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In the present work we applied the Optically read out PArticle track Chamber, OPAC, for the measurement of radial dose distributions, d(r), around tracks of heavy ions passing through the gas-filled sensitive volume of the chamber. The measured data were compared with d(r) functions derived from data calculated with the Monte Carlo particle transport code, TRAX – which is used for the heavy ion therapy planning at GSI. To measure this quantity we have used here an optically read out time projection chamber (OPAC) with a parallel-drift field and one or several electron and light amplification stages. The two dimensional projection of the three dimensional ionization pattern caused by the ionizing particle passing through the chamber is captured by an image intensified CCD camera. The work is motivated by the role the radial dose distribution plays in the estimation of the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of heavy ions, e.g. in radiation therapy and in radiation protection. The most successful model for high-dose irradiation with ions (applicable e.g. for heavy ion therapy) is found to be the local effect model (LEM). The present work intends to deliver measured data for one of the basic physical parameters which serve as input for the application of the local effect model: the radial dose distribution, d(r). The first goal of our measurement program was the measurement of d(r) distributions around carbon ions of different energies from 400 MeV/u down to the Bragg peak regions. We found an excellent agreement between the measured and simulated distributions at all carbon energies for the r–range in which the measurements deliver useful results. The lower limit of this range is about 100 nm and the upper limit is 6000 nm at a resolution of down to 33 nm - if scaled to water density. Despite the simplifications in the TRAX code (e.g. binary encounter theory for the emission ionization electrons), the discrepancies between the simulated and measured d(r) distributions are found to be lower than the measurement uncertainties at most measured carbon ion energies in almost the whole observed r-range. Hence, within the limitations of our measurements we can conclude that the precision of TRAX is sufficient to simulate the d(r) distributions around carbon ions to serve as input parameter for therapy planning. However, this conclusion is only valid for larger radial distances (r >100 nm). For smaller radial distances the measured data are dominated by the diffusion. Apart from carbon ion tracks, tracks of very heavy ions (40Ar, 84Kr and 238U) were also measured with OPAC. The simulated d(r) values were typically slightly or significantly higher than the measured data in the 100 nm < r < 5000 nm region. The experience has shown: the heavier or the faster the ion, the higher the discrepancies. On the one hand, we found a surprisingly good agreement between measurements and simulations if the ions had energies of around 50 MeV/u (i.e. relatively low energy). On the other hand, at higher energies, simulated data underestimate the measured ones by up to a factor of two in the region of 100 nm < r < 1000 nm for 84Kr (E = 650 MeV/u) or in the region of 100 nm < r < 6000 nm for 238U (E = 1 GeV/u). A possible reason for these discrepancies is that the BEA model, used in TRAX for the production ionization electrons, is not adequate for very heavy projectiles. The energy values of the very heavy ions were selected with the aim of comparing the track structures - and namely the d(r) distributions - of ions with largely different atomic mass but similar LET values. From the Z-dependency of the stopping power we know that for heavier ions a higher specific ion energy (expressed in MeV/u) is required to provide the same LET. For example the common LET of 315 keV/micro-m was achieved at largely different specific energy levels of 4,4 MeV/u for 12C, 65 MeV/u for 40Ar and 650 MeV/u for 84Kr ions. The difference in the track structures was expected mainly due to the different ion velocities and thus e.g. different ranges of d-electrons. This expectation could be confirmed by the measurements. The reason why - in line with the simulations - no strong differences could be observed in the d(r) distributions of the argon and krypton ions is the relatively small difference in the velocities of the both ion types in conjunction with the limited range in r, where the data can be compared. In contrary, the d(r) function of the carbon ion shows a qualitatively different behavior than the heavier ions inside the observable radius-range - in agreement with the simulations.
For this thesis photon and pi0 spectra in Gold-Gold-collisions at an energy of sqrt(s_NN) = 62 GeV were measured using the STAR-experiment at RHIC. Heavy ion collisions allow to study strongly interacting matter under extreme condiditons in the laborartory. Nuclear matter is strongly compressed and heated. Theories predict in a system of strongy interacting matter at high temperature and pressure a phase transition from hadronic matter, in which quarks are bound into hadrons, to a plasma of free quarks and gluons (QGP). To study the properties of this created medium, a number of different observables is available. One possibility to determine the temperature of such a system, is to measure the photon emission from the medium. The experimental difficulty is that there are more mechanisms producing photons than just the thermal production. Photons are produced in hard scattering processes or can be the result of the interaction of hard partons with the medium. According to theoretical calculations the photon yield from hard processes exceeds the thermal production for transverse momenta above 3 GeV/c. Photons from hard processes and thermal photons are referred to as direct photons, because they are produced inside of the medium. The largest part of the photons below pt=3GeV/c, however, comes from electromagnetic decays of hadrons in the final state of the collision. The largest fraction comes from the pi0- and the eta-mesons. Their contribution to the photon spectra can be determined by measuring the spectra of these decaying particles and calculating the resulting, corresponding photon spectra. The experimental difficulty is to measure these spectra to an accuracy of a few percent because the decay photons make up about 90% of all photons in the relevant phase space region. The STAR-experiment provides different detectors to measure photons and pi0-mesons. The primary detector for this kind of measurement are the electromagnetic calorimeters. However, the analysis described in this thesis uses the time projection chamber (TPC). Because photons don't carry electric charge and the TPC is only sensitive to charged particles, a conversion of the photon into an electron-positron-pair is required. This happens inside the electromagnetic fields of the nuclei and the electrons in the atomic shell of the detector material in the experimental setup of STAR. The resulting electron and positron tracks are measrued in the TPC. In chapter 3 the reconstruction of conversions from the measured tracks is described. Chapter 4 discusses the efficiency of the measurement, which is determined with a Monte-Carlo-Method, and the uncertainties of the correction. Chapter 5 presents the results of the analysis. The data set, on which the analysis is based, consists of Gold-Gold-Collisions an a center of mass energy of sqrt(s_NN)=62GeV. The selection criteria for individual events during data taking and during the analysis are explained. The data set is divided into four centrality selection classes. The first result are the transverse momentum and rapidity spectra of inclusive photons for all four centralities and the whole data set. Pi0-spectra versus transverse momentum for the four centralities and the whole data set are also shown. The pi0-spectra are compared to the spectra of pi0-mesons measured by the PHENIX-Collaboration at the same energy and with pi0-spectra measured by STAR at full RHIC energy. In addition a comparison to charged pi+- and pi--spectra is shown, which were also measured by the STAR collaboration. It is attempted to extract the fraction of direct photons by dividing the spectra of inclusive photons by the spectra of simulated decay photons. In these simulations pi0- and eta-spectra are modeled based on the pi+- and pi--spectra. Studying the uncertainties of this procedure shows that the size of the uncertainties is of the same magnitude as the signal of direct photons. Also the systematic uncertainties of the pi+- and pi--spectra are similar. Therefore the measurement of direct photon spectra is not possible. In chapter 6 possibilities are described to reduce the large systematic uncertainties. In addition it is discussed, what could be done with an already existing data set at full RHIC energy and how the addition of a dedicated converter during a future data taking period could reduce the systematic errors. The result of this thesis are inklusive photon and pi0 spectra. The systematic uncertainties were extensively studied. It is described, which enhancements are necessary to provide the perspective for measuring direct photons in the area of 1 to 3 GeV/c transverse momentum.