Antonio M. Lallena

Parity violation in quasielastic electron scattering from closed-shell nuclei☆

Abstract The electromagnetic and weak neutral current matrix elements that enter in the analysis of parity-violating quasielastic electron scattering are calculated using a continuum nuclear shell model. New approximations to the on-shell relativistic one-body currents and relativistic kinematics for use in such models are developed and discussed in detail. Results are presented for three closed-shell nuclei of interest: 16 O, 40 Ca and 208 Pb. The current work concludes with a study of the sensitivity of the resulting parity-violating asymmetries to properties of the nucleon form factors including the possible strangeness content of the nucleon.

Meson-exchange currents in quasi-elastic electron scattering from 12C and 40Ca nuclei

Abstract Quasi-elastic transverse responses in 12 C and 40 Ca have been calculated considering both one- and two-body nuclear currents. In the two-body current we have taken into account, in addition to the contact and pion in flight terms, also diagrams including the contribution of the Δ isobar. In the evaluation of the transverse response both one-particle one-hole (1 p 1 h ) and 2 p 2 h states have been considered. Our calculations show that the contribution of the meson-exchange currents (MEC) to the 1 p 1 h channel reduces the transverse response. This effect is partially compensated in the peak region by the 2 p 2 h response. A study of the relative importance of the various pieces contributing to the response function is presented. Our 1 p 1 h results (including MEC) are in agreement with a Fermi gas calculation performed with an effective value of the Fermi momentum. The comparison with the experimental data is done after the inclusion of the final state interaction

Monte Carlo simulation of the electron transport through thin slabs: A comparative study of penelope, geant3, geant4, egsnrc and mcnpx

Abstract The Monte Carlo simulation of the electron transport through thin slabs is studied with five general purpose codes: penelope , geant 3, geant 4, egs nrc and mcnpx . The different material foils analyzed in the old experiments of Kulchitsky and Latyshev [L.A. Kulchitsky, G.D. Latyshev, Phys. Rev. 61 (1942) 254] and Hanson et al. [A.O. Hanson, L.H. Lanzl, E.M. Lyman, M.B. Scott, Phys. Rev. 84 (1951) 634] are used to perform the comparison between the Monte Carlo codes. Non-negligible differences are observed in the angular distributions of the transmitted electrons obtained with the some of the codes. The experimental data are reasonably well described by egs nrc, penelope (v.2005) and geant 4. A general good agreement is found for egs nrc and penelope (v.2005) in all the cases analyzed.

Dosimetry characterization of 32P intravascular brachytherapy source wires using Monte Carlo codes PENELOPE and GEANT4.

Monte Carlo calculations using the codes PENELOPE and GEANT4 have been performed to characterize the dosimetric parameters of the new 20 mm long catheter-based 32P beta source manufactured by the Guidant Corporation. The dose distribution along the transverse axis and the two-dimensional dose rate table have been calculated. Also, the dose rate at the reference point, the radial dose function, and the anisotropy function were evaluated according to the adapted TG-60 formalism for cylindrical sources. PENELOPE and GEANT4 codes were first verified against previous results corresponding to the old 27 mm Guidant 32P beta source. The dose rate at the reference point for the unsheathed 27 mm source in water was calculated to be 0.215 +/- 0.001 cGy s(-1) mCi(-1), for PENELOPE, and 0.2312 +/- 0.0008 cGy s(-1) mCi(-1), for GEANT4. For the unsheathed 20 mm source, these values were 0.2908 +/- 0.0009 cGy s(-1) mCi(-1) and 0.311 0.001 cGy s(-1) mCi(-1), respectively. Also, a comparison with the limited data available on this new source is shown. We found non-negligible differences between the results obtained with PENELOPE and GEANT4.

A simplified model of the source channel of the Leksell GammaKnife tested with PENELOPE.

Monte Carlo simulations using the code PENELOPE have been performed to test a simplified model of the source channel geometry of the Leksell GammaKnife. The characteristics of the radiation passing through the treatment helmets are analysed in detail. We have found that only primary particles emitted from the source with polar angles smaller than 3 degrees with respect to the beam axis are relevant for the dosimetry of the Gamma Knife. The photon trajectories reaching the output helmet collimators at (x, v, z = 236 mm) show strong correlations between rho = (x2 + y2)(1/2) and their polar angle theta, on one side, and between tan(-1)(y/x) and their azimuthal angle phi, on the other. This enables us to propose a simplified model which treats the full source channel as a mathematical collimator. This simplified model produces doses in good agreement with those found for the full geometry. In the region of maximal dose, the relative differences between both calculations are within 3%, for the 18 and 14 mm helmets, and 10%, for the 8 and 4 mm ones. Besides, the simplified model permits a strong reduction (larger than a factor 15) in the computational time.

A simplified model of the source channel of the Leksell Gamma Knife®: testing multisource configurations with PENELOPE

A simplification of the source channel geometry of the Leksell Gamma Knife (GK), recently proposed by the authors and checked for a single source configuration (Al-Dweri F M O, Lallena A M and Vilches M 2004 Phys. Med. Biol. 49 2687-703), has been used to calculate the dose distributions along the x, y and z axes in a water phantom with a diameter of 160 mm, for different configurations of the Gamma Knife, including 201, 150 and 102 unplugged sources. The code PENELOPE (v. 2001) has been used to perform the Monte Carlo simulations. In addition, the output factors for the 14, 8 and 4 mm helmets have been calculated. The results found for the dose profiles show a qualitatively good agreement with previous ones obtained with EGS4 and PENELOPE (v. 2000) codes and with the predictions of GammaPlan. The output factors obtained with our model agree within the statistical uncertainties with those calculated with the same Monte Carlo codes and with those measured with different techniques. Owing to the accuracy of the results obtained and to the reduction in the computational time with respect to full geometry simulations (larger than a factor 15), this simplified model opens the possibility of using Monte Carlo tools for planning purposes in the Gamma Knife.

Tensor and tensor-isospin terms in the effective Gogny interaction

We discuss the need of including tensor terms in the effective Gogny interaction used in mean-field calculations. We show in one illustrative case that, with the usual tensor term that is employed in the Skyrme interaction (and that allows us to separate the like-nucleon and the neutron-proton tensor contributions), we can describe the evolution of the N=28 neutron gap in calcium isotopes. We propose to include a tensor and a tensor-isospin term in finite-range interactions of Gogny type. The parameters of the two tensor terms allow us to treat separately the like-nucleon and the neutron-proton contributions. Two parameterizations of the tensor terms have been chosen to reproduce different neutron single-particle properties in the 48Ca nucleus and the energy of the first 0- state in the 16O nucleus. By employing these two parameterizations we analyze the evolution of the N=14, 28, and 90 neutron energy gaps in oxygen, calcium and tin isotopes, respectively. We show that the combination of the parameters governing the like-nucleon contribution is crucial to correctly reproduce the experimental (where available) or shell-model trends for the evolution of the three neutron gaps under study.

Thermal drift reduction with multiple bias current for MOSFET dosimeters

New thermal compensation methods suitable for p-channel MOSFET (pMOS) dosimeters with the usual dose readout procedure based on a constant drain current are presented. Measuring the source-drain voltage shifts for two or three different drain currents and knowing the value of the zero-temperature coefficient drain current, I(ZTC), the thermal drift of source-drain or threshold voltages can be significantly reduced. Analytical expressions for the thermal compensation have been theoretically deduced on the basis of a linear dependence on temperature of the parameters involved. The proposed thermal modelling has been experimentally proven. These methods have been applied to a group of ten commercial pMOS transistors (3N163). The thermal coefficients of the source-drain voltage and the threshold voltage were reduced from -3.0 mV  °C(-1), in the worst case, down to -70 µV  °C(-1). This means a thermal drift of -2.4 mGy  °C(-1) for the dosimeter. When analysing the thermal drifts of all the studied transistors, in the temperature range from 19 to 36 °C, uncertainty was obtained in the threshold voltage due to a thermal drift of ±9 mGy (2 SD), a commonly acceptable value in most radiotherapy treatments. The procedures described herein provide thermal drift reduction comparable to that of other technological or numerical strategies, but can be used in a very simple and low-cost dosimetry sensor.

Benchmark of PENELOPE for low and medium energy X-rays

The Monte Carlo code penelope is benchmarked for X-ray beams with energies between 30 and 300 keV. The results of different simulations performed with penelope are compared with those obtained with a semi-empirical computational model and with experimental measurements. Half-value layer indexes obtained from the attenuation curves for Al and Cu and depth dose curves in water have been considered for this comparison. A good agreement is reached on what guarantees the feasibility of the code.

Study of the formalism used to determine the absorbed dose for low-energy x-ray beams

We have studied the procedure commonly recommended by dosimetry protocols for the determination of the absorbed dose in water for low-energy x-rays beams, generated with potentials up to 150 kVp. X-ray beams with different spectra obtained with the XCOMP5R code were transported using the Monte Carlo code PENELOPE in order to calculate backscatter factors and mass-energy absorption coefficients. We have analyzed the uncertainty in the absorbed doses, calculated using the half-value layer to characterize the x-ray beams, due to the uncertainties in both backscatter factors and mass-energy absorption coefficients. We have found that this uncertainty is larger than 5% and can reach values above 11% for some HVL(1) values. The characterization of these doses with the homogeneity coefficient or the generating potential, in addition to the half-value layer is also studied. Using HVL(1) and the kVp, the absorbed dose to water can be reproduced to within 3% for all spectra.