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The present paper demonstrates that neutron-photon pairs from radiative capture of stopped pions on chemically bound protons can be used to measure the range of negative pions within phantoms or a patient. Experimental results are given for a polyethylene and a water target of realistic size as well as for a Rando phantom. Monte-Carlo calculations were carried out in order to study the influence of various sizes of treatment volumes, detector geometries and neutron scattering within the targets upon the accuracy of the pion range determination. The results reveal clearly that a pion range monitor for the control of therapy plans and for actual patient irradiations can be designed according to the proposed principle. The absorbed dose required for a measurement is of the order of 0.1 Gy for a single pion beam if one aims at an accuracy of range determination of a few millimeters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A technique suitable for mapping π stopping density distributions in patients or phantoms is described. As a position sensitive detector a multiwire proportional chamber with a slit or a hole collimator in front was applied. Results using a water and a Rando phantom are presented for various momenta and momentum band widths of the π beam. To our knowledge the two-dimensional visualization of a π stopping density distribution was realized for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-ray lithography using synchrotron radiation has been applied in a multi-step process for the production of plastic moulds to be used in the fabrication of separation nozzles by electrodeposition. For characteristic dimensions of a few microns a total height of the nozzle structure of about 400 μm has been achieved. Structural details of about 0.1 μm are being reproduced across the total thickness of the polymer layer. The surface finish of metallic separation nozzles produced by electrodeposition was equivalent to the high quality of the polymer surface. The separation-nozzle systems fabricated by the described method allow an increase by a factor three of the gas pressure in separationnozzle plants as compared to the present standard. This results in considerable savings in the enrichment of U for nuclear power production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate treatment planning for therapeutic beams of negative pions requires knowledge of the multiple scattering of pions in biologically relevant materials. Complete spatial and angular scattering distributions have been measured for pions in scatterers of carbon, water and calcium. Measurements were made for targets varying in thickness from 0.5 to 21 g cm-2 and for pions with ranges of approximately 12 and 20 g cm-2. An array of scintillators, multiwire drift and multiwire proportional chambers was used to record the scattering of individual particles. These data are compared with the results of Molière scattering theory. The implications for pion treatment planning are discussed.