Multiple scattering distributions for therapeutic pion beams.

Accurate treatment planning for therapeutic beams of negative pions requires knowledge of the multiple scattering of pions in biologically relevant materials. Complete spatial and angular scattering distributions have been measured for pions in scatterers of carbon, water and calcium. Measurements were made for targets varying in thickness from 0.5 to 21 g cm-2 and for pions with ranges of approximately 12 and 20 g cm-2. An array of scintillators, multiwire drift and multiwire proportional chambers was used to record the scattering of individual particles. These data are compared with the results of Molière scattering theory. The implications for pion treatment planning are discussed.

Energy deposition spectra of pi- calculated from pion nucleus interaction data.

Distributions of absorbed dose in linear energy transfer (LET) and in lineal energy (y) are calculated for beams of negatively charged pions in a water phantom. The calculation is based on a comprehensive set of experimental data. The production of delta-ray electrons by fast particles is taken into account semiempirically. The results are compared with experimentally obtained spectra of ionization yields. The equivalence of data derived from pion nucleus interaction and taken from microdosimetry is clearly revealed. The distribution of absorbed dose is given in a sequence of contributions from the various secondary particles, i.e., the so-called 'star' particles emitted following a nuclear capture process or the recoil nuclei from pion scatterings. This unique feature of calculated spectra will be useful for a characterization of the beam quality in view of the existing dependence of biological effects on track structure properties.

Test of a pion range monitor using the radiative capture of pions on protons pi-p leads to n gamma.

The present paper demonstrates that neutron-photon pairs from radiative capture of stopped pions on chemically bound protons can be used to measure the range of negative pions within phantoms or a patient. Experimental results are given for a polyethylene and a water target of realistic size as well as for a Rando phantom. Monte-Carlo calculations were carried out in order to study the influence of various sizes of treatment volumes, detector geometries and neutron scattering within the targets upon the accuracy of the pion range determination. The results reveal clearly that a pion range monitor for the control of therapy plans and for actual patient irradiations can be designed according to the proposed principle. The absorbed dose required for a measurement is of the order of 0.1 Gy for a single pion beam if one aims at an accuracy of range determination of a few millimeters.

Visualization of pi- and pi+ stopping density distributions in one and two dimensions.

A technique suitable for mapping pi+/- stopping density distributions in patients or phantoms is described. As a position sensitive detector a multiwire proportional chamber with a slit or a hole collimator in front was applied. Results using a water and a Rando phantom are presented for various momenta and momentum band widths of the pi+/- beam. To our knowledge the two-dimensional visualization of a pi- stopping density distribution was realized for the first time.