In: Radiation Measurements, 56 (16 September 2013), pp. 342-346. ISSN 1350-4487

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Abstract

Fluorescent nuclear track detectors (FNTDs) show excellent detection properties for heavy charged particles and have, therefore, been investigated in this study in terms of their potential for in-vivo range measurements.

We irradiated FNTDs with protons as well as with C, Mg, S, Fe and Xe ion beams (3 – 9 MeV/u) over a broad range of fluences (4.5e5 – 1.0e11 per cm²) with the detectors’ optical c-axis positioned perpendicular to the beam direction. All measured ion ranges (for single track as well as track bulk intensity irradiations) deviate less than 3% from tabulated SRIM data, independent of particle type, energy, fluence and linear energy transfer.

Proton irradiation of detectors placed inside a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) phantom at the Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center showed promising results for future in-vivo FNTD applications.