open access publication

Article, 2024

A two-layer Timepix3 stack for improved charged particle tracking and radiation field decomposition

Journal of Instrumentation, ISSN 1748-0221, Volume 19, 02, Page c02016, 10.1088/1748-0221/19/02/c02016

Contributors

Smolyanskiy, Petr 0000-0002-1122-1218 (Corresponding author) [1] Bacak, Michael 0000-0001-9501-0997 [2] Bergmann, Benedikt 0000-0002-8076-5614 [1] Broulím, Pavel 0000-0003-3038-7691 [3] Burian, Petr 0000-0001-6907-7901 [1] [3] Čelko, T 0009-0003-3077-3223 [1] [4] Garvey, Declan 0000-0003-2609-6429 [1] Gunthoti, Kranti 0000-0002-6959-544X [5] Infantes, Francisco Garcia [2] [6] Mánek, Petr 0000-0003-4306-0209 [1] [7] Manna, Alice 0000-0001-8811-8334 [8] [9] Mráz, F. [4] Mucciola, Riccardo 0000-0003-1605-7311 [10] [11] Pospisil, Stanislav 0000-0002-5927-7587 [1] Sitarz, Mateusz Krzysztof [12] Urban, Ondřej [3] Vykydal, Zdenek 0000-0003-2329-0672 [13] Wender, Stephen A 0000-0002-2446-5115 [5]

Affiliations

  1. [1] Czech Technical University in Prague
    2. [NORA names: Czechia; Europe, EU; OECD];
  2. [2] European Organization for Nuclear Research
    3. [NORA names: Switzerland; Europe, Non-EU; OECD];
  3. [3] University of West Bohemia
    4. [NORA names: Czechia; Europe, EU; OECD];
  4. [4] Charles University
    5. [NORA names: Czechia; Europe, EU; OECD];
  5. [5] Los Alamos National Laboratory
    6. [NORA names: United States; America, North; OECD];

Abstract

We characterize a novel instrument designed for radiation field decomposition and particle trajectory reconstruction for application in harsh radiation environments. The device consists of two Timepix3 assemblies with 500 µm thick silicon sensors in a face-to-face geometry. These detectors are interleaved with a set of neutron converters: 6LiF for thermal neutrons, polyethylene (PE) for fast neutrons above 1 MeV, and PE with an additional aluminum recoil proton filter for neutrons above ∼4 MeV. Application of the coincidence and anticoincidence technique together with pattern recognition allows improved separation of charged and neutral particles, their discrimination against γ-rays and assessment of the overall directionality of the fast neutron field. The instrument's charged particle tracking and separation capabilities were studied at the Danish Center for Particle Therapy (DCPT), the Proton Synchrotron, and Super Proton Synchrotron with protons (50–240 MeV), pions (1–10 GeV/c and 180 GeV/c). After developing temporal and spatial coincidence assignment methodology, we determine the relative amount of coincident detections as a function of the impact angle, present the device's impact angle resolving power (both in coincidence and anticoicidence channels). The detector response to neutrons was studied at the Czech Metrology Institute (CMI), at n_ToF and the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE), covering the entire spectrum from thermal up to 600 MeV. The measured tracks were assigned to their corresponding neutron energy by application of the time of flight technique. We present the achieved neutron detection efficiency as a function of neutron kinetic energy and demonstrate how the ratio of events found below the different converters can be used to assess the hardness of the neutron spectrum. As an application, we determine the neutron content within a PMMA phantom just behind the Bragg-peak during clinical irradiation condition with protons of 160 MeV.

Keywords

Bragg peak, Czech, Czech Metrology Institute, Danish, Los, Los Alamos Neutron Science Center, MeV, MeV., PMMA, PMMA phantom, Proton Synchrotron, Science Center, Super, aluminum, angle, anticoincidence, anticoincidence technique, applications, assembly, assessment, assignment methodology, capability, center, charged particle tracks, clinical irradiation conditions, coincidence, coincidence detection, conditions, content, converter, decomposition, detection, detection efficiency, detector, detector response to neutrons, devices, direction, discrimination, efficiency, energy, environment, face-to-face, face-to-face geometry, fast neutron fields, fast neutrons, field, field decomposition, filter, flight technique, function, g-rays, geometry, hardness, harsh radiation environment, impact, impact angle, improved separation, institutions, instrument, irradiation conditions, kinetic energy, measurement tracks, methodology, metrology institutes, neutral particles, neutron, neutron content, neutron converter, neutron detection efficiency, neutron energy, neutron field, neutron kinetic energy, neutron spectrum, particle therapy, particle tracking, particle trajectory reconstruction, particles, pattern recognition, patterns, phantom, pion, polyethylene, power, proton, radiation, radiation environment, ratio, recognition, reconstruction, response to neutrons, sensor, separation, separation capability, silicon, silicon sensors, spectra, stack, synchrotron, technique, therapy, thermal neutrons, time, time-of-flight technique, tracking, trajectory reconstruction

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