Vertical orbit excursion Fixed Field Accelerators (vFFAs) feature highly nonlinear magnetic fields and strong transverse motion coupling. The detailed study of their Dynamic Aperture (DA) requires computation codes allowing long-term tracking and advanced analysis tools to take the transverse motion linear and nonlinear coupling into account. This coupling completely transforms the beam dynamics compared to a linear uncoupled motion, and an explicit definition of the DA is needed to characterize the performance and limitations of these lattices. A complete study of the DA in the 4D phase space in highly nonlinear and strongly coupled machines must give a measure of the stability domain but also means to assess the operating performance in the physical coupled space. This work presents a complete set of methods to perform such detailed analysis. These methods were explored and compared to compute and characterize the DA of an example vFFA lattice. The whole procedure can be further applied to evaluate DA using realistic models of the magnetic fields, including fringe fields and errors.

Proton therapy systems are used worldwide for patient treatment and fundamental research. The generation of secondary particles when the beam interacts with the beamline elements is a well known issue. In particular, the energy degrader is the dominant source of secondary radiation. This poses new challenges for the concrete shielding of compact systems and beamline elements activation computation. We use a novel methodology to seamlessly simulate all the processes relevant to the activation evaluation. A realistic model of the system is developed using Beam Delivery Simulation (BDSIM), a Geant4-based particle tracking code that allows a single model to simulate primary and secondary particle tracking and all particle-matter interactions. The secondary particle fluxes extracted from the simulations are provided as input to FISPACT-II to compute the activation by solving the rate equations. This approach is applied to the Ion Beam Applications (IBA) Proteus ® ONE (P1) system and the shielding of the proton therapy research centre of Charleroi, Belgium. Proton loss distributions are used to model the production of secondary neutrals inside the accelerator structure. Two models for the distribution of proton losses are compared for the computation of the clearance index at specific locations of the design. Results show that the variation in the accelerator loss models can be characterised as a systematic error.

Proton therapy systems produce large fluxes of energetic secondary particles when tailoring the beam energy and transverse profile to the specificities of each irradiation plan. A Low Activation Concrete (LAC) mix is foreseen for parts of the shielding of the Ion Beam Applications (IBA) Proteus® One (P1) compact system at the ProtherWal proton therapy centre in Charleroi, Belgium, to limit the long-term activation of the concrete shielding. To experimentally monitor the long-term activation and validate the beneficial impact of the LAC mix, a setup of four removable cores to be placed at critical locations in the cyclotron vault is optimised. We report on the experimental and simulation monitoring setup design. Our validated BDSIM/FISPACT-II methodology combines particle tracking and Monte-Carlo particle-matter interactions simulations using Beam Delivery Simulation (BDSIM) and the computation of the activation using FISPACT-II. We show that the evaluation of the short-term activation of the cores is essential to the measurement analysis. We detail a hybrid workflow based on numerical simulations that uses logging data of the workloads of the clinical and research beam production and experimental measurements to evaluate and monitor the short- and long-term activation at any point during the centre lifetime and decommissioning period. The activation of the cores using a realistic foreseen irradiation pattern is studied, allowing for the characterisation of the measurement process and radiation protection considerations related to the measurement campaign. The final experimental setup and the supporting online simulation tools are discussed in detail.

The study of beam dynamics in accelerators featuring main magnets with complex geometries such as Fixed Field Accelerators (FFAs) requires simulation codes allowing step-by-step particle tracking in complex magnetic fields, such as the Zgoubi ray-tracing code. To facilitate the use of Zgoubi and to allow readily processing the resulting tracking data, we developed a modern Python 3 interface, Zgoubidoo, using Zgoubi in the backend. In this work, the key features of Zgoubidoo are illustrated by detailing the main steps to obtain a non-scaling FFA accelerator from a scaling design. The results obtained are in excellent agreement with prior results, including the tune computation and orbit shifts. These results are enhanced by Zgoubidoo beam dynamics analysis and visualization tools, including the placement of lattice elements in a global coordinate system and the computation of linear step-by-step optics. The validation of Zgoubidoo on conventional scaling and non-scaling FFA designs paves the way for future uses in innovative FFA design studies.

Arc-therapy and flash therapy are promising proton therapy treatment modalities as they enable further sparing of the healthy tissues surrounding the tumor site. They impose strong constraints on the beam delivery system and rotating gantry structure, in particular in providing high dose rate and fast energy scanning. Fixed-field achromatic transport lattices potentially satisfy both constraints in allowing instant energy modulation and sufficient transmission efficiency while providing a compact footprint. The presented design study uses fixed-field magnets with spiral edges respecting the FFA scaling law. The cell structure and the layout are studied in simulation and integrated in a compact gantry. Results and further optimizations are discussed.

We assess advanced XPS-based methods in determining depth distribution in alumina and hafnia ALD samples of increasing thicknesses and buried layer depths. First, dose quantification of Al in ultrathin alumina is achieved through non-destructive wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF), which is confirmed by comparison to destructive liquid-phase deposition inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LPD-ICPMS) (uncertainty 10 %). Second, we compare WDXRF to parallel ARXPS (pARXPS) in precise dose and thickness quantification in ultrathin alumina, and present the ability of pARXPS to accurately track linear growth during the deposition. Thickness determination of an intermediate ALD stack of silicon dioxide, hafnia, and alumina layers of 1-2 nm by pARXPS is evaluated against quantitative, reference-free grazing incidence X-ray fluorescence (GIXRF) (uncertainty 8-9 %). An alternative technique employing inelastic background analysis (IBA) is introduced as a fast and accurate method and subsequently compared with pARXPS and GIXRF thickness determinations. Finally, in thicker multilayer systems, hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) combined with IBA is proposed for an in-depth analysis for thicknesses up to 28 nm, with generated interface locations and layer thicknesses wellaligned to nominal values. This study is a novel application of lab-based Cr-K alpha HAXPES spectra for inelastic background analysis in thick metal-oxide multilayer materials.

Proton therapy is a well established treatment method for ocular cancerous diseases. General-purpose multi-room systems which comprise eye-treatment beamlines must be thoroughly optimized to achieve the performances of fully dedicated systems in terms of depth-dose distal fall-off, lateral penumbra, and dose rate. For eye-treatment beamlines, the dose rate is one of the most critical clinical performances, as it directly defines the delivery time of a given treatment session. This delivery time must be kept as low as possible to reduce uncertainties due to undesired patient movement. We propose an alternative design of the Ion Beam Applications (IBA) Proteus Plus (P+) eye treatment beamline, which combines a beam-stopping device with the already existing scattering features of the beamline. The design is modelled with Beam Delivery SIMulation (BDSIM), a Geant4-based particle tracking and beam-matter interactions Monte-Carlo code, to demonstrate that it increases the maximum achievable dose rate by up to a factor 3 compared to the baseline configuration. An in-depth study of the system is performed and the resulting dosimetric properties are discussed in detail.

In X‐ray excited photoelectron emission (XPS), the shape and intensity of photoelectron peaks are strongly affected by extrinsic excitations due to electron transport out of the surface. It is also influenced by intrinsic excitations due to the sudden creation of the static core hole. In order to approximately determine the primary excitation spectrum of the considered transition corrected for both extrinsic and intrinsic excitations, we developed in a previous work [E. Gnacadja, N. Pauly, S. Tougaard, Surf. Interface Anal. 52 (2020) 413] a universal analytical expression for the energy loss cross section including extrinsic and intrinsic excitations. We apply the present universal cross section to test to what extent these primary excitations spectra can be used for XPS quantification based on peak area ratios. The procedure is applied to the study of three sets of polycrystalline alloys (Cu0.75Au0.25, Cu0.50Au0.50, and Cu0.25Au0.75) and to three metal oxides (HfO2, ZrO2, and Cu2O). We show that although the individual peaks are very different from those obtained with the classical universal Tougaard cross section, the determined quantitative compositions are equivalent (but not better). This implies that the relative contribution from intrinsic excitations is roughly the same for all peaks for a given sample and they therefore cancel out when peak area ratios are considered.

Due to the advancement of proton therapy for cancer treatment, there has been a worldwide increase in the construction of treatment facilities. Therapy centres are often coupled with clinical, biological or material-science research programs. Research activities require proton beams at energies spanning an extensive range with higher beam currents and longer irradiation times than clinical conditions. Additionally, next-generation proton therapy systems are evolving towards more compact designs. In addition to the increased centres’ workloads, reducing the system in size produces a more significant number of secondary particles per unit volume and time. Therefore, the activation level of materials constituting those future proton therapy centres is expected to be higher, increasing the ambient dose and the amount of radioactive waste collected at the end of a centre’s lifetime. These operating conditions pose new challenges for the shielding design and the reduction of the concrete activation. To tackle them, we propose a novel approach to seamlessly simulate all the processes relevant for the evaluation of the concrete shielding activation using, as an illustration, the Ion Beam Applications Proteus $$^\circledR $$ One system. A realistic model of the system is developed using Beam Delivery Simulation (BDSIM), a Geant4-based particle tracking code. It allows a single model to simulate primary and secondary particle tracking in the beamline, its surroundings, and all particle-matter interactions. The code system and library database FISPACT-II allows the computation of the shielding activation by solving the rate equations using ENDF-compliant group library data for nuclear reactions, particle-induced or spontaneous fission yields, and radioactive decay. As input, FISPACT-II is provided with the secondary particle fluences scored using the BDSIM Monte Carlo simulations. This approach is applied to the proton therapy research centre of Charleroi, Belgium. Results compare the evolution of the clearance level and the long-lived nuclide concentrations throughout the facility lifetime when using regular concrete or the newly developed Low Activation Concrete (LAC). A comparison with the initial shielding dimensioning has been performed for all the shielding walls to validate the methodology and highlight the clear benefits of integrating LAC inserts in the shielding design. The effectiveness of coupling BDSIM and FISPACT-II gives a glimpse of the possibility of a complete activation study following the actual workloads of the centre, allowing a better assessment of the shielding activation level at any time of the facility lifespan.

Photoelectron spectroscopy is a characterization technique which plays a key role in device technology, a field requiring, very often, a reliable and reproducible analysis of buried, critical interfaces. The recent advent of laboratory hard X-ray spectrometers opens new perspectives toward routine studies of technologically-relevant samples for the qualification of processes and materials. In this review, the status of hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) implemented with chromium Kα excitation (5.414 keV) and applied to technological research in nanoelectronics is presented. After an account of the role of synchrotron HAXPES and the specific effects to care about at the practical level, different aspects are developed, first for illustrating the benefits of the technique through specific application cases in the field of resistive memories and power transistors. Then, we provide a status update on quantification in HAXPES, both from core-level intensities and inelastic background analysis. Finally, we present preliminary results in a novel analytical field, operando HAXPES, where a prototypical device is operated in situ during the laboratory HAXPES experiment, opening up the possibility of unravelling the mechanisms occurring at buried interfaces and governing device operation.

Optical properties of polycrystalline molybdenum are determined from ultraviolet up to extreme ultraviolet by reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy (REELS). Calculations are performed within the dielectric response theory by means of the quantitative analysis of electron energy losses at surfaces QUEELS-ϵ(k,ω)-REELS software [Surf. Interface Anal.36, 824 (2004)SIANDQ0142-242110.1002/sia.1774] that allows the simulation of inelastic scattering cross sections, using a parametric energy loss function describing the optical response of the material. From this energy loss function, the real and imaginary parts of the dielectric function, the refractive index, and the extinction coefficient are deduced and compared with previously published results.

Hadron therapy installations are evolving towards more compact systems that require higher-quality beams for advanced treatment modalities such as proton flash and arc therapy. Therefore the accurate modelling of present and next-generation systems poses new challenges where the simulations require both magnetic beam transport and particle-matter interactions. We present a novel approach to building simulations of beam delivery systems at a level suitable for clinical applications while seamlessly providing the computation of quantities relevant for beam dose deposition, radiation protection assessment, and shielding activation determination. A realistic model of the Ion Beam Applications (IBA) Proteus® One system is developed using Beam Delivery Simulation (BDSIM), based on Geant4, that uniquely allows simulation using a single model. Its validation against measured data is discussed in detail. The first results of self-consistent simulations for beam delivery and equivalent ambient dose are presented. The results show that our approach successfully models the complex interactions between the beam transport and its interactions with the system for relevant clinical scenarios at an acceptable computational cost.

Purpose. - Shielding disks play an important role in intraoperative electron radiation therapy, and different designs are currently used in clinical practice. This paper investigates the dosimetric impact of the shielding disk used during intraoperative electron radiation therapy (IOERT). Materials and Methods. - This paper focuses on the study of four shielding disks types that have been used in our clinic: Aluminum (Al)/Lead (Pb), PMMA/Copper(Cu)/PMMA, Aluminum (Al)/Copper (Cu) and Aluminum (Al)/Steel with their specific thicknesses. The theoretical study was conducted with the EGSnrc Monte Carlo (MC) code. On the other hand, the measurements were carried out with gafchromic films for the four shielding disks for the same setup inside the water phantom. Finally, a comparison of the simulated and measured PDD curves was performed for the four material combinations. Results. - MC simulation and gafchromic measurements illustrated that dose values under the four shielding disks types were close to 0, whereas the backscattering enhancement of the disks were 103% with Al/Pb shielding disk, 102% with Al/Steel shielding disk, 102% with Al/Cu shielding disk, 95% with PMMA/Cu/PMMA shielding disk. The PDDs values of the gafchromic films in front of the disks were: 107%, 105%, 104%, and 94% for the Al/Pb, Al/Steel, Al/Cu, and PMMA/Cu/PMMA disks respectively. Conclusions. - The dose values above and under the shielding disks were acceptable for the four studied shielding types. Demonstrated it is possible to use any of them clinically, while the best shielding disk was the Al/Pb since it has minimum thickness and a small backscatter enhancement. (C) 2020 Societe francaise de radiotherapie oncologique (SFRO). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

In this paper we present the results of a detector response function modeling using a new version of PHITS Particle and Heavy Ion Transport Code with an advanced feature for asymmetrical peak broadening. Tests are performed on a room temperature medium resolution 500 mm3 CdZnTe detector of a quasi-hemispherical design with validation on a set of point source gamma-ray spectra with a range of energies from 59 keV up to 1332 keV. Performance assessment is conducted with respect to built-in spectra broadening capabilities using as default Gaussian as well as an asymmetrical peak shape models. Results of our study indicate that up to 200 keV energy range where peak asymmetry is not severe a default Gaussian peak shape broadening can be used. Beyond 200 keV the degree of CZT photopeak asymmetry becomes significant and requires an asymmetrical peak shape broadening. This asymmetry affects the low-energy side of the photopeaks and has a non-linear behavior with energy. We find that with a built-in feature of a tailed peak shape model introduced in the new version of PHITS code (ver. 3.10) asymmetrical peak shapes of CZT detectors can be approximated. The analysis routines and mathematical formalism are described in detail and results are presented.

Determination of the uranium enrichment is an important safeguards verification task, routinely carried out using non-destructive assay methods. The enrichment-meter method is one of the most widely used passive non-destructive X- and gamma-ray based methods used for such tasks. Among its advantages is the highly constrained physical nature of its underlying formalism, allowing it to be used with high-resolution HPGe detectors, as well as with low-resolution NaI detectors. Due to attractive features and spectroscopic performance, CdZnTe and LaBr3(Ce) detectors raised interest in their application to such tasks as well. However, their spectroscopic performance is different to that of the traditional detectors in many ways. Application of the enrichment-meter method requires determination of the net peak areas corresponding to 235U signature photopeaks. The latter requires an adequate algorithm to select the region-of-interest boundaries, which may be sensitive to asymmetrical photopeaks of CZT detectors. In this paper we conduct a performance assessment of a 500 mm3 CZT detector of a quasi-hemispherical design and a 2 × 2 inch LaBr3(Ce) scintillator with the enrichment-meter method using a set of certified uranium standards with enrichment degrees from 0.31% to 4.46% of 235U atomic abundance. We investigate the impact of different methods used for net peak area determination, statistical quality of acquired spectra and size of region-of-interest boundaries on accuracy and uncertainty. We propose an algorithm for symmetrical/asymmetrical region-of-interest boundaries determination and make recommendations on the best combinations of the region-of-interest size and method used for the net peak area determination for each of the detectors. The underlying routines of the algorithm and analysis procedures are described in detail and results are presented.

As expected, our results show that with decreasing detector size, the measured penumbra width and therefore the distance to the point of inflection decreases [2].Considering all energies, the mean time duration for linac output constancy daily measurement using EPID and IC was respectively 16 and 30 minutes.The mean time duration for beam parameters measurement using EPID and IC was respectively 14 and 200 minutes. ConclusionThe use of automatic EPID based beam QA dramatically decreases the time dedicated to QA, eliminates manual steps in the process, reducing human errors, improving efficiency, robustness and productivity for radiotherapy providers with a significant decrease in waiting time for patients.In our institution we have chosen to use daily EPID QA to verify output constancy and beam uniformity without any modification on quality or tolerances of our QA process.

. There is currently a huge interest in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies for various data analysis applications. Among these applications are radiation detection and spectra analysis tasks aiming at qualitative and quantitative information extraction on the assaying radioisotopes. AI tools are foreseen as promising techniques to deal with complex spectra analysis cases, where the traditional statistical tools are subject to deficiencies, due to high degree of noise, peak overlapping and statistical uncertainties because of the room temperature operation of detectors such as CdZnTe and LaBr 3 (Ce). However, over the years there has been no comprehensive assessment of possible conceptual designs of such AI-based algorithms for spectra analysis purposes applied to uranium enrichment determination tasks. This paper analyzes different AI-based methodologies for the qualitative and quantitative analyses of uranium spectra and presents the AI-based Cluster Analysis via Machine Intelligence and Learning Algorithms (CAMILA) code for uranium enrichment determination. The performance assessment of multivariate and pattern recognition methodologies limits and possibilities is conducted in view of different physical conditions of the measurement system, such as the degree of attenuation and sample-to-detector distance, as well as impact of the neural network (NN) design on the algorithm performance. Tests are conducted on uranium spectra of CBNM certified standards with enrichment degrees from 0.31% up to 4.46% of 235 U atomic abundance measured with different statistical quality, as well as on simulated uranium spectra with a broad range of enrichment degrees. Implemented unfolding and analysis routines of the algorithms are described in detail and results are presented.

Room temperature semiconductor detectors of CdZnTe type have been proposed as possible alternatives to spectrometers based on HPGe and NaI detectors. Attractive spectroscopic performance and portability, as well as continuous improvements in their design and availability in different sizes make them especially competitive in various radiation measurement applications where absence of cooling, small size and significantly better resolution compared to other room temperature detectors are an asset. Among these applications are nuclear safeguards that include uranium and plutonium isotopic composition determination tasks. This paper focuses on the investigation of possibilities and limits of a net peak area based methodology used for the determination of the uranium enrichment without use of calibration standards. Tests are conducted on a room temperature medium resolution spectrometer based on a 500 mm(3) CdZnTe sensor of a quasi-hemispherical design using which spectra of different statistical quality are obtained from certified uranium standards. Gamma-ray peaks in the 143-1001 keV energy range are used as uranium gamma-ray signatures. Performance assessment of an intrinsic calibration of the counting efficiency curve is conducted. A hybrid methodology based on a combination of the peak ratios method with Monte Carlo simulations of the counting efficiency curve is proposed for poor quality spectra. Implemented algorithms and analysis routines are described in detail and presented.

In recent years room temperature medium resolution scintillation devices, such as LaBr3(Ce), have attracted much interest as possible alternatives to traditional spectrometers based on HPGe and NaI detectors, for the determination of the uranium enrichment in safeguards applications. This paper focuses on the investigation of possibilities and limits of a net peak area based methodology used for the determination of the uranium enrichment without use of calibration standards and introduces the isotopic code MCSIGMA for LaBr3(Ce) scintillators. Tests are conducted with a room temperature, medium resolution spectrometer based on a 2×2 inch LaBr3(Ce) scintillator using which spectra of different statistical quality are obtained from certified uranium standards. Gamma peaks in the 143-1001keV energy range are used as uranium gamma-ray signatures. Results indicate a promising performance of the applied methodology with a room temperature medium resolution scintillator of the LaBr3(Ce) type, however at a cost of significantly higher uncertainty budget on the derived enrichment compared to HPGe, especially for natural and depleted uranium samples. This uncertainty budget is primarily influenced by the statistical quality of the measured spectra. Implemented algorithms and analysis routines are described in detail and presented.

The measured Yb 4d3/2 intensity is larger than the Yb 4d5/2 in X‐ray photoelectron (XPS) emission of metallic Yb, which is unexpected. The shape and intensity of photoelectron peaks are strongly affected by extrinsic excitations due to electron transport out of the surface (including bulk and surface effects) and to intrinsic excitations due to the sudden creation of the static core hole. To quantitatively extract from experimental XPS the primary excitation spectrum (ie, the initial excitation process) of the considered transition, these effects must be included within the theoretical description. The combined effect of both extrinsic and intrinsic excitations can be described by an effective energy‐differential inelastic electron scattering cross section for XPS evaluated by a dielectric response model with the dielectric function as only input. Then, using this cross section, a direct evaluation of the primary excitation spectrum is performed by standard peak shape analysis for thick homogeneous samples. We use this approach in the present paper to determine the Yb 4d photoemission spectrum for metallic Yb. We show that the unexpected larger intensity of Yb 4d3/2 compared to 4d5/2 can be fully accounted for by our model and that the total spectrum consists of a sum of symmetric primary excitation peaks.