Establishing Laser Accelerated Proton Beam Performance for Dose Controlled and High Dose Rate Irradiation Studies

The application of laser plasma accelerated proton beams in radiation therapy of cancer has been proposed and discussed almost since the first demonstration of plasma accelerators reaching 10s of MeV energies. Various and ongoing in-vitro studies have been performed to investigate the radiobiology of these intense particle bunches, in particular with respect to the exploration of potential dose rate related effects. With the recently reported FLASH effect, a high dose rate effect observed to reduce radiation toxicity in normal tissue, the field has regained significant interest as provision of high single pulse dose rate is inherent to plasma accelerators.

For the translation to in-vivo studies laser accelerated proton beams however not only lacked sufficient energy to penetrate the required volume but often stability and reprodicibility of beam parameters to ensure the provision of a homogeneous dose distribution in a prescribed way. This presentation focuses on the development at the Petawatt laser DRACO at Helmholtz-Center Dresden-Rosendorf and the related reference accelerators in use as part of the Dresden Platform that enabled dose controlled systematic irradiation of tumors in mice with laser accelerated protons. Details on acceleration mechanisms and strategies to increase stability and energy well beyond the 60 and even the 100 MeV range are discussed as well as beam transport by means of a dedicated pulsed solenoid beamline to a secondary target together with online metrology and dosimetry. Dose profiles reached for the first mouse irradiation campaign are reported as well as future perspectives for FLASH related studies.

F. Kroll, et al., Nature Physics 18, 316 (2022)

Zoom-Meeting
https://gsi-fair.zoom.us/j/96629963798

Meeting-ID: 966 2996 3798
Kenncode: 130302