Frontiers in Physics (Nov 2020)

The MONDO Tracker: Characterisation and Study of Secondary Ultrafast Neutrons Production in Carbon Ion Radiotherapy

  • Marco Toppi,
  • Marco Toppi,
  • Giuseppe Battistoni,
  • Alessandro Bochetti,
  • Alessandro Bochetti,
  • Alessandro Bochetti,
  • Patrizia De Maria,
  • Micol De Simoni,
  • Micol De Simoni,
  • Yunsheng Dong,
  • Yunsheng Dong,
  • Marta Fischetti,
  • Marta Fischetti,
  • Gaia Franciosini,
  • Gaia Franciosini,
  • Leonardo Gasparini,
  • Marco Magi,
  • Marco Magi,
  • Enrico Manuzzato,
  • Ilaria Mattei,
  • Riccardo Mirabelli,
  • Riccardo Mirabelli,
  • Riccardo Mirabelli,
  • Silvia Muraro,
  • Luca Parmesan,
  • Vincenzo Patera,
  • Vincenzo Patera,
  • Vincenzo Patera,
  • Matteo Perenzoni,
  • Alessio Sarti,
  • Alessio Sarti,
  • Alessio Sarti,
  • Angelo Schiavi,
  • Angelo Schiavi,
  • Adalberto Sciubba,
  • Adalberto Sciubba,
  • Adalberto Sciubba,
  • Giacomo Traini,
  • Giacomo Traini,
  • Serena Marta Valle,
  • Michela Marafini,
  • Michela Marafini

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphy.2020.567990
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8

Abstract

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Secondary neutrons produced in particle therapy (PT) treatments are responsible for the delivery of a large fraction of the out-of-target dose as they feebly interact with the patient body. To properly account for their contribution to the total dose delivered to the patient, a high precision experimental characterisation of their production energy and angular distributions is eagerly needed. The experimental challenge posed by the detection and tracking of such neutrons will be addressed by the MONDO tracker: a compact scintillating fiber detector exploiting single and double elastic scattering interactions allowing for a complete neutron four-momentum reconstruction. To achieve a high detection efficiency while matching the fiber (squared, 250 μm side) high granularity, a single photon sensitive readout has been developed using the CMOS-based SPAD technology. The readout sensor, with pixels of 125×250 μm2 size, will be organised in tiles covering the full detector surface and will implement an autotrigger strategy to identify the events of interest. The expected detector performance in the context of neutron component characterisation in PT treatments delivered using carbon ions has been evaluated using a Monte Carlo simulation accounting for the detector response and the neutrons production spectra.

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