very rapid lateral expansion on scales ≲102 rg or it is launched from the accretion disk.

Demonstration of x-ray fluorescence imaging of a high-energy-density plasma.

PubMed

MacDonald, M J; Keiter, P A; Montgomery, D S; Biener, M M; Fein, J R; Fournier, K B; Gamboa, E J; Klein, S R; Kuranz, C C; LeFevre, H J; Manuel, M J-E; Streit, J; Wan, W C; Drake, R P

2014-11-01

Experiments at the Trident Laser Facility have successfully demonstrated the use of x-ray fluorescence imaging (XRFI) to diagnose shocked carbonized resorcinol formaldehyde (CRF) foams doped with Ti. One laser beam created a shock wave in the doped foam. A second laser beam produced a flux of vanadium He-α x-rays, which in turn induced Ti K-shell fluorescence within the foam. Spectrally resolved 1D imaging of the x-ray fluorescence provided shock location and compression measurements. Additionally, experiments using a collimator demonstrated that one can probe specific regions within a target. These results show that XRFI is a capable alternative to path-integrated measurements for diagnosing hydrodynamic experiments at high energy density.

Simulation, design, and testing of a high power collimator for the RDS-112 cyclotron.

PubMed

Peeples, Johanna L; Stokely, Matthew H; Poorman, Michael C; Bida, Gerald T; Wieland, Bruce W

2015-03-01

A high power [F-18] fluoride target package for the RDS-112 cyclotron has been designed, tested, and commercially deployed. The upgrade includes the CF-1000 target, a 1.3kW water target with an established commercial history on RDS-111/Eclipse cyclotrons, and a redesigned collimator with improved heat rejection capabilities. Conjugate heat transfer analyses were employed to both evaluate the existing collimator capabilities and design a suitable high current replacement. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Large area soft x-ray collimator to facilitate x-ray optics testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Espy, Samuel L.

1994-01-01

The first objective of this program is to design a nested conical foil x-ray optic which will collimate x-rays diverging from a point source. The collimator could then be employed in a small, inexpensive x-ray test stand which would be used to test various x-ray optics and detector systems. The second objective is to demonstrate the fabrication of the x-ray reflectors for this optic using lacquer-smoothing and zero-stress electroforming techniques.

Radiation collimator and systems incorporating same

DOEpatents

Norman, Daren R [Idaho Falls, ID; Yoon, Woo Y [Idaho Falls, ID; Jones, James L [Idaho Falls, ID; Haskell, Kevin J [Idaho Falls, ID; Bennett, Brion D [Idaho Falls, ID; Tschaggeny, Charles W [Woods Cross, UT; Jones, Warren F [Idaho Falls, ID

2011-09-13

A collimator including a housing having disposed therein a shield element surrounding a converter core in which a photon beam is generated from electrons emanating from a linear accelerator. A beam channeler longitudinally adjacent the shield element has a beam aperture therethrough coaxially aligned with, and of the same diameter as, an exit bore of the converter core. A larger entry bore in the converter core is coaxial with, and longitudinally separated from, the exit bore thereof. Systems incorporating the collimator are also disclosed.

SU-E-T-214: Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy (IMPT) Based On Passively Scattered Protons and Multi-Leaf Collimation: Prototype TPS and Dosimetry Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sanchez-Parcerisa, D; Carabe-Fernandez, A

2014-06-01

Purpose. Intensity-modulated proton therapy is usually implemented with multi-field optimization of pencil-beam scanning (PBS) proton fields. However, at the view of the experience with photon-IMRT, proton facilities equipped with double-scattering (DS) delivery and multi-leaf collimation (MLC) could produce highly conformal dose distributions (and possibly eliminate the need for patient-specific compensators) with a clever use of their MLC field shaping, provided that an optimal inverse TPS is developed. Methods. A prototype TPS was developed in MATLAB. The dose calculation process was based on a fluence-dose algorithm on an adaptive divergent grid. A database of dose kernels was precalculated in order tomore » allow for fast variations of the field range and modulation during optimization. The inverse planning process was based on the adaptive simulated annealing approach, with direct aperture optimization of the MLC leaves. A dosimetry study was performed on a phantom formed by three concentrical semicylinders separated by 5 mm, of which the inner-most and outer-most were regarded as organs at risk (OARs), and the middle one as the PTV. We chose a concave target (which is not treatable with conventional DS fields) to show the potential of our technique. The optimizer was configured to minimize the mean dose to the OARs while keeping a good coverage of the target. Results. The plan produced by the prototype TPS achieved a conformity index of 1.34, with the mean doses to the OARs below 78% of the prescribed dose. This Result is hardly achievable with traditional conformal DS technique with compensators, and it compares to what can be obtained with PBS. Conclusion. It is certainly feasible to produce IMPT fields with MLC passive scattering fields. With a fully developed treatment planning system, the produced plans can be superior to traditional DS plans in terms of plan conformity and dose to organs at risk.« less

SU-E-I-42: Measurement of X-Ray Beam Width and Geometric Efficiency in MDCT Using Radiochromic Films.

PubMed

Liillau, T; Liebmann, M; von Boetticher, H; Poppe, B

2012-06-01

The purpose of this work was to measure the x-ray beam width and geometric efficiency (GE) of a multi detector computed tomography scanner (MDCT) for different beam collimations using radiochromic films. In MDCT, the primary beam width extends the nominal beam collimation to irradiate the active detector elements uniformly (called 'over-beaming') which contributes to increased radiation dose to the patient compared to single detector CT. Therefore, the precise determination of the primary beam width and GE is of value for any CT dose calculation using Monte Carlo or analytical methods. Single axial dose profiles free in air were measured for 6 different beam collimations nT for a Siemens SOMATOM Sensation 64 Scanner with Gafchromic XR-QA2 films. The films were calibrated relative to the measured charge of a PTW semiflex ionization chamber (type: 31010) for a single rotation in the CT scanner at the largest available beam collimation of 28.8 mm. The beam energy for all measurements in this work was set to 120 kVp. For every measured dose profile and beam collimation the GEin-air and the full-width-at-half- maximum value (FWHM) as a value for the x-ray beam width was determined. Over-beaming factors FWHM / nT were calculated accordingly. For MDCT beam collimations from 7.2 (12×0.6 mm) to 28.8 (24×1.2 mm) the geometric efficiency was between 58 and 85 %. The over- beaming factor ranged from 1.43 to 1.11. For beam collimations of 1×5 mm and 1×10 mm the GE was 77 % and 84 % respectively. The over-beaming factors were close to 1, as expected. This work has shown that radiochromic films can be used for accurate x-ray beam width and geometric efficiency measurements due to their high spatial resolution. The measured free-in-air geometric efficiency and the over-beaming factor depend strongly on beam collimation. © 2012 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Design of a Multi-Pinhole Collimator for I-123 DaTscan Imaging on Dual-Headed SPECT Systems in Combination with a Fan-Beam Collimator.

PubMed

King, Michael A; Mukherjee, Joyeeta M; Könik, Arda; Zubal, I George; Dey, Joyoni; Licho, Robert

2016-02-01

For the 2011 FDA approved Parkinson's Disease (PD) SPECT imaging agent I-123 labeled DaTscan, the volume of interest (VOI) is the interior portion of the brain. However imaging of the occipital lobe is also required with PD for calculation of the striatal binding ratio (SBR), a parameter of significance in early diagnosis, differentiation of PD from other disorders with similar clinical presentations, and monitoring progression. Thus we propose the usage of a combination of a multi-pinhole (MPH) collimator on one head of the SPECT system and a fan-beam on the other. The MPH would be designed to provide high resolution and sensitivity for imaging of the interior portion of the brain. The fan-beam collimator would provide lower resolution but complete sampling of the brain addressing data sufficiency and allowing a volume-of-interest to be defined over the occipital lobe for calculation of SBR's. Herein we focus on the design of the MPH component of the combined system. Combined reconstruction will be addressed in a subsequent publication. An analysis of 46 clinical DaTscan studies was performed to provide information to define the VOI, and design of a MPH collimator to image this VOI. The system spatial resolution for the MPH was set to 4.7 mm, which is comparable to that of clinical PET systems, and significantly smaller than that of fan-beam collimators employed in SPECT. With this set, we compared system sensitivities for three aperture array designs, and selected the 3 × 3 array due to it being the highest of the three. The combined sensitivity of the apertures for it was similar to that of an ultra-high resolution fan-beam (LEUHRF) collimator, but smaller than that of a high-resolution fan-beam collimator (LEHRF). On the basis of these results we propose the further exploration of this design through simulations, and the development of combined MPH and fan-beam reconstruction.

Multi-detector row CT colonography: effect of collimation, pitch, and orientation on polyp detection in a human colectomy specimen.

PubMed

Taylor, Stuart A; Halligan, Steve; Bartram, Clive I; Morgan, Paul R; Talbot, Ian C; Fry, Nicola; Saunders, Brian P; Khosraviani, Kirosh; Atkin, Wendy

2003-10-01

To investigate the effects of orientation, collimation, pitch, and tube current setting on polyp detection at multi-detector row computed tomographic (CT) colonography and to determine the optimal combination of scanning parameters for screening. A colectomy specimen containing 117 polyps of different sizes was insufflated and imaged with a multi-detector row CT scanner at various collimation (1.25 and 2.5 mm), pitch (3 and 6), and tube current (50, 100, and 150 mA) settings. Two-dimensional multiplanar reformatted images and three-dimensional endoluminal surface renderings from the 12 resultant data sets were examined by one observer for the presence and conspicuity of polyps. The results were analyzed with Poisson regression and logistic regression to determine the effects of scanning parameters and of specimen orientation on polyp detection. The percentage of polyps that were detected significantly increased when collimation (P =.008) and table feed (P =.03) were decreased. Increased tube current resulted in improved detection only of polyps with a diameter of less than 5 mm. Polyps of less than 5 mm were optimally depicted with a collimation of 1.25 mm, a pitch of 3, and a tube current setting of 150 mA; polyps with a diameter greater than 5 mm were adequately depicted with 1.25-mm collimation and with either pitch setting and any of the three tube current settings. Small polyps in the transverse segment (positioned at a 90 degrees angle to the z axis of scanning) were significantly less visible than those in parallel or oblique orientations (P <.001). The effective radiation dose, calculated with a Monte Carlo simulation, was 1.4-10.0 mSv. Detection of small polyps (<5 mm) with multi-detector row CT is highly dependent on collimation, pitch, and, to a lesser extent, tube current. Collimation of 1.25 mm, combined with pitch of 6 and tube current of 50 mA, provides for reliable detection of polyps 5 mm or larger while limiting the effective radiation dose. Polyps smaller than 5 mm, however, may be poorly depicted with use of these settings in the transverse colon. Copyright RSNA, 2003

Imaging, Mapping and Monitoring Environmental Radionuclide Transport Using Compton-Geometry Gamma Camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bridge, J. W.; Dormand, J.; Cooper, J.; Judson, D.; Boston, A. J.; Bankhead, M.; Onda, Y.

2014-12-01

The legacy to-date of the nuclear disaster at Fukushima Dai-ichi, Japan, has emphasised the fundamental importance of high quality radiation measurements in soils and plant systems. Current-generation radiometers based on coded-aperture collimation are limited in their ability to locate sources of radiation in three dimensions, and require a relatively long measurement time due to the poor efficiency of the collimation system. The quality of data they can provide to support biogeochemical process models in such systems is therefore often compromised. In this work we report proof-of-concept experiments demonstrating the potential of an alternative approach in the measurement of environmentally-important radionuclides (in particular 137Cs) in quartz sand and soils from the Fukushima exclusion zone. Compton-geometry imaging radiometers harness the scattering of incident radiation between two detectors to yield significant improvements in detection efficiency, energy resolution and spatial location of radioactive sources in a 180° field of view. To our knowledge we are reporting its first application to environmentally-relevant systems at low activity, dispersed sources, with significant background radiation and, crucially, movement over time. We are using a simple laboratory column setup to conduct one-dimensional transport experiments for 139Ce and 137Cs in quartz sand and in homogenized repacked Fukushima soils. Polypropylene columns 15 cm length with internal diameter 1.6 cm were filled with sand or soil and saturated slowly with tracer-free aqueous solutions. Radionuclides were introduced as 2mL pulses (step-up step-down) at the column inlet. Data were collected continuously throughout the transport experiment and then binned into sequential time intervals to resolve the total activity in the column and its progressive movement through the sand/soil. The objective of this proof-of-concept work is to establish detection limits, optimise image reconstruction algorithms, and develop a novel approach to time-lapse quantification of radionuclide dynamics in the soil-plant system. The aim is to underpin the development of a new generation of Compton radiometers equipped to provide high resolution, dynamic measurements of radionuclides in terrestrial biogeochemical environments.

Advanced Neutron Radiographic Equipment within the US Army

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-29

generator was then placed into a moderator assembly made mainly of high density polyethylene ( HDPE ), with a collimator that was a gadolinium (Gd) coated...port made with various slabs, bricks, sheets, and foils of materials containing lead, boron, and HDPE . This port merely functioned as a scatter...conical inserts made of HDPE , lead, and Gd infused paint. The trial experiments have shown that with the system running at its designed maximum power

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Y; Liu, B; Liang, B

Purpose: Current CyberKnife treatment planning system (TPS) provided two dose calculation algorithms: Ray-tracing and Monte Carlo. Ray-tracing algorithm is fast, but less accurate, and also can’t handle irregular fields since a multi-leaf collimator system was recently introduced to CyberKnife M6 system. Monte Carlo method has well-known accuracy, but the current version still takes a long time to finish dose calculations. The purpose of this paper is to develop a GPU-based fast C/S dose engine for CyberKnife system to achieve both accuracy and efficiency. Methods: The TERMA distribution from a poly-energetic source was calculated based on beam’s eye view coordinate system,more » which is GPU friendly and has linear complexity. The dose distribution was then computed by inversely collecting the energy depositions from all TERMA points along 192 collapsed-cone directions. EGSnrc user code was used to pre-calculate energy deposition kernels (EDKs) for a series of mono-energy photons The energy spectrum was reconstructed based on measured tissue maximum ratio (TMR) curve, the TERMA averaged cumulative kernels was then calculated. Beam hardening parameters and intensity profiles were optimized based on measurement data from CyberKnife system. Results: The difference between measured and calculated TMR are less than 1% for all collimators except in the build-up regions. The calculated profiles also showed good agreements with the measured doses within 1% except in the penumbra regions. The developed C/S dose engine was also used to evaluate four clinical CyberKnife treatment plans, the results showed a better dose calculation accuracy than Ray-tracing algorithm compared with Monte Carlo method for heterogeneous cases. For the dose calculation time, it takes about several seconds for one beam depends on collimator size and dose calculation grids. Conclusion: A GPU-based C/S dose engine has been developed for CyberKnife system, which was proven to be efficient and accurate for clinical purpose, and can be easily implemented in TPS.« less

Effective count rates for PET scanners with reduced and extended axial field of view

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacDonald, L. R.; Harrison, R. L.; Alessio, A. M.; Hunter, W. C. J.; Lewellen, T. K.; Kinahan, P. E.

2011-06-01

We investigated the relationship between noise equivalent count (NEC) and axial field of view (AFOV) for PET scanners with AFOVs ranging from one-half to twice those of current clinical scanners. PET scanners with longer or shorter AFOVs could fulfill different clinical needs depending on exam volumes and site economics. Using previously validated Monte Carlo simulations, we modeled true, scattered and random coincidence counting rates for a PET ring diameter of 88 cm with 2, 4, 6, and 8 rings of detector blocks (AFOV 7.8, 15.5, 23.3, and 31.0 cm). Fully 3D acquisition mode was compared to full collimation (2D) and partial collimation (2.5D) modes. Counting rates were estimated for a 200 cm long version of the 20 cm diameter NEMA count-rate phantom and for an anthropomorphic object based on a patient scan. We estimated the live-time characteristics of the scanner from measured count-rate data and applied that estimate to the simulated results to obtain NEC as a function of object activity. We found NEC increased as a quadratic function of AFOV for 3D mode, and linearly in 2D mode. Partial collimation provided the highest overall NEC on the 2-block system and fully 3D mode provided the highest NEC on the 8-block system for clinically relevant activities. On the 4-, and 6-block systems 3D mode NEC was highest up to ~300 MBq in the anthropomorphic phantom, above which 3D NEC dropped rapidly, and 2.5D NEC was highest. Projected total scan time to achieve NEC-density that matches current clinical practice in a typical oncology exam averaged 9, 15, 24, and 61 min for the 8-, 6-, 4-, and 2-block ring systems, when using optimal collimation. Increasing the AFOV should provide a greater than proportional increase in NEC, potentially benefiting patient throughput-to-cost ratio. Conversely, by using appropriate collimation, a two-ring (7.8 cm AFOV) system could acquire whole-body scans achieving NEC-density levels comparable to current standards within long, but feasible, scan times.

Optimization and Calibration of Slat Position for a SPECT With Slit-Slat Collimator and Pixelated Detector Crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Xiao; Ma, Tianyu; Lecomte, Roger; Yao, Rutao

2011-10-01

To expand the availability of SPECT for biomedical research, we developed a SPECT imaging system on an existing animal PET detector by adding a slit-slat collimator. As the detector crystals are pixelated, the relative slat-to-crystal position (SCP) in the axial direction affects the photon flux distribution onto the crystals. The accurate knowledge of SCP is important to the axial resolution and sensitivity of the system. This work presents a method for optimizing SCP in system design and for determining SCP in system geometrical calibration. The optimization was achieved by finding the SCP that provides higher spatial resolution in terms of average-root-mean-square (R̅M̅S̅) width of the axial point spread function (PSF) without loss of sensitivity. The calibration was based on the least-square-error method that minimizes the difference between the measured and modeled axial point spread projections. The uniqueness and accuracy of the calibration results were validated through a singular value decomposition (SVD) based approach. Both the optimization and calibration techniques were evaluated with Monte Carlo (MC) simulated data. We showed that the [R̅M̅S̅] was improved about 15% with the optimal SCP as compared to the least-optimal SCP, and system sensitivity was not affected by SCP. The SCP error achieved by the proposed calibration method was less than 0.04 mm. The calibrated SCP value was used in MC simulation to generate the system matrix which was used for image reconstruction. The images of simulated phantoms showed the expected resolution performance and were artifact free. We conclude that the proposed optimization and calibration method is effective for the slit-slat collimator based SPECT systems.

Method for dose-reduced 3D catheter tracking on a scanning-beam digital x-ray system using dynamic electronic collimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunkerley, David A. P.; Funk, Tobias; Speidel, Michael A.

2016-03-01

Scanning-beam digital x-ray (SBDX) is an inverse geometry x-ray fluoroscopy system capable of tomosynthesis-based 3D catheter tracking. This work proposes a method of dose-reduced 3D tracking using dynamic electronic collimation (DEC) of the SBDX scanning x-ray tube. Positions in the 2D focal spot array are selectively activated to create a regionof- interest (ROI) x-ray field around the tracked catheter. The ROI position is updated for each frame based on a motion vector calculated from the two most recent 3D tracking results. The technique was evaluated with SBDX data acquired as a catheter tip inside a chest phantom was pulled along a 3D trajectory. DEC scans were retrospectively generated from the detector images stored for each focal spot position. DEC imaging of a catheter tip in a volume measuring 11.4 cm across at isocenter required 340 active focal spots per frame, versus 4473 spots in full-FOV mode. The dose-area-product (DAP) and peak skin dose (PSD) for DEC versus full field-of-view (FOV) scanning were calculated using an SBDX Monte Carlo simulation code. DAP was reduced to 7.4% to 8.4% of the full-FOV value, consistent with the relative number of active focal spots (7.6%). For image sequences with a moving catheter, PSD was 33.6% to 34.8% of the full-FOV value. The root-mean-squared-deviation between DEC-based 3D tracking coordinates and full-FOV 3D tracking coordinates was less than 0.1 mm. The 3D distance between the tracked tip and the sheath centerline averaged 0.75 mm. Dynamic electronic collimation can reduce dose with minimal change in tracking performance.

Accelerated GPU based SPECT Monte Carlo simulations.

PubMed

Garcia, Marie-Paule; Bert, Julien; Benoit, Didier; Bardiès, Manuel; Visvikis, Dimitris

2016-06-07

Monte Carlo (MC) modelling is widely used in the field of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) as it is a reliable technique to simulate very high quality scans. This technique provides very accurate modelling of the radiation transport and particle interactions in a heterogeneous medium. Various MC codes exist for nuclear medicine imaging simulations. Recently, new strategies exploiting the computing capabilities of graphical processing units (GPU) have been proposed. This work aims at evaluating the accuracy of such GPU implementation strategies in comparison to standard MC codes in the context of SPECT imaging. GATE was considered the reference MC toolkit and used to evaluate the performance of newly developed GPU Geant4-based Monte Carlo simulation (GGEMS) modules for SPECT imaging. Radioisotopes with different photon energies were used with these various CPU and GPU Geant4-based MC codes in order to assess the best strategy for each configuration. Three different isotopes were considered: (99m) Tc, (111)In and (131)I, using a low energy high resolution (LEHR) collimator, a medium energy general purpose (MEGP) collimator and a high energy general purpose (HEGP) collimator respectively. Point source, uniform source, cylindrical phantom and anthropomorphic phantom acquisitions were simulated using a model of the GE infinia II 3/8" gamma camera. Both simulation platforms yielded a similar system sensitivity and image statistical quality for the various combinations. The overall acceleration factor between GATE and GGEMS platform derived from the same cylindrical phantom acquisition was between 18 and 27 for the different radioisotopes. Besides, a full MC simulation using an anthropomorphic phantom showed the full potential of the GGEMS platform, with a resulting acceleration factor up to 71. The good agreement with reference codes and the acceleration factors obtained support the use of GPU implementation strategies for improving computational efficiency of SPECT imaging simulations.

Prompt gamma-ray imaging for small animals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Libai

Small animal imaging is recognized as a powerful discovery tool for small animal modeling of human diseases, which is providing an important clue to complete understanding of disease mechanisms and is helping researchers develop and test new treatments. The current small animal imaging techniques include positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission tomography (SPECT), computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound (US). A new imaging modality called prompt gamma-ray imaging (PGI) has been identified and investigated primarily by Monte Carlo simulation. Currently it is suggested for use on small animals. This new technique could greatly enhance and extend the present capabilities of PET and SPECT imaging from ingested radioisotopes to the imaging of selected non-radioactive elements, such as Gd, Cd, Hg, and B, and has the great potential to be used in Neutron Cancer Therapy to monitor neutron distribution and neutron-capture agent distribution. This approach consists of irradiating small animals in the thermal neutron beam of a nuclear reactor to produce prompt gamma rays from the elements in the sample by the radiative capture (n, gamma) reaction. These prompt gamma rays are emitted in energies that are characteristic of each element and they are also produced in characteristic coincident chains. After measuring these prompt gamma rays by surrounding spectrometry array, the distribution of each element of interest in the sample is reconstructed from the mapping of each detected signature gamma ray by either electronic collimations or mechanical collimations. In addition, the transmitted neutrons from the beam can be simultaneously used for very sensitive anatomical imaging, which provides the registration for the elemental distributions obtained from PGI. The primary approach is to use Monte Carlo simulation methods either with the specific purpose code CEARCPG, developed at NC State University or with the general purpose codes GEANT4 or MCNP5, to predict results and investigate the feasibility of this new imaging idea. Benchmark experiments have been conducted to test the capability of the code to simulate prompt gamma rays, which are produced by following the nuclear structures of each irradiated isotope, and coincidence counting techniques, which are considered the most important improvement in neutron-related gamma-ray detection applications to reduce gamma background and improve system signal-to-noise ratios. With coincidence prompt gamma rays available, two major imaging techniques, electronic collimations and mechanic collimations, are implemented in the simulation to illustrate the feasibility of imaging elemental distribution by this new technique. The expectation maximization algorithm is employed in electronic collimation to reconstruct images. The common SPECT imaging algorithms are used in mechanical collimation to get an image. Several critical topics concerning practical applications have already been discussed, such as the radiation dose to the mouse and the detection efficiency of high-energy gamma rays. The funding of this work is provided by the Center for Engineering Application of Radioisotopes (CEAR) at North Carolina State University (NCSU) and Nuclear Engineering Education Research.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING IONS OF VAPORIZABLE MATERIALS

DOEpatents

Wright, B.T.

1958-01-28

a uniform and copious supply of ions. The source comprises a hollow arc- block and means for establishing a magnetic field through the arc-block. Vaporization of the material to be ionized is produced by an electric heated filament. The arc producing structure within the arc-block consists of a cathode disposed between a pair of collimating electrodes along with an anode adjacent each collimating electrode on the side opposite the cathode. A positive potential applied to the anodes and collimating electrodes, with respect to the cathode, and the magnetic field act to accelerate the electrons from the cathode through a slit in each collimating clectrode towards the respective anode. In this manner a pair of collinear arc discharges are produced in the gas region which can be tapped for an abundant supply of ions of the material being analyzed.

Beam collimation and energy spectrum compression of laser-accelerated proton beams using solenoid field and RF cavity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teng, J.; Gu, Y. Q.; Zhu, B.; Hong, W.; Zhao, Z. Q.; Zhou, W. M.; Cao, L. F.

2013-11-01

This paper presents a new method of laser produced proton beam collimation and spectrum compression using a combination of a solenoid field and a RF cavity. The solenoid collects laser-driven protons efficiently within an angle that is smaller than 12 degrees because it is mounted few millimeters from the target, and collimates protons with energies around 2.3 MeV. The collimated proton beam then passes through a RF cavity to allow compression of the spectrum. Particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations demonstrate the proton beam transport in the solenoid and RF electric fields. Excellent energy compression and collection efficiency of protons are presented. This method for proton beam optimization is suitable for high repetition-rate laser acceleration proton beams, which could be used as an injector for a conventional proton accelerator.

Stellar physics. Observing the onset of outflow collimation in a massive protostar.

PubMed

Carrasco-González, C; Torrelles, J M; Cantó, J; Curiel, S; Surcis, G; Vlemmings, W H T; van Langevelde, H J; Goddi, C; Anglada, G; Kim, S-W; Kim, J-S; Gómez, J F

2015-04-03

The current paradigm of star formation through accretion disks, and magnetohydrodynamically driven gas ejections, predicts the development of collimated outflows, rather than expansion without any preferential direction. We present radio continuum observations of the massive protostar W75N(B)-VLA 2, showing that it is a thermal, collimated ionized wind and that it has evolved in 18 years from a compact source into an elongated one. This is consistent with the evolution of the associated expanding water-vapor maser shell, which changed from a nearly circular morphology, tracing an almost isotropic outflow, to an elliptical one outlining collimated motions. We model this behavior in terms of an episodic, short-lived, originally isotropic ionized wind whose morphology evolves as it moves within a toroidal density stratification. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

BEAM TRANSPORT LINES FOR THE BSNS.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

WEI, J.

2006-06-26

This paper presents the design of two beam transport lines at the BSNS: one is the injection line from the Linac to the RCS and the other is the target line from the RCS to the target station. In the injection beam line, space charge effects, transverse halo collimation, momentum tail collimation and debunching are the main concerned topics. A new method of using triplet cells and stripping foils is used to collimate transverse halo. A long straight section is reserved for the future upgrading linac and debuncher. In the target beam line, large halo emittance, beam stability at themore » target due to kicker failures and beam jitters, shielding of back-scattering neutrons from the target are main concerned topics. Special bi-gap magnets will be used to reduce beam losses in the collimators in front of the target.« less

Multi-pinhole collimator design for small-object imaging with SiliSPECT: a high-resolution SPECT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shokouhi, S.; Metzler, S. D.; Wilson, D. W.; Peterson, T. E.

2009-01-01

We have designed a multi-pinhole collimator for a dual-headed, stationary SPECT system that incorporates high-resolution silicon double-sided strip detectors. The compact camera design of our system enables imaging at source-collimator distances between 20 and 30 mm. Our analytical calculations show that using knife-edge pinholes with small-opening angles or cylindrically shaped pinholes in a focused, multi-pinhole configuration in combination with this camera geometry can generate narrow sensitivity profiles across the field of view that can be useful for imaging small objects at high sensitivity and resolution. The current prototype system uses two collimators each containing 127 cylindrically shaped pinholes that are focused toward a target volume. Our goal is imaging objects such as a mouse brain, which could find potential applications in molecular imaging.

Practical UAV Optical Sensor Bench with Minimal Adjustability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pilgrim, Jeffrey; Gonzales, Paula

2013-01-01

A multiple-pass optical platform eliminates essentially all optical alignment degrees of freedom, save one. A four-pass absorption spectrometer architecture is made rigid by firmly mounting dielectric-coated mirror prisms with no alignment capability to the platform. The laser diode beam is collimated by a small, custom-developed lens, which has only a rotational degree of freedom along the standard optical "z" axis. This degree is itself eliminated by adhesive after laser collimation. Only one degree of freedom is preserved by allowing the laser diode chip and mount subassembly to move relative to the collimating lens by using over-sized mounting holes. This allows full 360 deg motion of a few millimeters relative to the lens, which, due to the high numerical aperture of the lens, provides wide directional steering of the collimated laser beam.

Performance improvements in temperature reconstructions of 2-D tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Doo-Won; Jeon, Min-Gyu; Cho, Gyeong-Rae; Kamimoto, Takahiro; Deguchi, Yoshihiro; Doh, Deog-Hee

2016-02-01

Performance improvement was attained in data reconstructions of 2-dimensional tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS). Multiplicative Algebraic Reconstruction Technique (MART) algorithm was adopted for data reconstruction. The data obtained in an experiment for the measurement of temperature and concentration fields of gas flows were used. The measurement theory is based upon the Beer-Lambert law, and the measurement system consists of a tunable laser, collimators, detectors, and an analyzer. Methane was used as a fuel for combustion with air in the Bunsen-type burner. The data used for the reconstruction are from the optical signals of 8-laser beams passed on a cross-section of the methane flame. The performances of MART algorithm in data reconstruction were validated and compared with those obtained by Algebraic Reconstruction Technique (ART) algorithm.

Synoptic Observations of The Terrestrial Polar Wind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pollock, C. J.; Jahn, J.-M.; Moore, T. E.; Valek, P.; Wiig, J.

High altitude passes of NASA"s Polar spacecraft, during intevals when the Plasma Source Investigation (PSI) was operating to neutralize the spacecraft charge, are uti- lized to study the relatively low energy outflow of plasma from Earth's polar iono- sphere into the magnetosphere. Four years (1996 - 2000) of data from the Themal Ion Dynamics Experiment (TIDE) are analyzed to determine typical polar wind outflow parameters and their variability. These outflows, which are typically but not always present, are usually of high mach number, are strongly collimated along the outgoing field aligned direction and display significant temporal variability. Multi-species out- flows are distinguished from those of a single-species based on the energy signature. Preliminary results show that single species outflow is the rule and that observation of multi-species outflow is often associated with geomagnetic storms.

The MCNP Simulation of a PGNAA System at TRR-1/M1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sangaroon, S.; Ratanatongchai, W.; Picha, R.; Khaweerat, S.; Channuie, J.

2017-06-01

The prompt-gamma neutron activation analysis system (PGNAA) has been installed at Thai Research Reactor-1/Modified 1 (TRR-1/M1) since 1999. The purpose of the system is for elemental and isotopic analyses. The system mainly consists of a series of the moderator and collimator, neutron and gamma-ray shielding and the HPGe detector. In this work, the condition of the system is carried out based on the Monte Carlo method using Monte Carlo N-Particle transport code and the experiment. The flux ratios (Φthermal/Φepithermal and Φthermal/Φfast) and thermal neutron flux have been obtained. The simulated prompt gamma rays of the Portland cement sample have been carried out. The simulation provides significant contribution in upgrading the PGNAA station to be available in various applications.

Laboratory formation of a scaled protostellar jet by coaligned poloidal magnetic field.

PubMed

Albertazzi, B; Ciardi, A; Nakatsutsumi, M; Vinci, T; Béard, J; Bonito, R; Billette, J; Borghesi, M; Burkley, Z; Chen, S N; Cowan, T E; Herrmannsdörfer, T; Higginson, D P; Kroll, F; Pikuz, S A; Naughton, K; Romagnani, L; Riconda, C; Revet, G; Riquier, R; Schlenvoigt, H-P; Skobelev, I Yu; Faenov, A Ya; Soloviev, A; Huarte-Espinosa, M; Frank, A; Portugall, O; Pépin, H; Fuchs, J

2014-10-17

Although bipolar jets are seen emerging from a wide variety of astrophysical systems, the issue of their formation and morphology beyond their launching is still under study. Our scaled laboratory experiments, representative of young stellar object outflows, reveal that stable and narrow collimation of the entire flow can result from the presence of a poloidal magnetic field whose strength is consistent with observations. The laboratory plasma becomes focused with an interior cavity. This gives rise to a standing conical shock from which the jet emerges. Following simulations of the process at the full astrophysical scale, we conclude that it can also explain recently discovered x-ray emission features observed in low-density regions at the base of protostellar jets, such as the well-studied jet HH 154. Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Sci—Thur PM: Planning and Delivery — 03: Automated delivery and quality assurance of a modulated electron radiation therapy plan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Connell, T; Papaconstadopoulos, P; Alexander, A

2014-08-15

Modulated electron radiation therapy (MERT) offers the potential to improve healthy tissue sparing through increased dose conformity. Challenges remain, however, in accurate beamlet dose calculation, plan optimization, collimation method and delivery accuracy. In this work, we investigate the accuracy and efficiency of an end-to-end MERT plan and automated-delivery workflow for the electron boost portion of a previously treated whole breast irradiation case. Dose calculations were performed using Monte Carlo methods and beam weights were determined using a research-based treatment planning system capable of inverse optimization. The plan was delivered to radiochromic film placed in a water equivalent phantom for verification,more » using an automated motorized tertiary collimator. The automated delivery, which covered 4 electron energies, 196 subfields and 6183 total MU was completed in 25.8 minutes, including 6.2 minutes of beam-on time with the remainder of the delivery time spent on collimator leaf motion and the automated interfacing with the accelerator in service mode. The delivery time could be reduced by 5.3 minutes with minor electron collimator modifications and the beam-on time could be reduced by and estimated factor of 2–3 through redesign of the scattering foils. Comparison of the planned and delivered film dose gave 3%/3 mm gamma pass rates of 62.1, 99.8, 97.8, 98.3, and 98.7 percent for the 9, 12, 16, 20 MeV, and combined energy deliveries respectively. Good results were also seen in the delivery verification performed with a MapCHECK 2 device. The results showed that accurate and efficient MERT delivery is possible with current technologies.« less

Global Maps of Lunar Neutron Fluxes from the LEND Instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Litvak, M. L.; Mitrofanov, I. G.; Sanin, A.; Malakhov, A.; Boynton, W. V.; Chin, G.; Droege, G.; Evans, L. G.; Garvin, J.; Golovin, D. V.;

Funneled focusing of planar acoustic waves utilizing the metamaterial properties of an acoustic lens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, E.; Reyes, D.; Rojas, M. M.; Krokhin, A.; Neogi, A.

2014-02-01

Metamaterial acoustic lenses are acoustic devices based on phononic crystal structures that take advantage of negative or near-zero indices of refraction. These unique properties arise due to either the antiparallel direction of the phase and group velocity or strongly anisotropic dispersion characteristics, usually above the first transmission band. In this study, we utilize an FDTD program to examine two phononic lenses that utilize anisotropic effects available in their second band to collimate and focus acoustic waves from a plane-wave source with a k00 wavevector. The phononic crystals consist of stainless steel rods arranged in a square lattice with water as the ambient material. Results show collimation and focusing in the second band for select frequencies, fc ± 0.005𝑓𝑐.

Automatic tool alignment in a backscatter X-ray scanning system

DOEpatents

Garretson, Justin; Hobart, Clinton G.; Gladwell, Thomas S.; Monda, Mark J.

2015-11-17

Technologies pertaining to backscatter x-ray scanning systems are described herein. The backscatter x-ray scanning system includes an x-ray source, which directs collimated x-rays along a plurality of output vectors towards a target. A detector detects diffusely reflected x-rays subsequent to respective collimated x-rays impacting the target, and outputs signals indicative of parameters of the detected x-rays. An image processing system generates an x-ray image based upon parameters of the detected x-rays, wherein each pixel in the image corresponds to a respective output vector. A user selects a particular portion of the image, and a medical device is positioned such that its directional axis is coincident with the output vector corresponding to at least one pixel in the portion of the image.

Automatic tool alignment in a backscatter x-ray scanning system

DOEpatents

Garretson, Justin; Hobart, Clinton G.; Gladwell, Thomas S.; Monda, Mark J.

2015-06-16

Technologies pertaining to backscatter x-ray scanning systems are described herein. The backscatter x-ray scanning system includes an x-ray source, which directs collimated x-rays along a plurality of output vectors towards a target. A detector detects diffusely reflected x-rays subsequent to respective collimated x-rays impacting the target, and outputs signals indicative of parameters of the detected x-rays. An image processing system generates an x-ray image based upon parameters of the detected x-rays, wherein each pixel in the image corresponds to a respective output vector. A user selects a particular portion of the image, and a tool is positioned such that its directional axis is coincident with the output vector corresponding to at least one pixel in the portion of the image.

Characterization of equipment for shaping and imaging hadron minibeams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pugatch, V.; Brons, S.; Campbell, M.; Kovalchuk, O.; Llopart, X.; Martínez-Rovira, I.; Momot, Ie.; Okhrimenko, O.; Prezado, Y.; Sorokin, Yu.

2017-11-01

For the feasibility studies of spatially fractionated hadron therapy prototypes of the equipment for hadron minibeams shaping and monitoring have been designed, built and tested. The collimators design was based on Monte Carlo simulations (Gate v.6.2). Slit and matrix collimators were used for minibeams shaping. Gafchromic films, micropixel detectors Timepix in a hybrid as well as metal mode were tested for measuring hadrons intensity distribution in minibeams. An overall beam profile was measured by the metal microstrip detector. The performance of a mini-beams shaping and monitoring equipment was characterized exploring low energy protons at the KINR Tandem generator as well as high energy carbon and oxygen ion beams at HIT (Heidelberg). The results demonstrate reliable performance of the tested equipment for shaping and imaging hadron mini-beam structures.

Low-frequency ultrasonic Bessel-like collimated beam generation from radial modes of piezoelectric transducers

DOE PAGES

Chillara, Vamshi Krishna; Pantea, Cristian; Sinha, Dipen N.

2017-02-06

We present a very simple approach to generate a collimated ultrasonic beam that exploits the natural Bessel-like vibration pattern of the radial modes of a piezoelectric disc with lateral clamping. This eliminates the need for the conventional annular Bessel pattern of the electrodes with individual electrode excitation on the piezo-disc, thus simplifying the transducer design. Numerical and experimental studies are carried out to investigate the Bessel-like vibration patterns of these radial modes showing an excellent agreement between these two studies. Measured ultrasonic beam- pro les in water from the radial modes con rm the profile to be a Bessel beam.more » Collimated beam generation from radial modes is investigated using a coupled electromechanical finite-element model. It is found that clamping the lateral edges of piezoelectric transducers results in a high-degree of collimation with practically no side-lobes similar to a parametric array beam. Ultrasonic beam- profile measurements in water with both free and clamped piezoelectric transducer are presented. The collimated beam generation using the present technique of using the laterally clamped radial modes finds significant applications in low-frequency imaging through highly attenuating materials.« less

Low-frequency ultrasonic Bessel-like collimated beam generation from radial modes of piezoelectric transducers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chillara, Vamshi Krishna; Pantea, Cristian; Sinha, Dipen N.

We present a very simple approach to generate a collimated ultrasonic beam that exploits the natural Bessel-like vibration pattern of the radial modes of a piezoelectric disc with lateral clamping. This eliminates the need for the conventional annular Bessel pattern of the electrodes with individual electrode excitation on the piezo-disc, thus simplifying the transducer design. Numerical and experimental studies are carried out to investigate the Bessel-like vibration patterns of these radial modes showing an excellent agreement between these two studies. Measured ultrasonic beam- pro les in water from the radial modes con rm the profile to be a Bessel beam.more » Collimated beam generation from radial modes is investigated using a coupled electromechanical finite-element model. It is found that clamping the lateral edges of piezoelectric transducers results in a high-degree of collimation with practically no side-lobes similar to a parametric array beam. Ultrasonic beam- profile measurements in water with both free and clamped piezoelectric transducer are presented. The collimated beam generation using the present technique of using the laterally clamped radial modes finds significant applications in low-frequency imaging through highly attenuating materials.« less

Wireless Synchronization of a Multi-Pinhole Small Animal SPECT Collimation Device With a Clinical Scanner

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DiFilippo, Frank P.; Patel, Sagar

2009-06-01

A multi-pinhole collimation device for small animal single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) uses the gamma camera detectors of a standard clinical SPECT scanner. The collimator and animal bed move independently of the detectors, and therefore their motions must be synchronized. One approach is manual triggering of the SPECT acquisition simultaneously with a programmed motion sequence for the device. However, some data blurring and loss of image quality result, and true electronic synchronization is preferred. An off-the-shelf digital gyroscope with integrated Bluetooth interface provides a wireless solution to device synchronization. The sensor attaches to the SPECT gantry and reports its rotational speed to a notebook computer controlling the device. Software processes the rotation data in real-time, averaging the signal and issuing triggers while compensating for baseline drift. Motion commands are sent to the collimation device with minimal delay, within approximately 0.5 second of the start of SPECT gantry rotation. Test scans of a point source demonstrate an increase in true counts and a reduction in background counts compared to manual synchronization. The wireless rotation sensor provides robust synchronization of the collimation device with the clinical SPECT scanner and enhances image quality.

Design of a multilayer-based collimated plane-grating monochromator for tender X-ray range.

PubMed

Yang, Xiaowei; Wang, Hongchang; Hand, Matthew; Sawhney, Kawal; Kaulich, Burkhard; Kozhevnikov, Igor V; Huang, Qiushi; Wang, Zhanshan

2017-01-01

Collimated plane-grating monochromators (cPGMs), consisting of a plane mirror and plane diffraction grating, are essential optics in synchrotron radiation sources for their remarkable flexibility and good optical characteristics in the soft X-ray region. However, the poor energy transport efficiency of a conventional cPGM (single-layer-coated) degrades the source intensity and leaves reduced flux at the sample, especially for the tender X-ray range (1-4 keV) that covers a large number of K- and L-edges of medium-Z elements, and M-edges of high-Z elements. To overcome this limitation, the use of a multilayer-based cPGM is proposed, combining a multilayer-coated plane mirror with blazed multilayer gratings. With this combination, the effective efficiency of cPGMs can be increased by an order of magnitude compared with the conventional single-layer cPGMs. In addition, higher resolving power can be achieved with improved efficiency by increasing the blaze angle and working at higher diffraction order.

Design of a multilayer-based collimated plane-grating monochromator for tender X-ray range

PubMed Central

Yang, Xiaowei; Wang, Hongchang; Hand, Matthew; Sawhney, Kawal; Kaulich, Burkhard; Kozhevnikov, Igor V.; Huang, Qiushi; Wang, Zhanshan

2017-01-01

Collimated plane-grating monochromators (cPGMs), consisting of a plane mirror and plane diffraction grating, are essential optics in synchrotron radiation sources for their remarkable flexibility and good optical characteristics in the soft X-ray region. However, the poor energy transport efficiency of a conventional cPGM (single-layer-coated) degrades the source intensity and leaves reduced flux at the sample, especially for the tender X-ray range (1–4 keV) that covers a large number of K- and L-edges of medium-Z elements, and M-edges of high-Z elements. To overcome this limitation, the use of a multilayer-based cPGM is proposed, combining a multilayer-coated plane mirror with blazed multilayer gratings. With this combination, the effective efficiency of cPGMs can be increased by an order of magnitude compared with the conventional single-layer cPGMs. In addition, higher resolving power can be achieved with improved efficiency by increasing the blaze angle and working at higher diffraction order. PMID:28009556

Design and optimization of an energy degrader with a multi-wedge scheme based on Geant4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Zhikai; Liu, Kaifeng; Qin, Bin; Chen, Wei; Liu, Xu; Li, Dong; Xiong, Yongqian

2018-05-01

A proton therapy facility based on an isochronous superconducting cyclotron is under construction in Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST). To meet the clinical requirements, an energy degrader is essential in the beamline to modulate the fixed beam energy extracted from the cyclotron. Because of the multiple Coulomb scattering in the degrader, the beam emittance and the energy spread will be considerably increased during the energy degradation process. Therefore, a set of collimators is designed to restrict the increase in beam emittance after the energy degradation. The energy spread will be reduced in the following beam line which is not discussed in this paper. In this paper, the design considerations of an energy degrader and collimators are introduced, and the properties of the degrader material, degrader structure and the initial beam parameters are discussed using the Geant4 Monte-Carlo toolkit, with the main purpose of improving the overall performance of the degrader by multiple parameter optimization.

Anomalous electron collimation in HgTe quantum wells with inverted band structure.

PubMed

Zou, Y L; Zhang, L B; Song, J T

2013-02-20

We investigate the electron collimation behavior in HgTe quantum wells (QWs) with a magnetic-electric barrier induced by a ferromagnetic metal stripe. We find that electrons can transmit perfectly through the magnetic-electric barrier at some specific incidence angles. These angles can be controlled by the tuning gate voltage, local magnetic field and Fermi energy of incident electrons in QWs with appropriate barrier length. This collimation feature can be used to construct momentum filters in HgTe QWs and has potential application in nanodevices.

High energy collimating fine grids for HESP program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eberhard, Carol D.; Frazier, Edward

1993-01-01

There is a need to develop fine pitch x-ray collimator grids as an enabling technology for planned future missions. The grids consist of an array of thin parallel strips of x-ray absorbing material, such as tungsten, with pitches ranging from 34 microns to 2.036 millimeters. The grids are the key components of a new class of spaceborne instruments known as 'x-ray modulation collimators.' These instruments are the first to produce images of celestial sources in the hard x-ray and gamma-ray spectral regions.

Hollow Electron Beam Collimation for HL-LHC - Effects on the Beam Core

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fitterer, M.; Stancari, G.; Valishev, A.

2017-06-13

Collimation with hollow electron beams is currently one of the most promising concepts for active halo control in the High Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC). To ensure the successful operation of the hollow beam collimator the unwanted effects on the beam core, which might arise from the operation with a pulsed electron beam, must be minimized. This paper gives a summary of the effect of hollow electron lenses on the beam core in terms of sources, provides estimates for HL-LHC and discusses the possible mitigation methods.

Wavefront reversal technique for self-referencing collimation testing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hii, King Ung; Kwek, Kuan Hiang

2010-02-01

We present a wavefront reversal technique to produce a dual-field fringe pattern for self-referencing collimation testing in wedge-plate lateral-shear interferometry. The method requires only a suitably placed cubic beam splitter to produce two replicas of the fringe field formed by the wedge-plate lateral-shear interferometer. One of the replicas has a fringe pattern that is the reverse of the other. With these two fringe fields, the collimation testing has a built-in reference, and the detection sensitivity is twice that of a single-wedge-plate technique.

Smart optical writing head design for laser-based manufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amin, M. Junaid; Riza, Nabeel A.

2014-03-01

Proposed is a smart optical writing head design suitable for high precision industrial laser based machining and manufacturing applications. The design uses an Electronically Controlled Variable Focus Lens (ECVFL) which enables the highest achievable spatial resolution of writing head spot sizes for axial target distances reaching 8 meters. A proof-of-concept experiment is conducted using a visible wavelength laser with a collimated beam that is coupled to beam conditioning optics which includes an electromagnetically actuated deformable membrane liquid ECVFL cascaded with a bias convex lens of fixed focal length. Electronic tuning and control of the ECVFL keeps the laser writing head far-field spot beam radii under 1 mm that is demonstrated over a target range of 20 cm to 800 cm. Applications for the proposed writing head design, which can accommodate both continuous wave and pulsed wave sources, include laser machining, high precision industrial molding of components, as well as materials processing requiring material sensitive optical power density control.

Large-aperture space optical system testing based on the scanning Hartmann.

PubMed

Wei, Haisong; Yan, Feng; Chen, Xindong; Zhang, Hao; Cheng, Qiang; Xue, Donglin; Zeng, Xuefeng; Zhang, Xuejun

2017-03-10

Based on the Hartmann testing principle, this paper proposes a novel image quality testing technology which applies to a large-aperture space optical system. Compared with the traditional testing method through a large-aperture collimator, the scanning Hartmann testing technology has great advantages due to its simple structure, low cost, and ability to perform wavefront measurement of an optical system. The basic testing principle of the scanning Hartmann testing technology, data processing method, and simulation process are presented in this paper. Certain simulation results are also given to verify the feasibility of this technology. Furthermore, a measuring system is developed to conduct a wavefront measurement experiment for a 200 mm aperture optical system. The small deviation (6.3%) of root mean square (RMS) between experimental results and interferometric results indicates that the testing system can measure low-order aberration correctly, which means that the scanning Hartmann testing technology has the ability to test the imaging quality of a large-aperture space optical system.

The HEAO-1 Scanning Modulation Collimator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwartz, Daniel A.

2013-01-01

My niche on this panel seems to be the High Energy Astronomy Observatory-1 Scanning Modulation Collimator experiment. Our chair, Hale Bradt, and the late Herb Gursky each proposed a different version modulation collimator, which was condensed by NASA via "forced marriage," to the SMC. I worked as Project Scientist under Herb, later inheriting the PI role. The MIT Project Scientist, the late Rodger Doxsey, and I were told "this is your experiment," and "we are a seamless team regardless of institution." Rodger and I were young enough to believe this, and we made it happen (and not always with the best results vis a vis higher internal management). I was never interested in astronomy, and allegedly am still not. Why do an astro-metrical job of measuring and reporting the coordinates of X-ray sources? In fact we participated widely in the identification of the sources with astronomical object, and making each paper a discussion of the physics of the emission. An enjoyable way to learn some astronomy. The stated purpose of the Gursky/Bradt experiment was to enable optical identifications so that more detailed study could be done. I remember meeting with John Whelan to discuss his collaboration in making the optical identifications. He said he only wanted to study sources after they were identified. For many milliseconds I became very angry - "who is going to to the work to MAKE those identifications," but luckily before speaking I realized how satisfying it was that astronomers indeed wanted to study X-ray sources in other wavebands. The second biggest excitement in the HEAO-1 program was the "glitches" that appeared in the gyro data during final functional testing. This took some high-powered politics by all the PI's to convince MSFC to delay for 4 months, replacing the "funny" unit with one from HEAO-2 (Einstein) and later refurbishing that unit. Third biggest excitement was when a computer failed and final checkout during countdown at the Cape was done by looking at lights on gound support equipment. Biggest excitement was cancellation of the entire HEAO program late on a Friday afternoon in January 1971. It took a year of study and re-configuration as a series of 3, instead of 4, satellites to reinstate.

Characteristics of Bremsstrahlung emissions of (177)Lu, (188)Re, and (90)Y for SPECT/CT quantification in radionuclide therapy.

PubMed

Uribe, Carlos F; Esquinas, Pedro L; Gonzalez, Marjorie; Celler, Anna

2016-05-01

Beta particles emitted by radioisotopes used in targeted radionuclide therapies (TRT) create Bremsstrahlung (BRS) which may affect SPECT quantification when imaging these isotopes. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the characteristics of Bremsstrahlung produced in tissue by three β-emitting radioisotopes used in TRT. Monte Carlo simulations of (177)Lu, (188)Re, and (90)Y sources placed in water filled cylinders were performed. BRS yields, mean energies and energy spectra for (a) all photons generated in the decays, (b) photons that were not absorbed and leave the cylinder, and (c) photons detected by the camera were analyzed. Next, the results of simulations were compared with those from experiments performed on a clinical SPECT camera using same acquisition conditions and phantom configurations as in simulations. Simulations reproduced relatively well the shapes of the measured spectra, except for (90)Y which showed an overestimation in the low energy range. Detailed analysis of the results allowed us to suggest best collimators and imaging conditions for each of the investigated isotopes. Finally, our simulations confirmed that the BRS contribution to the energy spectra in quantitative imaging of (177)Lu and (188)Re could be ignored. For (177)Lu and (188)Re, BRS contributes only marginally to the total spectra recorded by the camera. Our analysis shows that MELP and HE collimators are the best for imaging these two isotopes. For (90)Y, HE collimator should be used. Copyright © 2016 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Monte Carlo design and simulation of a grid-type multi-layer pixel collimator for radiotherapy: Feasibility study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Do-Kun; Jung, Joo-Young; Suh, Tae Suk

2014-05-01

In order to confirm the possibility of field application of a different type collimator with a multileaf collimator (MLC), we constructed a grid-type multi-layer pixel collimator (GTPC) by using a Monte Carlo n-particle simulation (MCNPX). In this research, a number of factors related to the performance of the GPTC were evaluated using simulated output data of a basic MLC model. A layer was comprised of a 1024-pixel collimator (5.0 × 5.0 mm2) which could operate individually as a grid-type collimator (32 × 32). A 30-layer collimator was constructed for a specific portal form to pass radiation through the opening and closing of each pixel cover. The radiation attenuation level and the leakage were compared between the GTPC modality simulation and MLC modeling (tungsten, 17.50 g/cm3, 5.0 × 70.0 × 160.0 mm3) currently used for a radiation field. Comparisons of the portal imaging, the lateral dose profile from a virtual water phantom, the dependence of the performance on the increase in the number of layers, the radiation intensity modulation verification, and the geometric error between the GTPC and the MLC were done using the MCNPX simulation data. From the simulation data, the intensity modulation of the GTPC showed a faster response than the MLC's (29.6%). In addition, the agreement between the doses that should be delivered to the target region was measured as 97.0%, and the GTPC system had an error below 0.01%, which is identical to that of MLC. A Monte Carlo simulation of the GTPC could be useful for verification of application possibilities. Because the line artifact is caused by the grid frame and the folded cover, a lineal dose transfer type is chosen for the operation of this system. However, the result of GTPC's performance showed that the methods of effective intensity modulation and the specific geometric beam shaping differed with the MLC modality.

Slant-hole collimator, dual mode sterotactic localization method

DOEpatents

Weisenberger, Andrew G.

2002-01-01

The use of a slant-hole collimator in the gamma camera of dual mode stereotactic localization apparatus allows the acquisition of a stereo pair of scintimammographic images without repositioning of the gamma camera between image acquisitions.

Scanning optical microscope with long working distance objective

DOEpatents

Cloutier, Sylvain G.

2010-10-19

A scanning optical microscope, including: a light source to generate a beam of probe light; collimation optics to substantially collimate the probe beam; a probe-result beamsplitter; a long working-distance, infinity-corrected objective; scanning means to scan a beam spot of the focused probe beam on or within a sample; relay optics; and a detector. The collimation optics are disposed in the probe beam. The probe-result beamsplitter is arranged in the optical paths of the probe beam and the resultant light from the sample. The beamsplitter reflects the probe beam into the objective and transmits resultant light. The long working-distance, infinity-corrected objective is also arranged in the optical paths of the probe beam and the resultant light. It focuses the reflected probe beam onto the sample, and collects and substantially collimates the resultant light. The relay optics are arranged to relay the transmitted resultant light from the beamsplitter to the detector.

Light beam shaping for collimated emission from white organic light-emitting diodes using customized lenticular microlens arrays structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Lei; Bai, Gui-Lin; Guo, Xin; Shen, Su; Ou, Qing-Dong; Fan, Yuan-Yuan

2018-05-01

We present a design approach to realizing a desired collimated planar incoherent light source (CPILS) by incorporating lenticular microlens arrays (LMLAs) onto the substrates of discrete white organic light-emitting diode (WOLED) light sources and demonstrate the effectiveness of this method in collimated light beam shaping and luminance enhancement simultaneously. The obtained collimated WOLED light source shows enhanced luminance by a factor of 2.7 compared with that of the flat conventional device at the normal polar angle and, more importantly, exhibits a narrowed angular emission with a full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of ˜33.6°. We anticipate that the presented strategy could provide an alternative way for achieving the desired large scale CPILS, thereby opening the door to many potential applications, including LCD backlights, three-dimensional displays, car headlights, and so forth.

Acceleration and collimation of relativistic plasmas ejected by fast rotators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bogovalov, S. V.

2001-06-01

A stationary self-consistent outflow of a magnetised relativistic plasma from a rotating object with an initially monopole-like magnetic field is investigated in the ideal MHD approximation under the condition sigma U02 > 1, where sigma is the ratio of the Poynting flux over the mass energy flux at the equator and the surface of the star, with U0=gamma 0v0/c and gamma0 the initial four-velocity and Lorentz factor of the plasma. The mechanism of the magnetocentrifugal acceleration and self-collimation of the relativistic plasma is investigated. A jet-like relativistic flow along the axis of rotation is found in the steady-state solution under the condition sigma U02 > 1 with properties predicted analytically. The amount of the collimated matter in the jet is rather small in comparison to the total mass flux in the wind. An explanation for the weak self-collimation of relativistic winds is given.

System geometry optimization for molecular breast tomosynthesis with focusing multi-pinhole collimators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Roosmalen, Jarno; Beekman, Freek J.; Goorden, Marlies C.

2018-01-01

Imaging of 99mTc-labelled tracers is gaining popularity for detecting breast tumours. Recently, we proposed a novel design for molecular breast tomosynthesis (MBT) based on two sliding focusing multi-pinhole collimators that scan a modestly compressed breast. Simulation studies indicate that MBT has the potential to improve the tumour-to-background contrast-to-noise ratio significantly over state-of-the-art planar molecular breast imaging. The aim of the present paper is to optimize the collimator-detector geometry of MBT. Using analytical models, we first optimized sensitivity at different fixed system resolutions (ranging from 5 to 12 mm) by tuning the pinhole diameters and the distance between breast and detector for a whole series of automatically generated multi-pinhole designs. We evaluated both MBT with a conventional continuous crystal detector with 3.2 mm intrinsic resolution and with a pixelated detector with 1.6 mm pixels. Subsequently, full system simulations of a breast phantom containing several lesions were performed for the optimized geometry at each system resolution for both types of detector. From these simulations, we found that tumour-to-background contrast-to-noise ratio was highest for systems in the 7 mm-10 mm system resolution range over which it hardly varied. No significant differences between the two detector types were found.

Assessment of human exposure doses received by activation of medical linear accelerator components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, D.-Y.; Kim, J.-H.; Park, E.-T.

2017-08-01

This study analyzes the radiation exposure dose that an operator can receive from radioactive components during maintenance or repair of a linear accelerator. This study further aims to evaluate radiological safety. Simulations are performed on 10 MV and 15 MV photon beams, which are the most frequently used high-energy beams in clinics. The simulation analyzes components in order of activity and the human exposure dose based on the amount of neutrons received. As a result, the neutron dose, radiation dose, and human exposure dose are ranked in order of target, primary collimator, flattening filter, multi-leaf collimator, and secondary collimator, where the minimum dose is 9.34E-07 mSv/h and the maximum is 1.71E-02 mSv/h. When applying the general dose limit (radiation worker 20 mSv/year, pubic 1 mSv/year) in accordance with the Nuclear Safety Act, all components of a linear accelerator are evaluated as below the threshold value. Therefore, the results suggest that there is no serious safety issue for operators in maintaining and repairing a linear accelerator. Nevertheless, if an operator recognizes an exposure from the components of a linear accelerator during operation and considers the operating time and shielding against external exposure, exposure of the operator is expected to be minimized.

Field precision machining technology of target chamber in ICF lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Yuanli; Wu, Wenkai; Shi, Sucun; Duan, Lin; Chen, Gang; Wang, Baoxu; Song, Yugang; Liu, Huilin; Zhu, Mingzhi

2016-10-01

In ICF lasers, many independent laser beams are required to be positioned on target with a very high degree of accuracy during a shot. The target chamber provides a precision platform and datum reference for final optics assembly and target collimation and location system. The target chamber consists of shell with welded flanges, reinforced concrete pedestal, and lateral support structure. The field precision machining technology of target chamber in ICF lasers have been developed based on ShenGuangIII (SGIII). The same center of the target chamber is adopted in the process of design, fabrication, and alignment. The technologies of beam collimation and datum reference transformation are developed for the fabrication, positioning and adjustment of target chamber. A supporting and rotating mechanism and a special drilling machine are developed to bore the holes of ports. An adjustment mechanism is designed to accurately position the target chamber. In order to ensure the collimation requirements of the beam leading and focusing and the target positioning, custom-machined spacers are used to accurately correct the alignment error of the ports. Finally, this paper describes the chamber center, orientation, and centering alignment error measurements of SGIII. The measurements show the field precision machining of SGIII target chamber meet its design requirement. These information can be used on similar systems.

2000W high beam quality diode laser for direct materials processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Wen-bin; Liu, You-qiang; Cao, Yin-hua; Gao, Jing; Pan, Fei; Wang, Zhi-yong

2011-11-01

This article describes high beam quality and kilowatt-class diode laser system for direct materials processing, using optical design software ZEMAX® to simulate the diode laser optical path, including the beam shaping, collimation, coupling, focus, etc.. In the experiment, the diode laser stack of 808nm and the diode laser stack of 915nm were used for the wavelength coupling, which were built vertical stacks up to 16 bars. The threshold current of the stack is 6.4A, the operating current is 85A and the output power is 1280W. Through experiments, after collimating the diode laser beam with micro-lenses, the fast axis BPP of the stack is less than 60mm.mrad, and the slow-axis BPP of the stack is less than 75mm.mrad. After shaping the laser beam and improving the beam quality, the fast axis BPP of the stack is still 60mm.mrad, and the slow-axis BPP of the stack is less than 19mm.mrad. After wavelength coupling and focusing, ultimately the power of 2150W was obtained, focal spot size of 1.5mm * 1.2mm with focal length 300mm. The laser power density is 1.2×105W/cm2, and that can be used for metal remelting, alloying, cladding and welding. The total optical coupling conversion efficiency is 84%, and the total electrical - optical conversion efficiency is 50%.

Richtmyer-Meshkov jet formation from rear target ripples in plastic and plastic/aluminum laser targets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aglitskiy, Y.; Velikovich, A. L.; Karasik, M.; Serlin, V.; Weaver, J. L.; Schmitt, A. J.; Obenschain, S. P.

2015-11-01

We report experimental observations of jets produced from the rear surface of laser targets after a passage of the laser-driven shock wave. As in our previous work, Aglitskiy et al., Phys. Plasmas (2012), the jets are produced via the shaped-charge mechanism, a manifestation of a Richtmyer-Meshkov instability for a particular case of the Atwood number A =-1. The experiments done on the KrF Nike laser facility with laser wavelength 248 nm, a 4 ns pulse, and low-energy drive regime that used only 1 to 3 overlapping Nike beams and generated ablative pressure below 1 Mbar. Our 50 um thick planar targets were rippled on the rear side with wavelength 45 μm and peak-to-valley amplitude 15 μm. The targets were made either of solid plastic or of aluminum with a 10 μm thick plastic ablator attached to avoid the radiation preheat. The jets were extremely well collimated, which made possible our side-on observations with monochromatic x-ray imaging. We saw a regular set of jets, clearly separated along the 500 μm line of sight. Aluminum jets were found to be slightly better collimated than plastic jets. A quasi-spherical late-time expansion of Al jets starting from the tips has not been previously seen in experiments or simulations. Work supported by the US DOE/NNSA.

Measurement and Interpretation of DT Neutron Emission from Tftr.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCauley, John Scott, Jr.

A fast-ion diffusion coefficient of 0.1 +/- 0.1 m^2s ^{-1} has been deduced from the triton burnup neutron emission profile measured by a collimated array of helium-4 spectrometers. The experiment was performed with high-power deuterium discharges produced by Princeton University's Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR). The fast ions monitored were the 1.0 MeV tritons produced from the d(d,t)p triton burnup reaction. These tritons "burn up" with deuterons and emit a 14 MeV neutron by the d(t, alpha)n reaction. The measured radial profiles of DT emission were compared with the predictions of a computer transport code. The ratio of the measured-to -calculated DT yield is typically 70%. The measured DT profile width is typically 5 cm larger than predicted by the transport code. The radial 14 MeV neutron profile was measured by a radial array of helium-4 recoil neutron spectrometers installed in the TFTR Multichannel Neutron Collimator (MCNC). The spectrometers are capable of measuring the primary and secondary neutron fluxes from deuterium discharges. The response to 14 MeV neutrons of the array has been measured by cross calibrating with the MCNC ZnS detector array when the emission from TFTR is predominantly DT neutrons. The response was also checked by comparing a model of the recoil spectrum based on nuclear physics data to the observed spectrum from ^{252 }Cf, ^{238}Pu -Be, and DT neutron sources. Extensions of this diagnostic to deuterium-tritium plasma and the implications for fusion research are discussed.

The variance of angle-of-arrival fluctuation of partially coherent Gaussian-Schell Model beam propagations in slant atmospheric turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Zhenkun; Ke, Xizheng

2017-10-01

The variance of angle-of-arrival fluctuation of the partially coherent Gaussian-Schell Model (GSM) beam propagations in the slant path, based on the extended Huygens-Fresnel principle and the model of atmospheric refraction index structural constant proposed by the international telecommunication union-radio (ITU-R), has been investigated under the modified Hill turbulence model. The expression of that has been obtained. Firstly, the effects of optical wavelength, the inner-and-outer scale of the turbulence and turbulence intensity on the variance of angle-of-arrival fluctuation have been analyzed by comparing with the partially coherent GSM beam and the completely coherent Gaussian beam. Secondly, the variance of angle-of-arrival fluctuation has been compared with the von Karman spectrum and the modified Hill spectrum under the partially coherent GSM beam. Finally, the effects of beam waist radius and partial coherence length on the variance of angle-of-arrival of the collimated (focused) beam have been analyzed under the modified Hill turbulence model. The results show that the influence of the variance of angle-of-arrival fluctuation for the inner scale effect is larger than that of the outer scale effect. The variance of angle-of-arrival fluctuation under the modified Hill spectrum is larger than that of the von Karman spectrum. The influence of the waist radius on the variance of angle-of-arrival for the collimated beam is less than focused the beam. This study will provide a necessary theoretical basis for the experiments of partially coherent GSM beam propagation through atmosphere turbulence.

Measured and simulated heavy-ion beam loss patterns at the CERN Large Hadron Collider

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hermes, P. D.; Bruce, R.; Jowett, J. M.; Redaelli, S.; Salvachua Ferrando, B.; Valentino, G.; Wollmann, D.

2016-05-01

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN pushes forward to new regimes in terms of beam energy and intensity. In view of the combination of very energetic and intense beams together with sensitive machine components, in particular the superconducting magnets, the LHC is equipped with a collimation system to provide protection and intercept uncontrolled beam losses. Beam losses could cause a superconducting magnet to quench, or in the worst case, damage the hardware. The collimation system, which is optimized to provide a good protection with proton beams, has shown a cleaning efficiency with heavy-ion beams which is worse by up to two orders of magnitude. The reason for this reduced cleaning efficiency is the fragmentation of heavy-ion beams into isotopes with a different mass to charge ratios because of the interaction with the collimator material. In order to ensure sufficient collimation performance in future ion runs, a detailed theoretical understanding of ion collimation is needed. The simulation of heavy-ion collimation must include processes in which 82 + 208Pb ions fragment into dozens of new isotopes. The ions and their fragments must be tracked inside the magnetic lattice of the LHC to determine their loss positions. This paper gives an overview of physical processes important for the description of heavy-ion loss patterns. Loss maps simulated by means of the two tools ICOSIM [1,2] and the newly developed STIER (SixTrack with Ion-Equivalent Rigidities) are compared with experimental data measured during LHC operation. The comparison shows that the tool STIER is in better agreement.

The LILIA experiment: Energy selection and post-acceleration of laser generated protons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turchetti, Giorgio; Sinigardi, Stefano; Londrillo, Pasquale; Rossi, Francesco; Sumini, Marco; Giove, Dario; De Martinis, Carlo

2012-12-01

The LILIA experiment is planned at the SPARCLAB facility of the Frascati INFN laboratories. We have simulated the laser acceleration of protons, the transport and energy selection with collimators and a pulsed solenoid and the post-acceleration with a compact high field linac. For the highest achievable intensity corresponding to a = 30 over 108 protons at 30 MeV with a 3% spread are selected, and at least107 protons are post-accelerated up to 60 MeV. If a 10 Hz repetition rated can be achieved the delivered dose would be suitable for the treatment of small superficial tumors.

The cosmic X-ray experiment aboard HEAO-1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rothschild, R. E.; Bolt, E.; Holt, S.; Serlemitsos, P. J.; Garmire, G.; Agrawal, P.; Reigler, G.; Bowyer, C. S.; Lampton, M.

1978-01-01

The HEAO-1 A-2 experiment, designed to study the large scale structure of the galaxy and the universe at X-ray energies is described. The instrument consists of six gas proportional counters of three types nominally covering the energy ranges of 0.15-3 keV, 1.2-20 keV, and 2.5-60 keV. The two low energy detectors have about 400 sq cm open area each while the four others have about 800 sq cm each. Dual field of view collimators allow the unambiguous determination of instrument internal background and diffuse X-ray brightness. Instrument characteristics and early performance are discussed.

Empirical determination of collimator scatter data for use in Radcalc commercial monitor unit calculation software: Implication for prostate volumetric modulated-arc therapy calculations.

PubMed

Richmond, Neil; Tulip, Rachael; Walker, Chris

2016-01-01

The aim of this work was to determine, by measurement and independent monitor unit (MU) check, the optimum method for determining collimator scatter for an Elekta Synergy linac with an Agility multileaf collimator (MLC) within Radcalc, a commercial MU calculation software package. The collimator scatter factors were measured for 13 field shapes defined by an Elekta Agility MLC on a Synergy linac with 6MV photons. The value of the collimator scatter associated with each field was also calculated according to the equation Sc=Sc(mlc)+Sc(corr)(Sc(open)-Sc(mlc)) with Sc(corr) varied between 0 and 1, where Sc(open) is the value of collimator scatter calculated from the rectangular collimator-defined field and Sc(mlc) the value using only the MLC-defined field shape by applying sector integration. From this the optimum value of the correction was determined as that which gives the minimum difference between measured and calculated Sc. Single (simple fluence modulation) and dual-arc (complex fluence modulation) treatment plans were generated on the Monaco system for prostate volumetric modulated-arc therapy (VMAT) delivery. The planned MUs were verified by absolute dose measurement in phantom and by an independent MU calculation. The MU calculations were repeated with values of Sc(corr) between 0 and 1. The values of the correction yielding the minimum MU difference between treatment planning system (TPS) and check MU were established. The empirically derived value of Sc(corr) giving the best fit to the measured collimator scatter factors was 0.49. This figure however was not found to be optimal for either the single- or dual-arc prostate VMAT plans, which required 0.80 and 0.34, respectively, to minimize the differences between the TPS and independent-check MU. Point dose measurement of the VMAT plans demonstrated that the TPS MUs were appropriate for the delivered dose. Although the value of Sc(corr) may be obtained by direct comparison of calculation with measurement, the efficacy of the value determined for VMAT-MU calculations are very much dependent on the complexity of the MLC delivery. Copyright © 2016 American Association of Medical Dosimetrists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An orbital angular momentum radio communication system optimized by intensity controlled masks effectively: Theoretical design and experimental verification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gao, Xinlu; Applied Optics Beijing Area Major Laboratory, Department of Physics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875; Huang, Shanguo, E-mail: shghuang@bupt.edu.cn

A system of generating and receiving orbital angular momentum (OAM) radio beams, which are collectively formed by two circular array antennas (CAAs) and effectively optimized by two intensity controlled masks, is proposed and experimentally investigated. The scheme is effective in blocking of the unwanted OAM modes and enhancing the power of received radio signals, which results in the capacity gain of system and extended transmission distance of the OAM radio beams. The operation principle of the intensity controlled masks, which can be regarded as both collimator and filter, is feasible and simple to realize. Numerical simulations of intensity and phasemore » distributions at each key cross-sectional plane of the radio beams demonstrate the collimated results. The experimental results match well with the theoretical analysis and the receive distance of the OAM radio beam at radio frequency (RF) 20 GHz is extended up to 200 times of the wavelength of the RF signals, the measured distance is 5 times of the original measured distance. The presented proof-of-concept experiment demonstrates the feasibility of the system.« less

Generating Long Scale-Length Plasma Jets Embedded in a Uniform, Multi-Tesla Magnetic-Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manuel, Mario; Kuranz, Carolyn; Rasmus, Alex; Klein, Sallee; Fein, Jeff; Belancourt, Patrick; Drake, R. P.; Pollock, Brad; Hazi, Andrew; Park, Jaebum; Williams, Jackson; Chen, Hui

2013-10-01

Collimated plasma jets emerge in many classes of astrophysical objects and are of great interest to explore in the laboratory. In many cases, these astrophysical jets exist within a background magnetic field where the magnetic pressure approaches the plasma pressure. Recent experiments performed at the Jupiter Laser Facility utilized a custom-designed solenoid to generate the multi-tesla fields necessary to achieve proper magnetization of the plasma. Time-gated interferometry, Schlieren imaging, and proton radiography were used to characterize jet evolution and collimation under varying degrees of magnetization. Experimental results will be presented and discussed. This work is funded by the NNSA-DS and SC-OFES Joint Program in High-Energy-Density Laboratory Plasmas, grant number DE-NA0001840, by the National Laser User Facility Program, grant number DE-NA0000850, by the Predictive Sciences Academic Alliances Program in NNSA-ASC, grant number DEFC52-08NA28616, and by NASA through Einstein Postdoctoral Fellowship grant number PF3-140111 awarded by the Chandra X-ray Center, which is operated by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory for NASA under contract NAS8-03060.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rossi, Adriana; et al.

Long-range beam-beam (LRBB) interactions can be a source of emittance growth and beam losses in the LHC during physics and will become even more relevant with the smaller '* and higher bunch intensities foreseen for the High Luminosity LHC upgrade (HL-LHC), in particular if operated without crab cavities. Both beam losses and emittance growth could be mitigated by compensat-ing the non-linear LRBB kick with a correctly placed current carrying wire. Such a compensation scheme is currently being studied in the LHC through a demonstration test using current-bearing wires embedded into col-limator jaws, installed either side of the high luminosity interactionmore » regions. For HL-LHC two options are considered, a current-bearing wire as for the demonstrator, or electron lenses, as the ideal distance between the particle beam and compensating current may be too small to allow the use of solid materials. This paper reports on the ongoing activities for both options, covering the progress of the wire-in-jaw collimators, the foreseen LRBB experiments at the LHC, and first considerations for the design of the electron lenses to ultimately replace material wires for HL-LHC.« less

On the magnetized disruption of inertially-confined plasma flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manuel, Mario; Kuranz, Carolyn; Rasmus, Alexander; Klein, Sallee; MacDonald, Michael; Trantham, Matt; Fein, Jeff; Belancourt, Patrick; Young, Rachel; Keiter, Paul; Drake, R. Paul; Pollock, Brad; Park, Jaebum; Hazi, Andrew; Williams, Jackson; Chen, Hui

2016-10-01

The creation and disruption of inertially-collimated plasma flows is investigated through experiment, simulation, and analytical modeling. Laser-generated plasma-jets are shown to be disrupted by an applied 5T B-field along the jet axis. An analytical model of the system describes the disruption mechanism through the competing effects of B-field advection and diffusion. These results indicate that for Rem 10-100, the ratio of inertial to magnetic pressures plays an important role in determining whether a jet is formed, but at high enough Rem , axial B-field amplification prevents inertial collimation altogether. This work is funded by the U.S. DOE, through the NNSA-DS and SC-OFES Joint Program in HED Laboratory Plasmas, Grant Number DE-NA0001840 and in collaboration with LLNL under contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. Support for this work was provided by NASA, under contract NAS8-03060, through Einstein Postdoctoral Fellowship Grant Number PF3-140111. Software used in this work was developed in part by the DOE NNSA ASC- and DOE Office of Science ASCR-supported Flash Center.

Research on Hartmann test for progressive addition lenses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Lin-ling; Yu, Jing-chi

2009-05-01

Recently, in the world some growing-up measurements for Progressive addition lenses and relevant equipments have been developed. They are single point measurement, moiré deflectometry, Ronchi test techniques. Hartmann test for Progressive addition lenses is proposed in the article. The measurement principle of Hartmann test for ophthalmic lenses and the power compensation of off-axis rays are introduced. The experimental setup used to test lenses is put forward. For experimental test, a spatial filter is used for selecting a clean Gaussian beam; a collimating lens with focal distance f =300 mm is used to produce collimated beam. The Hartmann plate with a square array of holes separated at 2 mm is selected. The selection of laser and CCD camera is critical to the accuracy of experiment and the image processing algorithm. The spot patterns from CCD are obtained from the experimental tests. The power distribution map for lenses can be obtained by image processing in theory. The results indicate that Hartmann test for Progressive addition lenses is convenient and feasible; also its structure is simple.

Proof of Principle for Electronic Collimation of a Gamma Ray Detector

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-01

complete the Environmental Baseline Survey mission for soldiers. The monitoring of radioactive waste handling, as well as other sources of radioactive ...electronic collimation of a gamma ray spectroscopic detector will include identifying and characterizing environmentally hazardous radioactivity to

Transmission calculation and intensity suppression for a proton therapy system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Wei; Yang, Jun; Qin, Bin; Liang, ZhiKai; Chen, Qushan; Liu, Kaifeng; Li, Dong; Fan, Mingwu

2018-02-01

A proton therapy project HUST-PTF (HUST Proton Therapy Facility) based on a 250 MeV isochronous superconducting cyclotron is under development in Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST). In this paper we report the main design features of the beam line in HUST-PTF project. The energy selection system (ESS) for energy modulation is discussed in detail, including the collimators, momentum slit and transmission calculation. Due to significant difference among the transmissions of ESS for different energies, the intensity suppression scheme by defocusing beam at high energies on collimators in the beam line is proposed and discussed. Finally, the ratios of beam intensities between low and high energies are expected to be controlled within 10 to meet the clinical requirement, and the beam optics of each energy step after intensity suppression is studied respectively.

Absorptive pinhole collimators for ballistic Dirac fermions in graphene

PubMed Central

Barnard, Arthur W.; Hughes, Alex; Sharpe, Aaron L.; Watanabe, Kenji; Taniguchi, Takashi; Goldhaber-Gordon, David

2017-01-01

Ballistic electrons in solids can have mean free paths far larger than the smallest features patterned by lithography. This has allowed development and study of solid-state electron-optical devices such as beam splitters and quantum point contacts, which have informed our understanding of electron flow and interactions. Recently, high-mobility graphene has emerged as an ideal two-dimensional semimetal that hosts unique chiral electron-optical effects due to its honeycomb crystalline lattice. However, this chiral transport prevents the simple use of electrostatic gates to define electron-optical devices in graphene. Here we present a method of creating highly collimated electron beams in graphene based on collinear pairs of slits, with absorptive sidewalls between the slits. By this method, we achieve beams with angular width 18° or narrower, and transmission matching classical ballistic predictions. PMID:28504264

Design of axisymmetrical tailored concentrators for LED light source applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Giel, Bart; Meuret, Youri; Thienpont, Hugo

2006-04-01

In our contribution we present a solution to an important question in the design of a LED-based illumination engine for projection systems: the collimation of the LED light. We tested the principle in the modification of a common device in non-imaging optics, the compound Parabolic Concentrator. This CPC-like achieves a collection of 72% (ideal reflective coating presumed). This CPC-like was tailored by numerically solving an differential equation. This approach has some serious drawbacks. For a compact collection device with high collimation, an other approach is required. A more elegant design strategy will rely fully on geometrical principles. The result of our work is a compound collection lens that achieves a collection efficiency of 87%, assuming an ideal reflective coating and neglecting Fresnel losses. We study the performance of this device in detail. Further enhancements are suggested.

Neutron range spectrometer

DOEpatents

Manglos, S.H.

1988-03-10

A neutron range spectrometer and method for determining the neutron energy spectrum of a neutron emitting source are disclosed. Neutrons from the source are colliminated along a collimation axis and a position sensitive neutron counter is disposed in the path of the collimated neutron beam. The counter determines positions along the collimation axis of interactions between the neutrons in the neutron beam and a neutron-absorbing material in the counter. From the interaction positions, a computer analyzes the data and determines the neutron energy spectrum of the neutron beam. The counter is preferably shielded and a suitable neutron-absorbing material is He-3. 1 fig.

Fiber optic diffraction grating maker

DOEpatents

Deason, V.A.; Ward, M.B.

1991-05-21

A compact and portable diffraction grating maker is comprised of a laser beam, optical and fiber optics devices coupling the beam to one or more evanescent beam splitters, and collimating lenses or mirrors directing the split beam at an appropriate photosensitive material. The collimating optics, the output ends of the fiber optic coupler and the photosensitive plate holder are all mounted on an articulated framework so that the angle of intersection of the beams can be altered at will without disturbing the spatial filter, collimation or beam quality, and assuring that the beams will always intersect at the position of the plate. 4 figures.

Fiber optic diffraction grating maker

DOEpatents

Deason, Vance A.; Ward, Michael B.

1991-01-01

A compact and portable diffraction grating maker comprised of a laser beam, optical and fiber optics devices coupling the beam to one or more evanescent beam splitters, and collimating lenses or mirrors directing the split beam at an appropriate photosensitive material. The collimating optics, the output ends of the fiber optic coupler and the photosensitive plate holder are all mounted on an articulated framework so that the angle of intersection of the beams can be altered at will without disturbing the spatial filter, collimation or beam quality, and assuring that the beams will always intersect at the position of the plate.

Relativistic jets in SS 433

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Margon, B.

1982-01-01

A variety of recent optical, radio, and X-ray observations have confirmed the hypothesis that the peculiar star SS 433 is ejecting two narrow, opposed, highly collimated jets of matter at one-quarter the speed of light. This unique behavior is probably driven by mass exchange between a relatively normal star and a compact companion, either a neutron star or a black hole. However, numerous details regarding the energetics, radiation, acceleration, and collimation of the jets remain to be understood. This phenomenon may well be a miniature example of similar collimated ejection of gas by active extragalactic objects such as quasars and radio galaxies.

The HEAO-A Scanning Modulation Collimator instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roy, A.; Ballas, J.; Jagoda, N.; Mckinnon, P.; Ramsey, A.; Wester, E.

1977-01-01

The Scanning Modulation Collimator X-ray instrument for the HEAO-A satellite was designed to measure celestial radiation in the range between 1 and 15 KeV and to resolve, and correlate, the position of X-ray sources with visible light sources on the celestial sphere to within 5 arc seconds. The positional accuracy is made possible by mechanical collimation of the X-ray sources viewed by the instrument. High sensitivity is provided from two systems each containing four gas filled proportional counters followed by preamplification, signal summing, pulse height analysis, pulse shape discrimination, X-ray event accumulators and telemetry processing electronics.

Hydrodynamic collimation of gamma-ray-burst fireballs

PubMed

Levinson; Eichler

2000-07-10

Analytic solutions are presented for the hydrodynamic collimation of a relativistic fireball by a surrounding baryonic wind emanating from a torus. The opening angle is shown to be the ratio of the power output of the inner fireball to that of the exterior baryonic wind. The gamma ray burst 990123 might thus be interpreted as a baryon-poor jet (BPJ) with an energy output of order 10(50) erg or less, collimated by a baryonic wind from a torus with an energy output of order 10(52.5) erg, roughly the geometric mean of the BPJ and its isotropic equivalent.

The practical Pomeron for high energy proton collimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Appleby, R. B.; Barlow, R. J.; Molson, J. G.; Serluca, M.; Toader, A.

2016-10-01

We present a model which describes proton scattering data from ISR to Tevatron energies, and which can be applied to collimation in high energy accelerators, such as the LHC and FCC. Collimators remove beam halo particles, so that they do not impinge on vulnerable regions of the machine, such as the superconducting magnets and the experimental areas. In simulating the effect of the collimator jaws it is crucial to model the scattering of protons at small momentum transfer t, as these protons can subsequently survive several turns of the ring before being lost. At high energies these soft processes are well described by Pomeron exchange models. We study the behaviour of elastic and single-diffractive dissociation cross sections over a wide range of energy, and show that the model can be used as a global description of the wide variety of high energy elastic and diffractive data presently available. In particular it models low mass diffraction dissociation, where a rich resonance structure is present, and thus predicts the differential and integrated cross sections in the kinematical range appropriate to the LHC. We incorporate the physics of this model into the beam tracking code MERLIN and use it to simulate the resulting loss maps of the beam halo lost in the collimators in the LHC.

Sensitivity of 3D Dose Verification to Multileaf Collimator Misalignments in Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy of Spinal Tumor.

PubMed

Xin-Ye, Ni; Ren, Lei; Yan, Hui; Yin, Fang-Fang

2016-12-01

This study aimed to detect the sensitivity of Delt 4 on ordinary field multileaf collimator misalignments, system misalignments, random misalignments, and misalignments caused by gravity of the multileaf collimator in stereotactic body radiation therapy. (1) Two field sizes, including 2.00 cm (X) × 6.00 cm (Y) and 7.00 cm (X) × 6.00 cm (Y), were set. The leaves of X1 and X2 in the multileaf collimator were simultaneously opened. (2) Three cases of stereotactic body radiation therapy of spinal tumor were used. The dose of the planning target volume was 1800 cGy with 3 fractions. The 4 types to be simulated included (1) the leaves of X1 and X2 in the multileaf collimator were simultaneously opened, (2) only X1 of the multileaf collimator and the unilateral leaf were opened, (3) the leaves of X1 and X2 in the multileaf collimator were randomly opened, and (4) gravity effect was simulated. The leaves of X1 and X2 in the multileaf collimator shifted to the same direction. The difference between the corresponding 3-dimensional dose distribution measured by Delt 4 and the dose distribution in the original plan made in the treatment planning system was analyzed with γ index criteria of 3.0 mm/3.0%, 2.5 mm/2.5%, 2.0 mm/2.0%, 2.5 mm/1.5%, and 1.0 mm/1.0%. (1) In the field size of 2.00 cm (X) × 6.00 cm (Y), the γ pass rate of the original was 100% with 2.5 mm/2.5% as the statistical standard. The pass rate decreased to 95.9% and 89.4% when the X1 and X2 directions of the multileaf collimator were opened within 0.3 and 0.5 mm, respectively. In the field size of 7.00 (X) cm × 6.00 (Y) cm with 1.5 mm/1.5% as the statistical standard, the pass rate of the original was 96.5%. After X1 and X2 of the multileaf collimator were opened within 0.3 mm, the pass rate decreased to lower than 95%. The pass rate was higher than 90% within the 3 mm opening. (2) For spinal tumor, the change in the planning target volume V 18 under various modes calculated using treatment planning system was within 1%. However, the maximum dose deviation of the spinal cord was high. In the spinal cord with a gravity of -0.25 mm, the maximum dose deviation minimally changed and increased by 6.8% than that of the original. In the largest opening of 1.00 mm, the deviation increased by 47.7% than that of the original. Moreover, the pass rate of the original determined through Delt 4 was 100% with 3 mm/3% as the statistical standard. The pass rate was 97.5% in the 0.25 mm opening and higher than 95% in the 0.5 mm opening A, 0.25 mm opening A, whole gravity series, and 0.20 mm random opening. Moreover, the pass rate was higher than 90% with 2.0 mm/2.0% as the statistical standard in the original and in the 0.25 mm gravity. The difference in the pass rates was not statistically significant among the -0.25 mm gravity, 0.25 mm opening A, 0.20 mm random opening, and original as calculated using SPSS 11.0 software with P > .05. Different analysis standards of Delt 4 were analyzed in different field sizes to improve the detection sensitivity of the multileaf collimator position on the basis of 90% throughout rate. In stereotactic body radiation therapy of spinal tumor, the 2.0 mm/2.0% standard can reveal the dosimetric differences caused by the minor multileaf collimator position compared with the 3.0 mm/3.0% statistical standard. However, some position derivations of the misalignments that caused high dose amount to the spinal cord cannot be detected. However, some misalignments were not detected when a large number of multileaf collimator were administered into the spinal cord. © The Author(s) 2015.

The telecommunications and data acquisition report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Renzetti, N. A. (Editor)

1982-01-01

Developments in Earth-based radio technology are reported. The Deep Space Network is discussed in terms of its advanced systems, network and facility engineering and implementation, operations, and energy sources. Problems in pulse communication and radio frequency interference are addressed with emphasis on pulse position modulation and laser beam collimation.

Linac head scatter factor for asymmetric radiation field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soubra, Mazen Ahmed

1997-11-01

The head scatter factor, Sh is an important dosimetric quantity used in radiation therapy dose calculation. It is empirically determined and its field size dependence reflects changes in photon scatter from components in the linac treatment head. In this work a detailed study of the physical factors influencing the determination of Sh was performed with particular attention given to asymmetric field geometries. Ionization measurements for 6 and 18 MV photon beams were made to examine the factors which determine Sh. These include: phantom size and material, collimator backscatter, non-lateral electronic equilibrium (LEE) conditions, electron contamination, collimator-exchange, photon energy, flattening filter and off-axis distance (OAD). Results indicated that LEE is not required for Sh measurements if electron contamination is minimized. Brass caps or polystyrene miniphantoms can both be used in Sh measurements provided the phantom thickness is large enough to stop contaminant electrons. Backscatter radiation effects into the monitor chamber were found to be negligible for the Siemens linac. It was found that the presence and shape of the flattening filter had a significant effect on the empirically determined value of Sh was also shown to be a function of OAD, particularly for small fields. For fields larger than 12×12 cm2/ Sh was independent of OAD. A flattening filter mass model was introduced to explain qualitatively the above results. A detailed Monte Carlo simulation of the Siemens KD2 linac head in 6 MV mode was performed to investigate the sources of head scatter which contribute to the measured Sh. The simulated head components include the flattening filter, the electron beam stopper, the primary collimator, the photon monitor chamber and the secondary collimators. The simulations showed that the scatter from the head of the Siemens linac is a complex function of the head components. On the central axis the flattening filter played the dominant role in the contributing to scatter. However this role was significantly reduced off- axis and other head components, such as the electron beam stopper and the primary collimator, became more important. The role of the mirror and ion chamber was relatively minor. Scatter from the secondary collimators was shown to be a function of the filed size and the position of the collimators in the treatment head. They were also found to play a dual role, both as a scatter source and as an attenuator for scatter produced upstream in the linac head. A closed form model, based on the work of Yu and Slobada, was developed to estimate head scatter factors for on- and off-axis asymmetric fields. The model requires three parameters to fit the measured data. The first, a constant c, has a physical significance and is independent of energy and off-axis distance. The second, g, shows a small variation with the energy and OAD while the third parameter, the primary-to-scatter ratio, is strongly dependent on energy and off-axis distance. Comparison of Sh, predicted by the model, to measurement for a large range of symmetric and asymmetric fields showed excellent agreement. A maximum of 0.7% discrepancy was observed at 12 cm OAD.

Dark decay of the top quark

DOE PAGES

Kong, Kyoungchul; Lee, Hye -Sung; Park, Myeonghun

2014-04-01

We suggest top quark decays as a venue to search for light dark force carriers. Top quark is the heaviest particle in the standard model whose decays are relatively poorly measured, allowing sufficient room for exotic decay modes from new physics. A very light (GeV scale) dark gauge boson (Z') is a recently highlighted hypothetical particle that can address some astrophysical anomalies as well as the 3.6 σ deviation in the muon g-2 measurement. We present and study a possible scenario that top quark decays as t → b W + Z's. This is the same as the dominant topmore » quark decay (t → b W) accompanied by one or multiple dark force carriers. The Z' can be easily boosted, and it can decay into highly collimated leptons (lepton-jet) with large branching ratio. In addition, we discuss the implications for the Large Hadron Collider experiments including the analysis based on the lepton-jets.« less

Sunlight-readable display technology: a dual-use case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blanchard, Randall D.

1996-05-01

This paper describes our vision of sunlight readable color display requirements, an alternate technology that offers a high level of performance, and how we implemented it for the military avionics display market. This knowledge base and product development experience was then applied with a comparable level of performance to commercial applications. The successful dual use of this technology for these two diverse markets is presented. Details of the technical commonality and a comparison of the design and performance differences are presented. A basis for specifying the required level of performance for a sunlight readable full color display is discussed. With the objective of providing a high level of image brightness and high ambient light rejection, a display architecture using collimated light is used. The resulting designs of two military cockpit display products, with contrast ratios above 20:1 in sunlight are shown. The performance of a commercial display providing several thousand foot- Lamberts of image brightness is presented.

A short-orbit spectrometer for low-energy pion detection in electroproduction experiments at MAMI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baumann, D.; Ding, M.; Friščić, I.; Böhm, R.; Bosnar, D.; Distler, M. O.; Merkel, H.; Müller, U.; Walcher, Th.; Wendel, M.

2017-12-01

A new Short-Orbit Spectrometer (SOS) has been constructed and installed within the experimental facility of the A1 collaboration at Mainz Microtron (MAMI), with the goal to detect low-energy pions. It is equipped with a Browne-Buechner magnet and a detector system consisting of two helium-ethane based drift chambers and a scintillator telescope made of five layers. The detector system allows detection of pions in the momentum range of 50-147 MeV/c, which corresponds to 8.7-63 MeV kinetic energy. The spectrometer can be placed at a distance range of 54-66 cm from the target center. Two collimators are available for the measurements, one having 1.8 msr aperture and the other having 7 msr aperture. The Short-Orbit Spectrometer has been successfully calibrated and used in coincidence measurements together with the standard magnetic spectrometers of the A1 collaboration.

Design considerations for a computer controlled multileaf collimator for the Harper Hospital fast neutron therapy facility.

PubMed

Maughan, Richard L; Yudelev, Mark; Aref, Amr; Chuba, Paul J; Forman, Jeffrey; Blosser, Emanuel J; Horste, Timothy

2002-04-01

The d(48.5) + Be neutron beam from the Harper Hospital superconducting cyclotron is collimated using a unique multirod collimator (MRC). A computer controlled multileaf collimator (MLC) is being designed to improve efficiency and allow for the future development of intensity modulated radiation therapy with neutrons. For the current study the use of focused or unfocused collimator leaves has been studied. Since the engineering effort associated with the leaf design and materials choice impacts significantly on cost, it was desirable to determine the clinical impact of using unfocused leaves in the MLC design. The MRC is a useful tool for studying the effects of using focused versus unfocused beams on beam penumbra. The effects of the penumbra for the different leaf designs on tumor and normal tissue DVHs in two selected sites (prostate and head and neck) was investigated. The increase in the penumbra resulting from using unfocused beams was small (approximately 1.5 mm for a 5 x 5 cm2 field and approximately 7.6 mm for a 25 x 25 cm2 field at 10 cm depth) compared to the contribution of phantom scatter to the penumbra width (5.4 and 20 mm for the small and large fields at 10 cm depth, respectively). Comparison of DVHs for tumor and critical normal tissue in a prostate and head and neck case showed that the dosimetric disadvantages of using an unfocused rather than focused beam were minimal and only significant at shallow depths. For the rare cases, where optimum penumbra conditions are required, a MLC incorporating tapered leaves and, thus, providing focused collimation in one plane is necessary.

SU-E-T-366: Estimation of Whole Body Dose From Cranial Irradiation From C and Perfexion Series Gamma Knife Units

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Srivastava, S; Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleaveland, OH; Andersen, A

2015-06-15

Purpose: The Leksell Gamma Knife (GK) B & C series contains 201 Cobalt-60 sources with a helmet. The new model, Perfexion uses 192 Cobalt-60 sources without a helmet; using IRIS system for collimation and stereotactic guidance to deliver SRS to brain tumors. Relative dose to extracranial organs at risk (OARs) is measured in phantom in this study for Perfexion and C-series GK. Materials & Methods: Measurements were performed in a Rando anthropomorphic phantom on both systems using a large ion chamber (Keithley-175) for each collimator. The Keithley-175 cc ion chamber was sandwiched between phantom slices at various locations in themore » phantom to correspond to different extracranial OARs (thyroid, heart, kidney, ovary and testis, etc.) The dose measurement was repeated with OSL detectors for each position and collimator. Results: A large variation is observed in the normalized dose between these two systems. The dose beyond the housing falls off exponentially for Perfexion. Dose beyond the C-series GK housing falls off exponentially from 0–20cm then remains relatively constant from 20–40cm and again falls off with distance but less rapidly. The variation of extracranial dose with distance for each collimator is found to be parallel to each other for both systems. Conclusion: Whole body dose is found to vary significantly between these systems. It is important to measure the extracranial dose, especially for young patients. It is estimated that dose falls off exponentially from the GK housing and is about 1% for large collimators at 75 cm. The dose is two-orders of magnitude smaller for the 4mm collimator. However, this small dose for patient may be significant radiologically.« less

Method for selecting minimum width of leaf in multileaf adjustable collimator while inhibiting passage of particle beams of radiation through sawtooth joints between collimator leaves

DOEpatents

Ludewigt, Bernhard; Bercovitz, John; Nyman, Mark; Chu, William

1995-01-01

A method is disclosed for selecting the minimum width of individual leaves of a multileaf adjustable collimator having sawtooth top and bottom surfaces between adjacent leaves of a first stack of leaves and sawtooth end edges which are capable of intermeshing with the corresponding sawtooth end edges of leaves in a second stack of leaves of the collimator. The minimum width of individual leaves in the collimator, each having a sawtooth configuration in the surface facing another leaf in the same stack and a sawtooth end edge, is selected to comprise the sum of the penetration depth or range of the particular type of radiation comprising the beam in the particular material used for forming the leaf; plus the total path length across all the air gaps in the area of the joint at the edges between two leaves defined between lines drawn across the peaks of adjacent sawtooth edges; plus at least one half of the length or period of a single sawtooth. To accomplish this, in accordance with the method of the invention, the penetration depth of the particular type of radiation in the particular material to be used for the collimator leaf is first measured. Then the distance or gap between adjoining or abutting leaves is selected, and the ratio of this distance to the height of the sawteeth is selected. Finally the number of air gaps through which the radiation will pass between sawteeth is determined by selecting the number of sawteeth to be formed in the joint. The measurement and/or selection of these parameters will permit one to determine the minimum width of the leaf which is required to prevent passage of the beam through the sawtooth joint.

Can Collimated Extraterrestrial Signals be Intercepted?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forgan, D. H.

2014-06-01

The Optical Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (OSETI) attempts to detect collimated, narrow-band pulses of electromagnetic radiation. These pulses may either consist of signals intentionally directed at the Earth, or signals between two star systems with a vector that unintentionally intersects the Solar System, allowing Earth to intercept the communication. But should we expect to be able to intercept these unintentional signals? And what constraints can we place upon the frequency of intelligent civilisations if we do? We carry out Monte Carlo Realisation simulations of interstellar communications between civilisations in the Galactic Habitable Zone (GHZ) using collimated beams. We measure the frequency with which beams between two stars are intercepted by a third. The interception rate increases linearly with the fraction of communicating civilisations, and as the cube of the beam opening angle, which is somewhat stronger than theoretical expectations, which we argue is due to the geometry of the GHZ. We find that for an annular GHZ containing 10,000 civilisations, intersections are unlikely unless the beams are relatively uncollimated. These results indicate that optical SETI is more likely to find signals deliberately directed at the Earth than accidentally intercepting collimated communications. Equally, civilisations wishing to establish a network of communicating species may use weakly collimated beams to build up the network through interception, if they are willing to pay a cost penalty that is lower than that meted by fully isotropic beacons. Future SETI searches should consider the possibility that communicating civilisations will attempt to strike a balance between optimising costs and encouraging contact between civilisations, and look for weakly collimated pulses as well as narrow-beam pulses directed deliberately at the Earth.

The Use of MCNP in Flash Radiographic Applications at AWE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quillin, S.; Crotch, I.; McAlpin, S.; O'Malley, J.

AWE performs experiments to investigate the hydrodynamic behavior of explosive metal systems in order to underwrite the UK nuclear deterrent. The experiments involve the manufacture of a device to mock up some aspect of the weapon. Inert simulant materials replace fissile weapon components. The device is then detonated under remote control within specially designed explosive containment buildings called firing chambers. During the experiment a very brief, intense, collimated flash of high energy x-rays are used to take a snapshot of the implosion (see Fig. 1). Prom the resulting image measurements of the dynamic configuration and density distribution of the components in the device are inferred. These are then used to compare with calculations of the hydrodynamic operation of the weapon and understand how the device would perform under various conditions. This type of experiment is known as a core punch experiment.

A novel software and conceptual design of the hardware platform for intensity modulated radiation therapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nguyen, Dan; Ruan, Dan; O’Connor, Daniel

Purpose: To deliver high quality intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) using a novel generalized sparse orthogonal collimators (SOCs), the authors introduce a novel direct aperture optimization (DAO) approach based on discrete rectangular representation. Methods: A total of seven patients—two glioblastoma multiforme, three head & neck (including one with three prescription doses), and two lung—were included. 20 noncoplanar beams were selected using a column generation and pricing optimization method. The SOC is a generalized conventional orthogonal collimators with N leaves in each collimator bank, where N = 1, 2, or 4. SOC degenerates to conventional jaws when N = 1. For SOC-basedmore » IMRT, rectangular aperture optimization (RAO) was performed to optimize the fluence maps using rectangular representation, producing fluence maps that can be directly converted into a set of deliverable rectangular apertures. In order to optimize the dose distribution and minimize the number of apertures used, the overall objective was formulated to incorporate an L2 penalty reflecting the difference between the prescription and the projected doses, and an L1 sparsity regularization term to encourage a low number of nonzero rectangular basis coefficients. The optimization problem was solved using the Chambolle–Pock algorithm, a first-order primal–dual algorithm. Performance of RAO was compared to conventional two-step IMRT optimization including fluence map optimization and direct stratification for multileaf collimator (MLC) segmentation (DMS) using the same number of segments. For the RAO plans, segment travel time for SOC delivery was evaluated for the N = 1, N = 2, and N = 4 SOC designs to characterize the improvement in delivery efficiency as a function of N. Results: Comparable PTV dose homogeneity and coverage were observed between the RAO and the DMS plans. The RAO plans were slightly superior to the DMS plans in sparing critical structures. On average, the maximum and mean critical organ doses were reduced by 1.94% and 1.44% of the prescription dose. The average number of delivery segments was 12.68 segments per beam for both the RAO and DMS plans. The N = 2 and N = 4 SOC designs were, on average, 1.56 and 1.80 times more efficient than the N = 1 SOC design to deliver. The mean aperture size produced by the RAO plans was 3.9 times larger than that of the DMS plans. Conclusions: The DAO and dose domain optimization approach enabled high quality IMRT plans using a low-complexity collimator setup. The dosimetric quality is comparable or slightly superior to conventional MLC-based IMRT plans using the same number of delivery segments. The SOC IMRT delivery efficiency can be significantly improved by increasing the leaf numbers, but the number is still significantly lower than the number of leaves in a typical MLC.« less

Laser manipulation of atomic and molecular flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lilly, Taylor C.

The continuing advance of laser technology enables a range of broadly applicable, laser-based flow manipulation techniques. The characteristics of these laser-based flow manipulations suggest that they may augment, or be superior to, such traditional electro-mechanical methods as ionic flow control, shock tubes, and small scale wind tunnels. In this study, methodology was developed for investigating laser flow manipulation techniques, and testing their feasibility for a number of aerospace, basic physics, and micro technology applications. Theories for laser-atom and laser-molecule interactions have been under development since the advent of laser technology. The theories have yet to be adequately integrated into kinetic flow solvers. Realizing this integration would greatly enhance the scaling of laser-species interactions beyond the realm of ultra-cold atomic physics. This goal was realized in the present study. A representative numerical investigation, of laser-based neutral atomic and molecular flow manipulations, was conducted using near-resonant and non-resonant laser fields. To simulate the laser interactions over a range of laser and flow conditions, the following tools were employed: a custom collisionless gas particle trajectory code and a specifically modified version of the Direct Simulation Monte Carlo statistical kinetic solver known as SMILE. In addition to the numerical investigations, a validating experiment was conducted. The experimental results showed good agreement with the numerical simulations when experimental parameters, such as finite laser line width, were taken into account. Several areas of interest were addressed: laser induced neutral flow steering, collimation, direct flow acceleration, and neutral gas heating. Near-resonant continuous wave laser, and non-resonant pulsed laser, interactions with cesium and nitrogen were simulated. These simulations showed trends and some limitations associated with these interactions, used for flow steering and collimation. The use of one of these interactions, the induced dipole force, was extended beyond a single Gaussian laser field. The interference patterns associated with counter-propagating laser fields, or "optical lattices," were shown to be capable of both direct species acceleration and gas heating. This study resulted in predictions for a continuous, resonant laser-cesium flow with accelerations of 106 m/s2. For this circumstance, a future straightforward proof of principle experiment has been identified. To demonstrate non-resonant gas heating, a series of pulsed optical lattices were simulated interacting with neutral non-polar species. An optimum time between pulses was identified as a function of the collisional relaxation time. Using the optimum time between pulses, molecular nitrogen simulations showed an increase in gas temperature from 300 K to 2470 K at 1 atm, for 50 successive optical lattice pulses. A second proof of principle experiment was identified for future investigation.