Physical anomaly detection and identification using Cerenkov radiation
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Nuclear Science & Technology↗
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SU-A-BRA-03: Creative Stimulation: A Flexible Hands-On Approach to Building a Deeper Understanding of Critical Concepts in Radiation Physics
Vic Montemayor - No one has been more passionate about improving the quality and effectiveness of the teaching of Medical Physics than Bill Hendee. It was in August of 2008 that the first AAPM Workshop on Becoming a Better Teacher of Medical Physics was held, organized and run by Bill Hendee. This was followed up in July of 2010 with a summer school on the same topic, again organized by Bill. There has been continued interest in alternate approaches to teaching medical physics since those initial gatherings. The momentum established by these workshops is made clear each year in the annual Innovation in Medical Physics Education session, which highlights work being done in all forms of medical physics education, from one-on-one residencies or classroom presentations to large-scale program revisions and on-line resources for international audiences. This symposium, presented on behalf of the Education Council, highlights the work of three finalists from past Innovation in Education sessions. Each will be presenting their approaches to and innovations in teaching medical physics. It is hoped that audience members interested in trying something new in their teaching of medical physics will find some of these ideas and approaches readily applicable to their own classrooms. Rebecca Howell - The presentation will discuss ways to maximize classroom learning, i.e., increasing the amount of material covered while also enhancing students’ understanding of the broader implications of the course topics. Specifically, the presentation will focus on two teaching methodologies, project based learning and flip learning. These teaching methods will be illustrated using an example of graduate medical physics course where both are used in conjunction with traditional lectures. Additionally, the presentation will focus on our experience implementing these methods including challenges that were overcome. Jay Burmeister - My presentation will discuss the incorporation of active learning techniques into a traditional medical physics classroom course. I will describe these techniques and how they were implemented as well as student performance before and after implementation. Student feedback indicated that these course changes improved their ability to actively assimilate the course content, thus improving their understanding of the material. Shahid Naqvi - My talk will focus on ways to help students visualize crucial concepts that lie at the core of radiation physics. Although particle tracks generated by Monte Carlo simulations have served as an indispensable visualization tool, students often struggle to resolve the underlying physics from a simultaneous jumble of tracks. We can clarify the physics by “coding” the tracks, e.g., by coloring the tracks according to their “starting” or “crossing” regions. The regionally-coded tracks when overlaid with dose distributions help the students see the elusive connection between dose, kerma and electronic disequilibrium. Tracks coded according to local energy or energy-loss rate can illustrate the need for stopping power corrections in electron beams and explain the Bragg peak in a proton beam. Coding tracks according to parent interaction type and order can clarify the often misunderstood distinction between primary and scatter dose. The students can thus see the “whole” simultaneously with the “sum of the parts,” which enhances their physical insight and creates a sustainable foundation for further learning. After the presentations the speakers and moderator will be open to questions and discussion with the audience members. Learning Objectives: Be able to explain Project-Based Learning and how can it be incorporated into a Medical Physics classroom. Be able to explain Flipped Learning and how can it be incorporated into a Medical Physics classroom. Be able to explain active-learning strategies for the teaching of Medical Physics. Be able to explain how Monte Carlo simulations can be used to deepen a student’s understanding of radiation physics and dosimetry.
07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
Model Study and Site Experience of Radiation Physics Analysis for Research Reactor Decommissioning - 18586
The University of Alberta Safe Low Power Kritical Experiment (SLOWPOKE II) nuclear reactor facility (UASF) was commissioned on April 22, 1977. It was designed, built and installed by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) and was the fourth SLOWPOKE II research reactor installed at a Canadian university at that time. The reactor was used as a source of neutrons for radionuclide production and elemental analysis via neutron activation analysis, to provide a service to industry, government and to support research and teaching at the University of Alberta. It was licensed to operate at 20 kW, less than the heat produced by a small residential furnace, and work with the reactor was typically performed at one-tenth full power. After nearly four decades of service, the reactor reached the end of its useful life in August 2017 when defueling and the project to decommission the reactor began. Decommissioning of the UASF is a process to dismantle the facility by progressively removing the reactor core and other radioactive components as well as managing the balance of contaminated materials around the reactor in a safe manner. The objective of the project is to release the site from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission's (CNSC) regulatory control and return the site to a 'greenfield' status. This paper will discuss the radiation physics analysis that was undertaken to support the decommissioning of the University of Alberta SLOWPOKE II Facility Reactor which took place from July - October 2017. It will address the radiation physics model study, development of the radiation protection (RP) plan, site experience and how the lessons learned from this project can be utilized for best practice on other similar projects. (authors)
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
WE-DE-202-00: Connecting Radiation Physics with Computational Biology
Radiation therapy for the treatment of cancer has been established as a highly precise and effective way to eradicate a localized region of diseased tissue. To achieve further significant gains in the therapeutic ratio, we need to move towards biologically optimized treatment planning. To achieve this goal, we need to understand how the radiation-type dependent patterns of induced energy depositions within the cell (physics) connect via molecular, cellular and tissue reactions to treatment outcome such as tumor control and undesirable effects on normal tissue. Several computational biology approaches have been developed connecting physics to biology. Monte Carlo simulations are the most accurate method to calculate physical dose distributions at the nanometer scale, however simulations at the DNA scale are slow and repair processes are generally not simulated. Alternative models that rely on the random formation of individual DNA lesions within one or two turns of the DNA have been shown to reproduce the clusters of DNA lesions, including single strand breaks (SSBs), double strand breaks (DSBs) without the need for detailed track structure simulations. Efficient computational simulations of initial DNA damage induction facilitate computational modeling of DNA repair and other molecular and cellular processes. Mechanistic, multiscale models provide a useful conceptual framework to test biological hypotheses and help connect fundamental information about track structure and dosimetry at the sub-cellular level to dose-response effects on larger scales. In this symposium we will learn about the current state of the art of computational approaches estimating radiation damage at the cellular and sub-cellular scale. How can understanding the physics interactions at the DNA level be used to predict biological outcome? We will discuss if and how such calculations are relevant to advance our understanding of radiation damage and its repair, or, if the underlying biological processes are too complex for a mechanistic approach. Can computer simulations be used to guide future biological research? We will debate the feasibility of explaining biology from a physicists’ perspective. Learning Objectives: Understand the potential applications and limitations of computational methods for dose-response modeling at the molecular, cellular and tissue levels Learn about mechanism of action underlying the induction, repair and biological processing of damage to DNA and other constituents Understand how effects and processes at one biological scale impact on biological processes and outcomes on other scales J. Schuemann, NCI/NIH grantsS. McMahon, Funding: European Commission FP7 (grant EC FP7 MC-IOF-623630)
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
Development of an Enhanced Radiation Physics Toolset for Modeling Spectral and Imaging Signatures in the Warm Dense Matter Experiments
Radiative and atomic processes in plasmas play a critical role in a wide variety of high energy density laboratory plasma (HEDLP) experiments. The emission, absorption, and transport of radiation can strongly affect the overall energetics and evolution of such plasmas. In addition, radiation-based diagnostics – including imaging, spectroscopy, and absolute flux measurements – are widely used to determine key features of HEDLPs. To advance our understanding of HEDLP science, it is vital to have high-fidelity computational physics tools that have well-tested radiation physics modeling, and that are readily accessible to researchers in the HEDLP community. Simulations play an extremely important role for planning and designing the experiments, as well as for post-experiment data analysis. Prism Computational Sciences develops software that is used by National Laboratories and universities (including five members of LaserNetUS network). Prominent examples of such research efforts include z-pinch and short-pulse laser experiments designed to study the basic physics of photoionized plasmas and photoionization fronts, as well as their application to astrophysical plasmas. The main effort was dedicated to the development of non-equilibrium equation-of-state (EOS) models within the HELIOS-CR code, a hydrodynamics code with inline collisional-radiative atomic kinetics. Gas cell experiments on Z and Omega demonstrated the importance of non-equilibrium effects on atomic kinetics in photoionized plasmas. Recent proof-of-principle experiments on Omega EP confirmed the advantages of using a short-pulse laser to create an intense radiation drive, leading to additional experiments being proposed. Photoionization front experiments at LLE also emphasizes the importance of radiation and atomic physics. In both studies, HELIOS-CR simulations played a crucial role in computing non-equilibrium opacities and ionization distributions. A newly developed non-LTE EOS model will help addressing possible non-equilibrium effects, on for example specific heat, and their influence in plasma evolution. Prism also implemented support for open-source atomic data generated by the Flexible Atomic Code. This allows researchers to generate custom atomic tables and use them within the complex framework of simulation tools developed by Prism. The ability to use open-source atomic data would be extremely valuable for hydrodynamics and spectroscopic simulations that include high-Z materials, e.g., picosecond x-ray pulse generation experiments. Support for new atomic structures was fully implemented, and the data can be used by all simulation tools developed at Prism: radiation-hydrodynamics, imaging and spectroscopy, EOS and opacity. The development resulted in a significant fidelity enhancement to the simulations tools developed by Prism that are currently used in other cutting-edge experiments including: opacity measurement experiments performed to both understand the basic radiative and atomic properties of plasmas as well as provide data for more accurately modeling the internal structure of the Sun and other stars, high-intensity short-pulse laser experiments performed to develop short-wavelength light sources for use as backlighters and to investigate fast ignition concepts for inertial fusion energy; capsule implosion experiments designed to develop inertial fusion as an energy source, etc.
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
Distributions of gamma-ray bursts and blazars in the L {sub p}-E {sub p}-plane and possible implications for their radiation physics
We present a spectral analysis for a sample of redshift-known gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) observed with Fermi/GBM. Together with the results derived from our systematical spectral energy distribution modeling with the leptonic models for a Fermi/LAT blazar sample, we compare the distributions of the GRBs and the blazars by plotting the synchrotron peak luminosity (L {sub s}) and the corresponding peak photon energy E {sub s} of blazars in the L {sub p}-E {sub p}-plane of GRBs, where L {sub p} and E {sub p} are the peak luminosity and peak photon energy of the GRB time-integrated νf {sub ν} spectrum, respectively. The GRBs are in the high-L {sub p}, high-E {sub p} corner of the plane and a tight L {sub p}-E {sub p} relation is found, i.e., L{sub p}∝E{sub p}{sup 2.13{sub −}{sub 0}{sub .}{sub 4}{sub 6}{sup +{sup 0{sup .{sup 5{sup 4}}}}}}. Both flat spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) and low-synchrotron peaking BL Lac objects (LBLs) are clustered in the low-E {sub p}, low-L {sub p} corner. Intermediate- and high-synchrotron peaking BL Lac objects (IBLs and HBLs) have E {sub s} ∼ 2 × 10{sup –3}-10{sup 2} keV and L {sub s} ∼ 10{sup 44}-10{sup 47} erg s{sup –1}, but no dependence of L {sub s} on E {sub s} is found. We show that the tight L{sub p} -E{sub p} relation of GRBs is potentially explained with the synchrotron radiation of fast-cooling electrons in a highly magnetized ejecta, and the weak anti-correlation of L {sub s}-E {sub s} for FSRQs and LBLs may be attributed to synchrotron radiation of slow-cooling electrons in a moderately magnetized ejecta. The distributions of IBLs and HBLs in the L {sub p}-E {sub p}-plane may be interpreted with synchrotron radiation of fast-cooling electrons in a matter-dominated ejecta. These results may present a unified picture for the radiation physics of relativistic jets in GRBs and blazars within the framework of the leptonic synchrotron radiation models.
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
MO-E-18C-02: Hands-On Monte Carlo Project Assignment as a Method to Teach Radiation Physics
Purpose: To present a hands-on project on Monte Carlo methods (MC) recently added to the curriculum and to discuss the students' appreciation. Methods: Since 2012, a 1.5 hour lecture dedicated to MC fundamentals follows the detailed presentation of photon and electron interactions. Students also program all sampling steps (interaction length and type, scattering angle, energy deposit) of a MC photon transport code. A handout structured in a step-by-step fashion guides student in conducting consistency checks. For extra points, students can code a fully working MC simulation, that simulates a dose distribution for 50 keV photons. A kerma approximation to dose deposition is assumed. A survey was conducted to which 10 out of the 14 attending students responded. It compared MC knowledge prior to and after the project, questioned the usefulness of radiation physics teaching through MC and surveyed possible project improvements. Results: According to the survey, 76% of students had no or a basic knowledge of MC methods before the class and 65% estimate to have a good to very good understanding of MC methods after attending the class. 80% of students feel that the MC project helped them significantly to understand simulations of dose distributions. On average, students dedicated 12.5 hours to the project and appreciated the balance between hand-holding and questions/implications. Conclusion: A lecture on MC methods with a hands-on MC programming project requiring about 14 hours was added to the graduate study curriculum since 2012. MC methods produce “gold standard” dose distributions and slowly enter routine clinical work and a fundamental understanding of MC methods should be a requirement for future students. Overall, the lecture and project helped students relate crosssections to dose depositions and presented numerical sampling methods behind the simulation of these dose distributions. Research funding from governments of Canada and Quebec. PP acknowledges partial support by the CREATE Medical Physics Research Training Network grant of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (Grant number: 432290)
07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
SU-E-E-08: Applications of the Quantization of Coupled Circuits in Radiation Physics (design of Klystron, Bremsstrahlung, Synchrotron)
Purpose: During the past decade the quantization of coupled/forced electromagnetic circuits with or without Ohm’s resistance has gained the subject of some fundamental studies, since even problems of quantum electrodynamics can be solved in an elegant manner, e.g. the creation of quantized electromagnetic fields. In this communication, we shall use these principles to describe optimization procedures in the design of klystrons, synchrotron irradiation and high energy bremsstrahlung. Methods: The base is the Hamiltonian of an electromagnetic circuit and the extension to coupled circuits, which allow the study of symmetries and perturbed symmetries in a very apparent way (SU2, SU3, SU4). The introduction resistance and forced oscillators for the emission and absorption in such coupled systems provides characteristic resonance conditions, and atomic orbitals can be described by that. The extension to virtual orbitals leads to creation of bremsstrahlung, if the incident electron (velocity v nearly c) is described by a current, which is associated with its inductivitance and the virtual orbital to the charge distribution (capacitance). Coupled systems with forced oscillators can be used to amplify drastically the resonance frequencies to describe klystrons and synchrotron radiation. Results: The cross-section formula for bremsstrahlung given by the propagator method of Feynman can readily be derived. The design of klystrons and synchrotrons inclusive the radiation outcome can be described and optimized by the determination of the mutual magnetic couplings between the oscillators induced by the currents. Conclusions: The presented methods of quantization of circuits inclusive resistance provide rather a straightforward way to understand complex technical processes such as creation of bremsstrahlung or creation of radiation by klystrons and synchrotrons. They can either be used for optimization procedures and, last but not least, for pedagogical purposes with regard to a qualified understanding of radiation physics for students.
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
MO-DE-BRA-01: Enhancing Radiation Physics Instruction Through Gamification and E-Learning
Purpose: This project sought to “gamify” the instruction of radiation interaction physics concepts for technology students. Gamification applies game mechanics and user interactions in active learning contexts. In one part of this project, a self-guided eModule was developed for conceptual radiation interaction instruction. In a second part, a web-based game, Particle Launch (http://particle-launcher.ist.unomaha.edu), was created to challenge students to quickly apply radiation interaction concepts in a way that is stimulating and motivating. Methods: The eModule, focused on conceptual interaction physics, was designed in Adobe Captivate and incorporates animation, web videos, and assessment questions in order to generate student interest. Navigating the whole module takes 40 minutes for beginners. Assessments after three main sections are comprised of 3–4 questions randomly selected from a question pool. In collaboration with the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s College of Information Science and Technology, the Particle Launch game was created with the Unity gaming engine and designed with a game-play look and feel. The object of the game is to utilize different particles, energies, and directions to destroy a target given a limited number of resources and time to complete the task. A rewards system encourages accurate shots. Results: The eModule part of the project encourages a flipped classroom model in which class time is devoted to application of concepts rather than information-based lectures. Currently, eModule assessments are not tracked but this feature could be incorporated to encourage participation. Furthermore, in a class of five technology students, the game was found to be fun and engaging and had the effect of reinforcing basic concepts from the eModule. Conclusion: Gamification has significant potential to alter medical physics instruction. Game-play feedback is an important part of the learning process. Students found Particle Launch inviting and challenging and further research could help game design. This project was generously supported by the Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs and the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
Preface: Fourth National Conference on Advanced Materials and Radiation Physics
No abstract prepared.
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
List of Sponsors: XI International Symposium on Radiation Physics
No abstract prepared.
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
Committees: XI International Symposium on Radiation Physics
No abstract prepared.
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
Preface: IX International Symposium on Radiation Physics
No abstract prepared.
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
Atomic and radiation physics for HED x-ray spectroscopy
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Nagayama, Taisuke↗
On the Necessity of Adopting Irradiation Protocols Recommended by the Compatibility in Irradiation Research Protocols Expert Roundtable (CIRPER) in Published Research and Why It Matters to Health Physicists
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) seeks to assist and support all partners in the fields of radiobiology, health physics, radiation physics, and related areas to transition from cesium-137 chloride-based technologies that can potentially be used in an act of terrorism to X-ray technologies. The absence of information on experimental procedures, equipment, and irradiation parameters directly and negatively impacts the reproducibility and translatability of a sizable portion of radiation biology studies. It also discourages researchers from adopting new tools that eliminate the risks of a radiological dispersal device.
Stern, Warren [Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL↗
The American Society for Radiation Oncology's 2015 Core Physics Curriculum for Radiation Oncology Residents
Purpose: The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Physics Core Curriculum Subcommittee (PCCSC) has updated the recommended physics curriculum for radiation oncology resident education to improve consistency in teaching, intensity, and subject matter. Methods and Materials: The ASTRO PCCSC is composed of physicists and physicians involved in radiation oncology residency education. The PCCSC updated existing sections within the curriculum, created new sections, and attempted to provide additional clinical context to the curricular material through creation of practical clinical experiences. Finally, we reviewed the American Board of Radiology (ABR) blueprint of examination topics for correlation with this curriculum. Results: The new curriculum represents 56 hours of resident physics didactic education, including a 4-hour initial orientation. The committee recommends completion of this curriculum at least twice to assure both timely presentation of material and re-emphasis after clinical experience. In addition, practical clinical physics and treatment planning modules were created as a supplement to the didactic training. Major changes to the curriculum include addition of Fundamental Physics, Stereotactic Radiosurgery/Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy, and Safety and Incidents sections, and elimination of the Radiopharmaceutical Physics and Dosimetry and Hyperthermia sections. Simulation and Treatment Verification and optional Research and Development in Radiation Oncology sections were also added. A feedback loop was established with the ABR to help assure that the physics component of the ABR radiation oncology initial certification examination remains consistent with this curriculum. Conclusions: The ASTRO physics core curriculum for radiation oncology residents has been updated in an effort to identify the most important physics topics for preparing residents for careers in radiation oncology, to reflect changes in technology and practice since the publication of previous recommended curricula, and to provide practical training modules in clinical radiation oncology physics and treatment planning. The PCCSC is committed to keeping the curriculum current and consistent with the ABR examination blueprint.
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
Effects of Radiation Reaction Physics on High-Current Power Flow
In this study, we examine the effects of the radiation reaction force on electrons in a radial magnetically insulated transmission line (MITL) near a load with peak currents of 60+ MA. More specifically, we study the differences in electron motion and kinetic energy with or without radiation reaction physics using a novel guiding center drift approach that incorporates E $\times$ B and ∇B drifts. A key finding of this study is that an electron's magnetic moment, which would be conserved when radiation reaction physics is not incorporated, can be significantly reduced in magnetic fields on the order of 10,000's T when radiation reaction is included. The reduction of magnetic moment gives rise to a significant reduction in cycloidal kinetic energy as well as a reduction in the electron's ∇B drift.
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗