Browsing by Author "Charcon, A"

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    BENEdiCTE (Boron Enhanced NEutron CapTurE) gamma-ray detection module
    (IEEE, 2021-10-16) Caracciolo, A; Di Vita, D; Buonanno, L; D'Adda, I; Carminati, M; Charcon, A; Kielly, M; Safavi-Naeini, M; Fiorini, C
    We present a gamma-ray detection module for Neutron Capture Enhanced Particle Therapy (NCEPT). The system has been optimised for boron-10 neutron capture agents that can be used for dose enhancement in proton and heavy ion therapy. The goal of the module is to distinguish the photopeak at 478 keV from the prompt-gamma emission resulting from the ion-target nuclear interactions. The module consists of a compact 64-channel module, with a large array of SiPM coupled to a 2" diameter and 2" thickness cylindrical LaBr 3 :Ce scintillator crystal (63 ph/keV conversion efficiency, 16 ns decay time). The electronic front-end ASIC features low-noise processing of photodetector signals, while the pixellated SiPMs detector and individual readout allows for position sensitivity in the crystal. We have characterised the energy resolution of the system experimentally, demonstrating an excellent energy resolution (3.27% at 662 keV), together with the capability of the FPGA-based DAQ integrated in the module to deploy an external synchronization signal to the ion beam bunches, in order to generate anti-coincidence windows. This feature provides a mechanism to distinguish and reject scintillation events from prompt gammas, enhancing the signal-to-background ratio of the spectrometer. © 2021 IEEE
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    A Monte Carlo model of the Dingo thermal neutron imaging beamline
    (Springer Nature, 2023-12-01) Jakubowski, K; Charcon, A; Tran, LT; Stopic, A; Garbe, U; Bevitt, JJ; Olsen, SR; Franklin, DR; Rosenfeld, AB; Guatelli, S; Safavi-Naeini, M
    In this study, we present a validated Geant4 Monte Carlo simulation model of the Dingo thermal neutron imaging beamline at the Australian Centre for Neutron Scattering. The model, constructed using CAD drawings of the entire beam transport path and shielding structures, is designed to precisely predict the in-beam neutron field at the position at the sample irradiation stage. The model’s performance was assessed by comparing simulation results to various experimental measurements, including planar thermal neutron distribution obtained in-beam using gold foil activation and BC-coated microdosimeters and the out-of-beam neutron spectra measured with Bonner spheres. The simulation results demonstrated that the predicted neutron fluence at the field’s centre is within 8.1% and 2.1% of the gold foil and BC-coated microdosimeter measurements, respectively. The logarithms of the ratios of average simulated to experimental fluences in the thermal (E 0.414 eV), epithermal (0.414 eV < E 11.7 keV) and fast (E 11.7 keV) spectral regions were approximately − 0.03 to + 0.1, − 0.2 to + 0.15, and − 0.4 to + 0.2, respectively. Furthermore, the predicted thermal, epithermal and fast neutron components in-beam at the sample stage position constituted approximately 18%, 64% and 18% of the total neutron fluence. © The Authors - Open Access Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International.