M. De Rydt

Design study of the absorber detector of a compton camera for on-line control in ion beam therapy

The goal of this study is to tune the design of the absorber detector of a Compton camera for prompt γ-ray imaging during ion beam therapy. The response of the Compton camera to a photon point source with a realistic energy spectrum (corresponding to the prompt γ-ray spectrum emitted during the carbon irradiation of a water phantom) is studied by means of Geant4 simulations. Our Compton camera consists of a stack of 2 mm thick silicon strip detectors as a scatter detector and of a scintillator plate as an absorber detector. Four scintillators are considered: LYSO, NaI, LaBr3 and BGO. LYSO and BGO appear as the most suitable materials, due to their high photo-electric cross-sections, which leads to a high percentage of fully absorbed photons. Depth-of-interaction measurements are shown to have limited influence on the spatial resolution of the camera. In our case, the thickness which gives the best compromise between a high percentage of photons that are fully absorbed and a low parallax error is about 4 cm for the LYSO detector and 4.5 cm for the BGO detector. The influence of the width of the absorber detector on the spatial resolution is not very pronounced as long as it is lower than 30 cm.

Collimated prompt gamma TOF measurements with multi-slit multi-detector configurations

Longitudinal prompt-gamma ray profiles have been measured with a multi-slit multi-detector configuration at a 75 MeV/u 13C beam and with a PMMA target. Selections in time-of-flight and energy have been applied in order to discriminate prompt-gamma rays produced in the target from background events. The ion ranges which have been extracted from each individual detector module agree amongst each other and are consistent with theoretical expectations. In a separate dedicated experiment with 200 MeV/u 12C ions the fraction of inter-detector scattering has been determined to be on the 10%-level via a combination of experimental results and simulations. At the same experiment different collimator configurations have been tested and the shielding properties of tungsten and lead for prompt-gamma rays have been measured.

Spins and Magnetic Moments of 49K and 51K: Establishing the 1/2+ and 3/2+ Level Ordering Beyond N=28

The ground-state spins and magnetic moments of (49,51)K have been measured using bunched-beam high-resolution collinear laser spectroscopy at ISOLDE CERN. For 49K a ground-state spin I = 1/2 was firmly established. The observed hyperfine structure of 51K requires a spin I > 1/2 and strongly suggests I = 3/2. From its magnetic moment μ(51K) = +0.5129(22)μ(N) a spin-parity I(π) = 3/2+ with a dominant π1d(3/2)(-1) hole configuration was deduced. This establishes for the first time the reinversion of the single-particle levels and illustrates the prominent role of the residual monopole interaction for single-particle levels and shell evolution.

Nuclear charge radii of potassium isotopes beyond N = 28

We report on the measurement of optical isotope shifts for 38;39;42;44;46-51 K relative to 47 K from which changes in the nuclear mean square charge radii across the N = 28 shell closure are deduced. The investigation was carried out by bunched-beam collinear laser spectroscopy at the CERN-ISOLDE radioactive ion-beam facility. Mean square charge radii are now known from 37 K to 51 K, covering all f7=2-shell as well as all p3=2-shell nuclei. These measurements, in conjunction with those of Ca, Cr, Mn and Fe, provide a first insight into the Z dependence of the evolution of nuclear size above the shell closure at N = 28.

Shell structure of potassium isotopes deduced from their magnetic moments

Background: Ground-state spins and magnetic moments are sensitive to the nuclear wave function, thus they are powerful probes to study the nuclear structure of isotopes far from stability. Purpose: Extend our knowledge about the evolution of the 1/2+ and 3/2+ states for K isotopes beyond the N=28 shell gap. Method: High-resolution collinear laser spectroscopy on bunched atomic beams. Results: From measured hyperfine structure spectra of K isotopes, nuclear spins, and magnetic moments of the ground states were obtained for isotopes from N=19 up to N=32. In order to draw conclusions about the composition of the wave functions and the occupation of the levels, the experimental data were compared to shell-model calculations using SDPF-NR and SDPF-U effective interactions. In addition, a detailed discussion about the evolution of the gap between proton 1d3/2 and 2s1/2 in the shell model and ab initio framework is also presented. Conclusions: The dominant component of the wave function for the odd-A isotopes up to K45 is a π1d3/2-1 hole. For K47,49, the main component originates from a π2s1/2-1 hole configuration and it inverts back to the π1d3/2-1 in K51. For all even-A isotopes, the dominant configuration arises from a π1d3/2-1 hole coupled to a neutron in the ν1f7/2 or ν2p3/2 orbitals. Only for K48, a significant amount of mixing with π2s1/2-1 - ν(pf) is observed leading to a Iπ=1- ground state. For K50, the ground-state spin-parity is 0- with leading configuration π1d3/2-1 - ν2p3/2-1.

Precision measurement of the electric quadrupole moment of 31Al and determination of the effective proton charge in the sd-shell

Abstract The electric quadrupole coupling constant of the 31 Al ground state is measured to be ν Q = | e Q V z z h | = 2196 ( 21 ) kHz using two different β -NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) techniques. For the first time, a direct comparison is made between the continuous rf technique and the adiabatic fast passage method. The obtained coupling constants of both methods are in excellent agreement with each other and a precise value for the quadrupole moment of 31 Al has been deduced: | Q ( Al 31 ) | = 134.0 ( 16 ) mb . Comparison of this value with large-scale shell-model calculations in the sd and sdpf valence spaces suggests that the 31 Al ground state is dominated by normal sd-shell configurations with a possible small contribution of intruder states. The obtained value for | Q ( Al 31 ) | and a compilation of measured quadrupole moments of odd- Z even- N isotopes in comparison with shell-model calculations shows that the proton effective charge e p = 1.1 e provides a much better description of the nuclear properties in the sd-shell than the adopted value e p = 1.3 e .

Real-time online monitoring of the ion range by means of prompt secondary radiations

Prompt secondary radiations such as gamma rays and protons can be used for ion-range monitoring during ion therapy either on an energy-slice basis or on a pencil-beam basis. We present a review of the ongoing activities in terms of detector developments, imaging, experimental and theoretical physics issues concerning the correlation between the physical dose and hadronic processes.

New sub-mu s isomers in Sn-125,Sn-127,Sn-129 and isomer systematics of Sn124-130

New sub-mu s isomers have been observed in the neutron-rich Sn isotopes. Sn-125,Sn-127,Sn-129 nuclei have been produced in a relativistic fission reaction of U-238 on a Be-9 target at 750 A.MeV and by the fragmentation of Xe-136 at 600 A.MeV populating high-spin yrast states. In addition to the already known mu s isomers, three new ones with sub-mu s half-lives have been observed. These yrast isomers are the high-spin members of the nu(d(3/2)(-1)h(11/2)(-2)) and nu h(11/2)(-n), seniority v = 3 multiplets leading to isomeric (23/2(+)) and (27/2(-)) states, respectively. Added to the already known 19/2(+)mu s isomers in this region the current work completes the systematic information of neutron-hole excitations toward the filling of the last h(11/2) orbital at N = 82. The results are discussed in the framework of state-of-the-art shell-model calculations using realistic interactions. (Less)

New sub-us Isomers in 125Sn, 127Sn, 129Sn and Isomer Systematics of 124-130Sn

New sub-mu s isomers have been observed in the neutron-rich Sn isotopes. Sn-125,Sn-127,Sn-129 nuclei have been produced in a relativistic fission reaction of U-238 on a Be-9 target at 750 A.MeV and by the fragmentation of Xe-136 at 600 A.MeV populating high-spin yrast states. In addition to the already known mu s isomers, three new ones with sub-mu s half-lives have been observed. These yrast isomers are the high-spin members of the nu(d(3/2)(-1)h(11/2)(-2)) and nu h(11/2)(-n), seniority v = 3 multiplets leading to isomeric (23/2(+)) and (27/2(-)) states, respectively. Added to the already known 19/2(+)mu s isomers in this region the current work completes the systematic information of neutron-hole excitations toward the filling of the last h(11/2) orbital at N = 82. The results are discussed in the framework of state-of-the-art shell-model calculations using realistic interactions. (Less)

High-precision quadrupole moment reveals significant intruder component in

The electric quadrupole moment of the 33Al20 ground state, located at the border of the island of inversion, was obtained using continuous-beam beta-detected nuclear quadrupole resonance (beta-NQR). From the measured quadrupole coupling constant Q = 2.31(4) MHz in an alpha-Al2O3 crystal, a precise value for the electric quadrupole moment is extracted: Qs= 141(3) mb. A comparison with large-scale shell model calculations shows that 33Al has at least 50% intruder configurations in the ground state wave function, favoring the excitation of two neutrons across the N = 20 shell gap. 33Al therefore clearly marks the gradual transition north of the deformed Na and Mg nuclei towards the normal Z>14 isotopes.