Objective
Dose distribution measurements of high‐energy X‐rays from medical linear accelerators (LINAC) in water are important for quality control (QC) of the system. Although Cherenkov‐light imaging ...is a useful method for measuring the high‐energy X‐ray dose distribution, depth profiles have an underestimated dose at increased depths due to the angular dependency of the Cherenkov light generated in water. In this study, we use a linear polarizer to separate the majority of polarized components from the majority of unpolarized components of Cherenkov‐light images in water and then use this information to correct for angular dependencies.
Methods
A water phantom, a cooled charge‐coupled device (CCD) camera, and a polarizer were installed in a black box. Then, the water phantom was irradiated from the upper side with 6 or 10 MV X‐rays, and the Cherenkov light generated in water was imaged with the polarizer axis at both parallel and perpendicular orientations to the beam. By using these images from the two orientations relative to the beam, we corrected the angular dependency of the Cherenkov light.
Results
By subtracting the images measured with the polarizer perpendicular to the beams from the images measured with the polarizer parallel to the beams, we could obtain images with only the polarized components. Using these images, we could calculate the images with non‐polarized components that had similar depth profiles to those calculated with a planning system. The average difference between corrected depth profiles and those calculated with the planning system was less than 1%, while that between uncorrected depth profiles and the planning system was more than 8.3% in depths of water from 20 to 100 mm.
Conclusion
We conclude that the use of the polarizer has the potential to improve the accuracy of dose distribution in Cherenkov‐light imaging of water using high‐energy X‐rays.
Purpose
The luminescence image of water during the irradiation of carbon ions showed higher intensity at shallow depths than dose distribution due to the contamination of Cerenkov light from ...secondary electrons. Since Cerenkov light is coherent and polarized for the light produced during the irradiation of carbon ions to water, the reduction of Cerenkov light may be possible with a polarizer. In addition, there is no information on the polarization of the luminescence of water. To clarify these points, we measured the optical images of water during the irradiation of carbon ions with a polarizer by changing the directions of the transmission axis.
Methods
Imaging was conducted using a cooled charge‐coupled device (CCD) camera during the irradiation of 241.5 MeV/n energy carbon ions to a water phantom with a polarizer in front of the lens by changing the transmission axis parallel and perpendicular to the carbon‐ion beam.
Results
With the polarizer parallel to the carbon‐ion beam, the intensity at the shallow depth was ~26% higher than that measured with the polarizer perpendicular to the beam. We found no significant intensity difference between these two images at deeper depths where the Cerenkov light was not included. The difference image of the parallel and perpendicular directions showed almost the same image as the simulated Cerenkov light distribution. Using the measured difference image, correction of the Cerenkov component was possible from the measured luminescence image of water during the irradiation of carbon ions.
Conclusion
We could measure the difference of the Cerenkov light component by changing the transmission axis of the polarizer. Also we clarified that there was no difference in the luminescence of water by changing the transmission axis of the polarizer.
Different applications require different customizations of silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) technology. We present a review on the latest SiPM technologies developed at Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK, ...Trento), characterized by a peak detection efficiency in the near-UV and customized according to the needs of different applications. Original near-UV sensitive, high-density SiPMs (NUV-HD), optimized for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) application, feature peak photon detection efficiency (PDE) of 63% at 420 nm with a 35 um cell size and a dark count rate (DCR) of 100 kHz/mm². Correlated noise probability is around 25% at a PDE of 50% at 420 nm. It provides a coincidence resolving time (CRT) of 100 ps FWHM (full width at half maximum) in the detection of 511 keV photons, when used for the readout of LYSO(Ce) scintillator (Cerium-doped lutetium-yttrium oxyorthosilicate) and down to 75 ps FWHM with LSO(Ce:Ca) scintillator (Cerium and Calcium-doped lutetium oxyorthosilicate). Starting from this technology, we developed three variants, optimized according to different sets of specifications. NUV-HD⁻LowCT features a 60% reduction of direct crosstalk probability, for applications such as Cherenkov telescope array (CTA). NUV-HD⁻Cryo was optimized for cryogenic operation and for large photosensitive areas. The reference application, in this case, is the readout of liquid, noble-gases scintillators, such as liquid Argon. Measurements at 77 K showed a remarkably low value of the DCR of a few mHz/mm². Finally, vacuum-UV (VUV)-HD features an increased sensitivity to VUV light, aiming at direct detection of photons below 200 nm. PDE in excess of 20% at 175 nm was measured in liquid Xenon. In the paper, we discuss the specifications on the SiPM related to different types of applications, the SiPM design challenges and process optimizations, and the results from the experimental characterization of the different, NUV-sensitive technologies developed at FBK.
Tunka-133: Results of 3 year operation Prosin, V.V.; Berezhnev, S.F.; Budnev, N.M. ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
08/2014, Volume:
756
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
The EAS Cherenkov light array Tunka-133, with ~3km2 geometric area, is taking data since 2009. The array permits a detailed study of cosmic ray energy spectrum and mass composition in the PeV energy ...range. After a short description of the methods of EAS parameter reconstruction, we present the all-particle energy spectrum and results of studying CR composition, based on 3 seasons of array operation. In the last part of the paper, we discuss possible interpretations of the obtained results.
The TORCH detector R&D: Status and perspectives Gys, T.; Brook, N.; García, L. Castillo ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
12/2017, Volume:
876
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
TORCH (Timing Of internally Reflected CHerenkov photons) is a time-of-flight detector for particle identification at low momentum. It has been originally proposed for the LHCb experiment upgrade. ...TORCH is using plates of quartz radiator in a modular design. A fraction of the Cherenkov photons produced by charged particles passing through this radiator propagate by total internal reflection, they emerge at the edges and are subsequently focused onto fast, position-sensitive single-photon detectors. The recorded position and arrival time of the photons are used to precisely reconstruct their trajectory and propagation time in the quartz. The on-going R&D programme aims at demonstrating the TORCH basic concept through the realization of a full detector module and has been organized on the following main development lines: micro-channel plate photon detectors featuring the required granularity and lifetime, dedicated fast front-end electronics preserving the picosecond timing information provided by single photons, and high-quality quartz radiator and focussing optics minimizing photon losses. The present paper reports on the TORCH results successfully achieved in the laboratory and in charged particle beam tests. It will also introduce the latest developments towards a final full-scale module prototype.
The Tunka-133 EAS Cherenkov light array: Status of 2011 Berezhnev, S.F.; Besson, D.; Budnev, N.M. ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
11/2012, Volume:
692
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
A new EAS Cherenkov light array, Tunka-133, with ∼1km2 geometrical area has been installed at the Tunka Valley (50km from Lake Baikal) in 2009. The array permits a detailed study of cosmic ray energy ...spectrum and mass composition in the energy range 1016–1018eV with a uniform method. We describe the array construction, DAQ and methods of the array calibration. The method of energy reconstruction and absolute calibration of measurements are discussed. The analysis of spatial and time structure of EAS Cherenkov light allows to estimate the depth of the EAS maximum Xmax.
The results on the all particles energy spectrum and the mean depth of the EAS maximum Xmax vs. primary energy derived from the data of two winter seasons (2009–2011) are presented. Preliminary results of joint operation of the Cherenkov array with antennas for the detection of EAS radio signals are shown. Plans for future upgrades – deployment of remote clusters, radioantennas and a scintillator detector network and a prototype of the HiSCORE gamma-telescope – are discussed.
Timing performance of a Micro-Channel-Plate Photomultiplier Tube Bortfeldt, J.; Brunbauer, F.; David, C. ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
04/2020, Volume:
960, Issue:
C
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
The spatial dependence of the timing performance of the R3809U-50 Micro-Channel-Plate PMT (MCP-PMT) by Hamamatsu was studied in high energy muon beams. Particle position information is provided by a ...GEM tracker telescope, while timing is measured relative to a second MCP-PMT, identical in construction. In the inner part of the circular active area (radius r<5.5 mm) the time resolution of the two MCP-PMTs combined is better than 10 ps. The signal amplitude decreases in the outer region due to less light reaching the photocathode, resulting in a worse time resolution. The observed radial dependence is in quantitative agreement with a dedicated simulation. With this characterization, the suitability of MCP-PMTs as t0 reference detectors has been validated.
The new TAIGA-HiSCORE non-imaging Cherenkov array aims to detect air showers induced by gamma rays above 30TeV and to study cosmic rays above 100TeV. TAIGA-HiSCORE is made of integrating air ...Cherenkov detector stations with a wide field of view (0.6sr), placed at a distance of about 100m. They cover an area of initially ∼0.25km2 (prototype array), and of ∼5km2 at the final phase of the experiment. Each station includes 4PMTs with 20 or 25cm diameter, equipped with light guides shaped as Winstone cones. We describe the design, specifications of the read-out, DAQ and control and monitoring systems of the array. The present 28 detector stations of the TAIGA-HiSCORE engineering setup are in operation since September 2015.
Cosmic ray test of a STCF DTOF detector prototype Li, Ziwei; Qi, Binbin; Wu, Bo ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
June 2023, 2023-06-00, Volume:
1051
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
A time-of-flight detector based on detection of internally reflected Cherenkov light (DTOF), is proposed for the endcap particle identification at the Super Tau-Charm Facility (STCF). A prototype ...with a trapezoidal fused silica radiator that had a size of 533 mm/ 295 mm × 454 mm × 15 mm is constructed, which is approximately one-third of the size of the DTOF sector proposed for STCF. A field-programmable-gate-array-based dual-threshold time-over-threshold measurement circuit is employed to read signals from the microchannel-plate photomultiplier tube, which performs functions such as signal amplification, discrimination, and digitization. The DTOF prototype was tested in a cosmic ray telescope, which realizes 3D tracking of cosmic ray muons with an angular resolution of < 1 mrad, position resolution of <200μm, and reference time resolution of 24 ps. To analyze and understand the performance of the DTOF prototype, a GEANT4 simulation is employed. The time resolution of the DTOF prototype is 25 ps by using 10 or more photoelectrons in the cosmic ray test, which is in good agreement with the simulation result, proving the feasibility of this technology.
We evaluate the possibility of detecting direct Cherenkov (DC) light with fluorescence telescopes to do a mass estimation study, thus reducing the dependency on hadronic interaction models, as the DC ...light is emitted before the shower development. On the one hand, its detection is a known technique for the TeV energy range. On the other hand, the fluorescence telescopes can observe Cherenkov light from the shower development and use it for data analysis. We investigate how often the direct Cherenkov light can be distinguished from noise. We find the number of triggered events per year to be non-negligible in different iron concentration scenarios. The results indicate that this is a technique that can contribute to the composition estimation for high-energy cosmic rays.
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