Radiation dosimetry of conventional and laser-driven particle beams

Kirby, Daniel James (2011). Radiation dosimetry of conventional and laser-driven particle beams. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

The measurement of radiation dose in radiotherapy is vital in ensuring the accuracy of treatments. As more advanced techniques using protons and ions emerge, they pose challenges to ensure the same level of accuracy of dosimetry is achieved as for conventional X-ray radiotherapy. A relatively new method of particle acceleration using ultra-high intensity lasers and thin metallic targets has sparked a large effort to investigate the possible application of this technology in radiotherapy, which in turn requires accurate methods of dosimetry to be carried out and is the main motivation for this work. Accurate dosimetry was initially performed here using an air ionisation chamber, various models of GafChromic film and a PMMA phantom in 15 and 29 MeV protons and 38 MeV \(\alpha\)-particles from the Birmingham cyclotron. In developing an accurate protocol for absorbed dose-to-water at these relatively low proton energies, new data was generated on the proton energy response of GafChromic films. This enabled accurate dosimetry of a prototype laser-particle source, and provided improvements to a method of spectroscopic measurement in the resultant mixed field of multi-energy protons, electrons and X-rays. Monte Carlo simulations using MCNPX but mainly FLUKA were performed throughout to support and verify experimental measurements.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

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