Teletherapy Physics – session 3

Alan McWilliam

alan.mcwilliam@christie.nhs.uk

The Christie NHS

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 Contents
1. Interaction of sub-atomic particles with matter
a) Electron interactions
b) Stopping powers
c) Particle range
d) Bragg peak
2. Protons
3. Heavy ion interactions
4. Neutron interactions
5. Pion therapy

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 1. Interaction of sub-atomic particles
with matter
1. Interaction of sub-atomic particles with matter
a) Electron interactions
b) Stopping powers
c) Particle range
d) Bragg peak
2. Protons
3. Heavy ion interactions
4. Neutron interactions
5. Pion therapy

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 Sub-atomic particle interactions

• Ionisation & excitation due to charged particles

• Electrons
• Collision loss
• Radiative loss - bremstrahlung
• Stopping power due to each & total stopping
power
• Particle range
• Bragg peak

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 Electron Interactions

Bremstrahlung
hv

Ek

Ek-hv
Radiation
Collision The Christie NHS
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 Stopping powers

S S S

        with units MeVcm3g-1

  Total   Collision    Radiative

• Stopping Power is Energy lost per unit length (dE/dz)

• Total stopping power is sum of collision and radiative
stopping powers
• Mass Stopping power is stopping power divided by
density
Dose = Φ(S/ρ)col
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 Particle range

• The electrons (charged particles) will often be

stopped by the medium depending on the
energy and thickness and density of the
medium. The total distance required to stop
the particle is called the range.

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 Bragg peak

Bragg peak

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 Bragg peak

• A peak occurs because the interaction cross

section increases as the charged particle's
energy decreases

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 2. Protons
1. Interaction of sub-atomic particles with matter
a) Electron interactions
b) Stopping powers
c) Particle range
d) Bragg peak
2. Protons
3. Heavy ion interactions
4. Neutron interactions
5. Pion therapy

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 The Christie NHS
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Protons

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Proton Depth Dose

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Proton Spot Scanning – Intensity Modulation

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Anthony J. Lomax et al.
Radiotherapy and Oncology 51 (1999) 257-271

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Prof. Thomas Auberger - University of Innsbruck The Christie NHS
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 3. Heavy ion interactions
1. Interaction of sub-atomic particles with matter
a) Electron interactions
b) Stopping powers
c) Particle range
d) Bragg peak
2. Protons
3. Heavy ion interactions
4. Neutron interactions
5. Pion therapy

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 C
P
Michael H. Holzscheiter
FIAS
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A major advantage of heavy
charged particle beams is their
increased biological effectiveness
compared to photon beams in
particular in the Bragg peak region
and thus in the tumour volume. This
increased effectiveness is due to
the specific microscopic dose
deposition pattern of charged
particles

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 The Christie NHS
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 4. Neutron interactions
1. Interaction of sub-atomic particles with matter
a) Electron interactions
b) Stopping powers
c) Particle range
d) Bragg peak
2. Protons
3. Heavy ion interactions
4. Neutron interactions
5. Pion therapy

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 Neutrons

• High LET radiation. Same mass as protons

but uncharged.
• RBE=1.5 to 5
• Large, radio-resistant tumours – oxygen
deficient regions within a tumour
• Nuclear interactions
• Little-used today
• http://medicalphysicsweb.org/cws/article/opinion/32466

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Neutron Interactions
Elastic Scattering

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Neutron Interactions
Inelastic Scattering

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Neutron Interactions
Transmutation

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Neutron Interactions
Radiative Capture

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Neutron PDDs compared

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 5. Pion therapy
1. Interaction of sub-atomic particles with matter
a) Electron interactions
b) Stopping powers
c) Particle range
d) Bragg peak
2. Protons
3. Heavy ion interactions
4. Neutron interactions
5. Pion therapy

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Pion Therapy
Short-lived subatomic
particles called mesons

Pions are not normally

found in the free state in
nature: they exist inside
the nuclei of atoms,
where they constitute
the "glue"

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When negative pions slow at the end of their track
they are attracted into the nucleus of the
absorbing medium
Resulting nucleus is so unstable that
disintegration follows
Pion beams can be bent and focused by magnetic
fields
Each star releases more than 100 MeV per
stopped pion
About 1/4 of this is in the form of heavy particles
of such short range that they reach only a few
hundred cells

TRIUMF, Canada

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