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FLASH radiotherapy is a novel radiation delivery modality, generally considered a potential breakthrough in cancer care. With ultra-high dose rates (>40 Gy/s) delivered in fractions of a second, FLASH is characterized by unique irradiation conditions which bring along new challenges in dosimetry and beam monitoring. This article reports on the validation of innovative detection systems based on sub-millimeter-sized fast scintillation detectors coupled to optical fibers. We characterized different scintillators, namely Gadolinium Aluminium Gallium Garnet (GAGG), yttrium doped barium fluoride (Y-BaF2), and polystyrene, by studying their response to ultra-high dose rate 18 MeV proton beams. Beam tests were carried out at the Bern medical cyclotron, providing beams for multidisciplinary research activities and commercial radioisotope production, that we characterized for ultra-high dose rates irradiations. The possibility of changing the scintillator to be coupled to the optical fiber gives great flexibility to the system, by allowing to measure proton dose rates up 10.4 kGy/s and mm-small fields with high time resolution. The measurements reported in this paper were performed at a sampling rate of 20 kHz, although data acquisition up to 10 MHz is possible. The developed detection system can be successfully used to measure ultra-high dose rates and it can be further optimized to address specific and essential issues of FLASH radiation therapy, including quality assurance, real-time beam monitoring and in-vivo dosimetry.

Radiometals play a fundamental role in the development of personalized nuclear medicine. In particular, copper radioisotopes are attracting increasing interest since they offer a varying range of decay modes and half-lives and can be used for imaging (60Cu, 61Cu, 62Cu and 64Cu) and targeted radionuclide therapy (64Cu and 67Cu), providing two of the most promising true theranostic pairs, namely 61Cu/67Cu and 64Cu/67Cu. Currently, the most widely used in clinical applications is 64Cu, which has a unique decay scheme featuring β+-, β--decay and electron capture. These characteristics allow its exploitation in both diagnostic and therapeutic fields. However, although 64Cu has extensively been investigated in academic research and preclinical settings, it is still scarcely used in routine clinical practice due to its insufficient availability at an affordable price. In fact, the most commonly used production method involves proton irradiation of enriched 64Ni, which has a very low isotopic abundance and is therefore extremely expensive. In this paper, we report on the study of two alternative production routes, namely the 65Cu(p,pn)64Cu and 67Zn(p, α)64Cu reactions, which enable low and high 64Cu specific activities, respectively. To optimize the 64Cu production, while minimizing the mass of copper used as a target in the first case, or the co-production of other copper radioisotopes in the second case, an accurate knowledge of the production cross sections is of paramount importance. For this reason, the involved nuclear reaction cross sections were measured at the Bern medical cyclotron laboratory by irradiating enriched 65CuO and enriched 67ZnO targets. On the basis of the obtained results, the production yield and purity were calculated to assess the optimal irradiation conditions. Several production tests were performed to confirm these findings.

Nella riflessione su come evitare la distruzione del nostro pianeta, il pensiero degli scienziati è fondamentale. Alcuni agiscono per la pace e per la protezione dell’equilibrio della Terra, ma per loro l’appuntamento con la gloria non è per nulla scontato. Franco Rasetti è uno di loro. Contribuì, in Italia, con Enrico Fermi, ai noti esperimenti sui neutroni lenti del 1934 che condussero, dopo un lungo percorso, alla realizzazione della bomba atomica. Appena ne comprese i pericoli, egli abbandonò questo tipo di ricerche e si rifiutò di partecipare al progetto della bomba. “Sarebbe stato meglio” – commentò anni dopo con amarezza – “non aver mai iniziato quegli esperimenti. Ma è impossibile fermare la ricerca”. Franco Rasetti lasciò l’Italia per insegnare fisica in Canada, all’Università Laval nella città di Québec, dove fece un lavoro pionieristico dal 1939 al 1947, prima di passare all’università Johns Hopkins a Baltimora negli Stati Uniti. Oltre che come eminente fisico, è ricordato in tutto il mondo anche come un grande naturalista. In particolare, è stato uno dei principali paleontologi della sua epoca. Edizione italiana a cura di Saverio Braccini, Olga Bobrowska-Braccini e Danielle Ouellet Opera originale: Danielle Ouellet avec la collaboration de René Bureau, "Franco Rasetti, physicien et naturaliste (il a dit non à la bombe)", Guérin, 2000 Traduzione di Olga Bobrowska-Braccini Prefazione all’edizione italiana di Ugo Amaldi

The half-lives of 44Sc and 44mSc were measured by following their decay rate using several measurement systems: two ionization chambers and three γ-spectrometry detectors with digital and/or analogue electronics. For 44Sc, the result was the combination of seven half-life values giving a result of 4.042(7) h, which agrees with the last reported value of 4.042(3) h and confirms the near to 2% deviation from the recommended half-life of 3.97(4) h. Scandium-44 is present as an impurity in the production of 44Sc by cyclotron proton irradiation. Its half-life was determined by measurements performed a few days after End of Bomardment (EoB), so that the 44Sc decayed down to a negligible level. Seven measurements were combined to obtain an average of 58.7(3) h, which is in agreement with the recommended value of 58.6(1) h.

The availability of novel radionuclides plays a fundamental role in the development of personalized nuclear medicine. In particular, there is growing interest in pairs formed by two radioisotopes of the same element, the so-called true theranostic pairs, such as 61,64Cu/67Cu, 43,44Sc/47Sc and 155Tb/149,161Tb. In this case, the two radionuclides have identical kinetics and chemical reactivity, allowing to predict whether the patient will benefit from a therapeutic treatment on the basis of nuclear imaging data. 47Sc [t1/2 = 3.349 d, E [Formula: see text] = 440.9 keV (68.4%); 600.3 keV (31.6%), Eγ = 159.4 keV (68.3%)] is a promising radionuclide for theranostic applications in nuclear medicine. Its physical characteristics make it suitable for radionuclide therapy and allow SPECT imaging during treatment. Moreover, 47Sc is foreseen as the therapeutic partner of the β+-emitters 43Sc and 44Sc, both under study for PET imaging, opening new avenues towards the true theranostics concept. 47Sc can be produced by proton irradiation of an enriched 50Ti oxide target with a medical cyclotron equipped with a solid target station. To optimize the production yield and the radionuclidic purity, an accurate knowledge of the production cross sections is necessary. In this paper, we report on measurements of the production cross section of 47Sc and 46Sc using enriched 50Ti titanium oxide targets, performed at the Bern University Hospital cyclotron laboratory. On the basis of the obtained results, a study of the production yield and purity was performed to assess the optimal irradiation conditions. A production test was also carried out to confirm these findings.

Radiometals play a fundamental role in the development of personalized nuclear medicine. In particular, copper radioisotopes are attracting increasing interest since they offer a varying range of decay modes and half-lives and can be used for imaging (

The availability of novel medical radionuclides is a key point in the development of personalised nuclear medicine. In particular, copper radioisotopes are attracting considerable interest as they can be used to label various molecules of medical interest, such as proteins and peptides, and offer two of the most promising true theranostic pairs, namely

The half-lives of

The characterization of particle accelerator induced neutron fields is challenging but fundamental for research and industrial activities, including radiation protection, neutron metrology, developments of neutron detectors for nuclear and high-energy physics, decommissioning of nuclear facilities, and studies of neutron damage on materials and electronic components. This work reports on the study of a novel approach to the experimental characterization of neutron spectra at two complex accelerator environments, namely the CERF, a high-energy mixed reference field at CERN in Geneva, and the Bern medical cyclotron laboratory, a facility used for multi-disciplinary research activities, and for commercial radioisotope production for nuclear medicine. In particular, measurements were performed through an innovative active neutron spectrometer called DIAMON, a device developed to provide in real time neutron energy spectra without the need of guess distributions. The intercomparison of DIAMON measurements with reference data, Monte Carlo simulations, and with the well-established neutron monitor Berthold LB 6411, has been found to be highly satisfactory in all conditions. It was demonstrated that DIAMON is an almost unique device able to characterize neutron fields induced by hadrons at 120 GeV/c as well as by protons at 18 MeV colliding with different materials. The accurate measurement of neutron spectra at medical cyclotrons during routine radionuclides production for nuclear medicine applications is of paramount importance for the facility decommissioning. The findings of this work are the basis for establishing a methodology for producing controlled proton-induced neutron beams with medical cyclotrons.

Theranostic strategies involve select radionuclides that allow diagnostic imaging and tailored radionuclide therapy in the same patient. An example of a Food and Drug Administration-approved theranostic pair is the 68Ga- and 177Lu-labeled DOTATATE peptides, which are used to image neuroendocrine tumors, predict treatment response, and treat disease. However, when using radionuclides of 2 different elements, differences in the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile of the agent can occur. Theranostic agents that incorporate the matched-pair radionuclides of scandium-43Sc/47Sc or 44Sc/47Sc-would guarantee identical chemistries and pharmacologic profiles. The aim of this study was to investigate production of 43,44,47Sc via proton-induced nuclear reactions on titanium nuclei using a 24-MeV cyclotron. Methods: Aluminum, niobium, and tantalum target holders were used with titanium foils and pressed TiO2 to produce scandium radionuclides with proton energies of up to 24 MeV. Irradiated targets were digested using NH4HF2 and HCl in a closed perfluoroalkoxy alkane vessel in 90 min. Scandium radionuclides were purified via ion-exchange chromatography using branched N,N,N',N'-tetra-2-ethylhexyldiglycolamide. The titanium target material was recovered via alkali precipitation with ammonia solution. Results: Titanium foil and TiO2 were digested with an average efficiency of 98% ± 3% and 95% ± 1%, respectively. The typical digestion time was 45 min for titanium foil and 75 min for TiO2 The average scandium recovery was 94% ± 3%, and the average titanium recoveries from digested titanium foil and TiO2 after precipitation as TiO2 were 108% ± 8% and 104% ± 5% of initial mass, respectively. Conclusion: This work demonstrated a robust method for the cyclotron production of scandium radionuclides that could be used with natural or enriched TiO2 target material.

The availability of novel medical radionuclides is a key point in the development of personalised nuclear medicine. In particular, copper radioisotopes are attracting considerable interest as they can be used to label various molecules of medical interest, such as proteins and peptides, and offer two of the most promising true theranostic pairs, namely 61Cu/67Cu and 64Cu/67Cu. Although 64Cu (t1/2 = 12.7006 h, β+: 17.6%, β-: 38.5%) is nowadays the most commonly used as a diagnostic radionuclide, 61Cu (t1/2 = 3.339 h, β+: 61%) features more favourable nuclear properties, such as a higher positron decay fraction and the absence of β- emissions. To date, the production of 61Cu has been carried out irradiating highly enriched 61Ni targets with a low energy proton beam. However, the use of the very expensive 61Ni targets requires an efficient recovery of the target material and makes this method quite inconvenient. Another promising production route is the proton irradiation of natural Zn or enriched 64Zn targets, exploiting the (p,α) nuclear reaction. Along this line, a research program is ongoing at the Bern medical cyclotron, equipped with an external beam transfer line and a solid target station. In this paper, we report on cross-section measurements of the 64Zn(p,α)61Cu nuclear reaction using natural Zn and enriched 64Zn material, which served as the basis to perform optimized 61Cu production tests with solid targets.

BackgroundTerbium-155 [T1/2 = 5.32 d, Eγ = 87 keV (32%) 105 keV (25%)] is an interesting radionuclide suitable for single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging with potential application in the diagnosis of oncological disease. It shows similar decay characteristics to the clinically established indium-111 and would be a useful substitute for the diagnosis and prospective dosimetry with biomolecules that are afterwards labeled with therapeutic radiolanthanides and pseudo-radiolanthanides, such as lutetium-177 and yttrium-90. Moreover, terbium-155 could form part of the perfect “matched pair” with the therapeutic radionuclide terbium-161, making the concept of true radiotheragnostics a reality. The aim of this study was the investigation of the production of terbium-155 via the155Gd(p,n)155Tb and156Gd(p,2n)155Tb nuclear reactions and its subsequent purification, in order to obtain a final product in quantity and quality sufficient for preclinical application. The156Gd(p,2n)155Tb nuclear reaction was performed with 72 MeV protons (degraded to ~ 23 MeV), while the155Gd(p,n)155Tb reaction was degraded further to ~ 10 MeV, as well as performed at an 18 MeV medical cyclotron, to demonstrate its feasibility of production.ResultThe156Gd(p,2n)155Tb nuclear reaction demonstrated higher production yields of up to 1.7 GBq, however, lower radionuclidic purity when compared to the final product (~ 200 MBq) of the155Gd(p,n)155Tb nuclear reaction. In particular, other radioisotopes of terbium were produced as side products. The radiochemical purification of terbium-155 from the target material was developed to provide up to 1.0 GBq product in a small volume (~ 1 mL 0.05 M HCl), suitable for radiolabeling purposes. The high chemical purity of terbium-155 was proven by radiolabeling experiments at molar activities up to 100 MBq/nmol. SPECT/CT experiments were performed in tumor-bearing mice using [155Tb]Tb-DOTATOC.ConclusionThis study demonstrated two possible production routes for high activities of terbium-155 using a cyclotron, indicating that the radionuclide is more accessible than the exclusive mass-separated method previously demonstrated. The developed radiochemical purification of terbium-155 from the target material yielded [155Tb]TbCl3in high chemical purity. As a result, initial cell uptake investigations, as well as SPECT/CT in vivo studies with [155Tb]Tb-DOTATOC, were successfully performed, indicating that the chemical separation produced a product with suitable quality for preclinical studies.

Quality Assurance (QA) in hadron therapy is crucial to ensure safe and accurate dose delivery to patients. This can be achieved with fast, reliable and high-resolution detectors. In this paper, we present a novel solution that combines a triple Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) and a highly pixelated readout based on a matrix of organic photodiodes fabricated on top of an oxide-based thin-film transistor backplane. The first LaGEMPix prototype with an active area of 60 × 80 mm2 was developed and characterized using low energy X-rays. The detector comprises a drift gap of 3.5 mm, a triple-GEM stack for electron amplification, and a readout featuring 480 × 640 pixels at a 126 µm pitch. Here, we describe the measurements and results in terms of spatial resolution for various experimental configurations. A comparison with GAFCHROMIC® films and the GEMPix detector used in the charge readout mode was performed to better understand the contribution to the spatial resolution from both the electron diffusion and the isotropic emission of photons. The measurements were compared to Monte Carlo simulations, using the FLUKA code. The simulation predictions are in good agreement with the GEMPix results. Future plans with respect to applications in hadron therapy are discussed.

International audience; The PRECy project foresees the use of a 16–25 MeV energy proton beam produced by the TR24 cyclotron, named CYRCé, recently installed at the Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien (IPHC) in Strasbourg for research in radiation biology. One of the exit ports of the cyclotron will be used for this application along with a combination magnet. The platform will consist of up to 5 experimental stations linked to beamlines located in a dedicated area next to the cyclotron vault. One of the beamlines will receive proton beams of a few cm diameter at intensities up to 100 nA. In order to characterize the beam extracted from the cyclotron, the transverse beam emittance was studied by means of different methods.

43,44Sc/47Sc is one of the most promising theranostic pairs in nuclear medicine. The co-emission of 1157 keV γ -rays with 99.9% branching ratio by 44Sc and the presence of its metastable state 44 mSc push to favour the adoption of 43Sc for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) diagnostic procedures to lighten the dose to the patient and to the personnel. The β + emitter 43Sc can be produced at a medical cyclotron by proton bombardment of an enriched 43Ca or 46Ti oxide target. 43Sc can be also produced by deuteron bombardment of an enriched 42Ca oxide target. Only a few medical cyclotrons currently in operation offer deuteron beams. Some can be adapted to operate both a proton or a deuteron source. To compare these three production routes, an accurate knowledge of the cross-sections is essential. In this paper, we report on the cross-section measurement of the reaction 42Ca(d,n)43Sc performed at the 6 MV HVEC EN-Tandem of the Ion Beam Physics group at ETH in Zurich. A study of the production yield by using commercially available enriched target materials is also presented.

Novel medical radioisotopes for both diagnostic and therapy are essential for the future development of personalized nuclear medicine. Among them, radiometals can be used to label both proteins and peptides and encompass promising theranostic pairs. The optimized supply of radiometals in quantity and quality for clinical applications represents a scientific and technological challenge. 47Sc is a β − emitter that forms a theranostic pair together with one of the β + emitters 43Sc or 44Sc. It can be produced at a medical cyclotron by proton bombardment of an enriched calcium oxide target. The parasite production of 48Sc undermines the 47Sc purity, which strongly depends on the energy of protons impinging the target and on the thickness of the target material. For this purpose, an accurate knowledge of the production cross-sections is mandatory. In this paper, we report on the measurement of the cross-section of the reactions 44Ca(p,n)44 mSc,48Ca(p,n)48Sc, 48Ca(p,2n)47Sc and 48Ca(p,pn)47Ca using natCaCO3 targets performed at the Bern University Hospital cyclotron laboratory. On the basis of the obtained results and of the isotopic composition of commercially available enriched target materials, the thick target yields and the purity were calculated to assess the optimal irradiation conditions.

Quality Assurance in hadron therapy is crucial to ensure a safe and accurate dose delivery to the patients. This requires fast and reliable detectors with high spatial resolution. A first LaGEMPix prototype that combines a triple Gas Electron Multiplier and a highly pixelated readout based on a matrix of organic photodiodes coated on an oxide thin film transistor backplane has been built. The first version of the LaGEMPix has proven to have a limited spatial resolution, mainly attributed to the isotropic emission of the scintillation photons within the GEM holes. To improve the spatial resolution and confirm our predictions of the role of the photons, we built a new version of the detector with a reduced gap between the last GEM foil and the readout. Experimental results acquired using different methods and experimental set-ups show that the spatial resolution significantly improved with the new design.

A novel three-dimensional non-destructive beam monitor named &pi, 3 was conceived, realized and tested. It is based on a thin aluminum foil coated with P47 scintillating material mounted on a support, together with a miniaturized CCD camera, both moving along the beam axis. This detector allows reconstructing of the beam distribution along the beam path, providing either an on-line video or a graphical reconstruction of the beam envelope in 3D. The &pi, 3 detector is a general-purpose instrument suitable for any ion accelerator facility. As it is constructed with non-magnetic materials, it can be used to investigate the behavior of the beam inside beam optics components such as magnets. In this paper, we report the development of the first prototype of the &pi, 3 detector, its associated software and the results of the beam tests performed at the Bern medical cyclotron laboratory.

This paper describes the Neutral gas and Ion Mass spectrometer (NIM) onboard ESA's JUpiter ICy moon Explorer (JUICE). Instead of detailing the nuts and bolts of the design, we recount it in terms of ‘given’, architectural, and design decisions. ‘Given’ decisions are relative to elements of the instrument defined at the outset of the project, which bound the solution space to be explored by the development team. These decisions comprise the definition of the instrument concept (time-of-flight), sample ionization, MCP detector, ion optics technology, radiation shielding, and allocation of electronics' functions. Architectural and design decisions regard other elements of the instrument defined during the preliminary and detailed design phases, after trade-offs accounting for both technical and programmatic factors. These decisions regard the instrument's ion source, mechanism, FPGA, emitters, PCB interconnect, detector, materials, circuitry of the emission controller and high-voltage pulser, and software. Lessons learned are discussed throughout, including decisions that, ex-post, should have been made differently. This recollection ends with the first mass spectrum acquired with the flight model.

165Er, a pure Auger-electron emitter, could be an attractive candidate for targeted radionuclide therapy. Auger electrons possess short penetration paths with high linear energy transfer. In this study, experimental cross-sections of the 165Ho(p, n)165Er nuclear reaction were measured and targets irradiated with protons using Injector II cyclotron at Paul Scherrer Institute (Switzerland) and the 18 MeV medical cyclotron laboratory at the University Hospital in Bern. A purification method was developed in order to obtain 165Er suitable for in vivo applications., Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 159, ISSN:0969-8043, ISSN:1872-9800

The European physical journal / A 56(2), 69 (2020). doi:10.1140/epja/s10050-020-00061-8, Published by Springer, Heidelberg

During the operational life of a PET cyclotron, the concrete walls of the vault are activated by secondary neutrons. For the dismantling of such accelerator facilities, a considerable amount of low level solid radioactive waste has to be characterized and disposed. To decrease future dismantling costs and complexity, the amount of radioactive waste has to been prospectively evaluated in the design phase, then confirmed at the time of planning decommissioning. In this work, the Monte Carlo code Fluka was used for the assessment of the activation of the bunkers of two different facilities: the 16.5 MeV GE PETtrace at S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital in Bologna and the 18 MeV IBA Cyclone 18/18 HC at the Bern University Hospital (Inselspital). The simulations were validated by means of experimental measurements performed in our previous works: non-destructive, in field measurements using a portable CZT detector were performed in Bologna; while core drilling samples were extracted from the bunker and measured in laboratory with an HPGe detector in Bern. The activity of the most important radionuclides in the concrete walls of the bunker, namely Eu-152, Mn-54, Co-60, Sc-46, Zn-65 and Cs-134 resulted within the range of 0.01 – 2 Bq/g. The consistency between Monte Carlo results and experimental measurements was within a factor 2 - 3 for most radionuclides, except for Eu-152, Sc-46, Zn-65. The activity concentrations estimated at each position considered exceeds the clearance levels of the new Directive 2013/59/Euratom. The results of this work demonstrate that Monte Carlo simulations based on FLUKA are adequate to assess the residual activation levels, a fundamental information to foresee, plan and optimize the decommissioning of a cyclotron based PET centers.

The authors present a single case report illustrating on the body of a newborn found on the seashore of the island of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, the diagnostic difficulties inherent in the detection during the post-mortem scan of a voluminous highly radiopaque foreign body in the upper aerodigestive tract. The internal examination has highlighted black sand in abundance in the upper aerodigestive tract. The CT scanning of a sand sample from the lagoon shore confirmed its high-density radiopaque nature. In a specialized laboratory, the magnetic part of this sample was investigated by means of energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Mossbauer spectroscopy. The mineral composition is dominantly magnetite (Fe3O4) but contrary to pure magnetite, a relevant fraction of titanium was detected. This case demonstrates how post-mortem CT may lead to inappropriate diagnosis and highlights the interest of the physicochemical study in the forensic context.

In this paper we present irradiation measurements performed to select a transparent anode substrate that best meets the requirements of an optical readout for a novel detector, the LaGEMPix. The modification of the optical properties of the material due to proton irradiation were studied in soda-lime, fused quartz and fused silica glasses coated with an Indium Tin Oxide layer. The irradiations were performed using the research Beam Transfer Line (BTL) of the IBA Cyclone 18 MeV cyclotron of the Bern University Hospital (Inselspital). We recorded visible scintillation light generated by proton irradiation in the soda-lime and fused quartz samples. We also investigated the darkening of these three glasses and observed radiation-induced colour centres in the soda-lime glass sample. The optical transmission spectra of the samples were measured before and after irradiation. Reductions of 45%, 1% and 0.4% were observed for soda-lime glass, fused quartz and fused silica, respectively (with an associated error of 0.25%). We conclude that the best option for our specific application is the fused silica substrate, which will be the transparent anode for the next generation of the LaGEMPix detector., Comment: 13 pages, 10 Figures, Message from JINST: "We are pleased to inform you that your submission JINST_003T_0321 has been accepted for publication in JINST. [...]You are encouraged to post to arXiv"

(43)Sc and (44)Sc are positron emitter radionuclides that, in conjunction with the β(-) emitter (47)Sc, represent one of the most promising possibilities for theranostics in nuclear medicine. Their availability in suitable quantity and quality for medical applications is an open issue and their production with medical cyclotrons represents a scientific and technological challenge. For this purpose, an accurate knowledge of the production cross sections is mandatory. In this paper, we report on the cross section measurement of the reactions (43)Ca(p,n)(43)Sc, (44)Ca(p,2n) (43)Sc, (46)Ti(p,α)(43)Sc, and (44)Ca(p,n)(44)Sc at the Bern University Hospital cyclotron. A study of the production yield and purity performed by using commercially available enriched target materials is also presented.

A beam profiler called the Universal Beam Monitor (UniBEaM) has been developed by D-Pace Inc. (Canada) and the Albert Einstein Center for Fundamental Physics, Laboratory for High Energy Physics, University of Bern (Switzerland). The device is based on passing 100 to 600 micron cerium-doped optical fibers through a particle beam. Visible scintillation light from the sensor fibers is transmitted over distances of tens of meters to the light sensors with minimal signal loss and no susceptibility to electromagnetic fields. The probe has an insertion length of only 70 mm. The software plots the beam intensity distribution in the horizontal and vertical planes, and calculates the beam location and integrated profile area, which correlates well with total beam current. UniBEaM has a large dynamic range, operating with beam currents of ∼pA to mA, and a large range of particle kinetic energies of ∼keV to GeV, depending on the absorbed power density. Test data are presented for H - beams at 25keV for 500 μA, and H + beams at 18MeV for 50pA to 10 μA. Maximum absorbed power density of the optical fiber before thermal damage is discussed in relation to dE/dx energy deposition as a function of particle type and kinetic energy. UniBEaM is well suited for a wide variety of beamlines including discovery science applications, radio-pharmaceutical production, hadron therapy, industrial ion beam applications including ion implantation, industrial electron beams, and ion source testing.

Accurate knowledge of the beam energy distribution is crucial for particle accelerators, compact medical cyclotrons for the production of radioisotopes in particular. For this purpose, a compact instrument was developed, based on a multi-leaf Faraday cup made of thin aluminum foils interleaved with plastic absorbers. The protons stopping in the aluminum foils produce a measurable current that is used to determine the range distribution of the proton beam. On the basis of the proton range distribution, the beam energy distribution is assessed by means of stopping-power Monte Carlo simulations. In this paper, we report on the design, construction, and testing of this apparatus, as well as on the first measurements performed with the IBA Cyclone 18-MeV medical cyclotron in operation at the Bern University Hospital.

During the operational life of a PET Cyclotron, the concrete walls of its vault are activated by secondary neutrons. For this reason when considering dismantling of such accelerators, a considerable amount of low level solid radioactive waste has to be characterized and disposed. To decrease future dismantling costs, the amount of radioactive waste has to be evaluated in advance to define an optimum decommissioning strategy. Aim of this work is to develop methodologies for the preliminary assessment of activation induced in a bunker via experimental measurements. Two different facilities were studied and different approaches were adopted: non-destructive, in field measurements using a portable CZT detector were performed in the bunker of a 16.5 MeV GE PETtrace (S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital of Bologna); while core drilling samples were extracted from the bunker of an 18 MeV IBA Cyclone 18 H C (Inselspital in Bern) and measured in laboratory with an HPGe detector. The principal long-lived radionuclides found in concrete were Eu-152, Mn-54, Co-60, Sc-46, Cs-134 with activity concentrations comprised between 0.01 and 0.6 Bq/g. In all performed measurements the total activity concentration exceed the clearance level of Directive (2013)/59/Euratom. Considering a hypothetical decommissiong of the two facilities, the amount of low lever radioactive waste estimated was about 93 m3 in the case of S. Orsola-Malpighi, while about 58 m3 for Insespital facility. Both the methodologies have proved to be adequate for the purposes.