Precision measurement of the (7)Be solar neutrino interaction rate in Borexino

The rate of neutrino-electron elastic scattering interactions from 862 keV (7)Be solar neutrinos in Borexino is determined to be 46.0±1.5(stat)(-1.6)(+1.5)(syst)?counts/(day·100 ton). This corresponds to a ν(e)-equivalent (7)Be solar neutrino flux of (3.10±0.15)×10(9) cm(-2)?s(-1) and, under the assumption of ν(e) transition to other active neutrino flavours, yields an electron neutrino survival probability of 0.51±0.07 at 862 keV. The no flavor change hypothesis is ruled out at 5.0?σ. A global solar neutrino analysis with free fluxes determines Φ(pp)=6.06(-0.06)(+0.02)×10(10) cm(-2)?s(-1) and Φ(CNO)<1.3×10(9) cm(-2)?s(-1) (95% C.L.). These results significantly improve the precision with which the Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein large mixing angle neutrino oscillation model is experimentally tested at low energy.     

Experimental measurement of radiation dose in a dedicated breast CT system

Radiation dose is an important performance indicator of a dedicated breast CT (DBCT). In this paper, the method of putting thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD) into a breast shaped PMMA phantom to study the dose distribution in breasts was improved by using smaller TLDs and a new half-ellipsoid PMMA phantom. Then the weighted CT dose index (CTDI_w) was introduced to average glandular assessment in DBCT for the first time and two measurement modes were proposed for different sizes of breasts. The dose deviations caused by using cylindrical phantoms were simulated using the Monte Carlo method and a set of correction factors were calculated. The results of the confirmatory measurement with a cylindrical phantom (11 cm/8 cm) show that CTDI_w gives a relatively conservative overestimate of the average glandular dose comparing to the results of Monte Carlo simulation and TLDs measurement. But with better practicability and stability, the CTDI_w is suitable for dose evaluations in daily clinical practice. Both of the TLDs and CTDI_w measurements demonstrate that the radiation dose of our DBCT system is lower than conventional two-view mammography.     

Qualitative and quantitative ultrashort echo time (UTE) imaging of cortical bone

We describe the use of two-dimensional ultrashort echo time (2D UTE) sequences with minimum TEs of 8 μs to image and quantify cortical bone on a clinical 3T scanner. An adiabatic inversion pulse was used for long T(2) water and fat signal suppression. Adiabatic inversion prepared UTE acquisitions with varying TEs were used for T(2) measurement. Saturation recovery UTE acquisitions were used for T(1) measurement. Bone water concentration was measured with the aid of an external reference phantom. UTE techniques were evaluated on cadaveric specimens and healthy volunteers. A signal-to-noise ratio of around 30, contrast-to-noise ratio of around 27/20 between bone and muscle/fat were achieved in tibia in vivo with a nominal voxel size of 0.23 × 0.23 × 6.0 mm(3) in a scan time of 5 min. A mean T(1) of 223 ± 11 ms and mean T(2) of 390 ± 19 μs were found. Mean bone water concentrations of 23.3 ± 1.6% with UTE and 21.7 ± 1.3% with adiabatic inversion prepared UTE sequences were found in tibia in five normal volunteers. The results show that in vivo qualitative and quantitative evaluation of cortical bone is feasible with 2D UTE sequences.     

A TOF-PET prototype with position sensitive PMT readout

A prototype of time-of-flight positron emission computed tomography(TOF-PET)has been developed for acquiring the coincident detection of 511 keV γ-rays produced from positron annihilation.It consists of two 80.5 mm×80.5 mm LYSO scintillator arrays(composed of 35 ×35 pixel finger crystals)with the position sensitive photomultiplier tubes R2487 as the readout.Each array is composed of 2 mm ×2 mm× 15 mm finger crystals and the average pixel pitch is 2.30 mm.The measured results indicate that the TOF information has the potential to significantly enhance the image quality by improving the noise variance in the image reconstruction.The best spatial resolution(FWHM)of the prototype for the pairs of 511 keV γ-rays is 1.98 mm and 2.16 mm in the x and y directions,respectively,which are smaller than the average pixel pitch of 2.30 mm.     

An effective scatter correction method based on single scatter simulation for a 3D whole-body PET scanner

Hamamatsu SHR74000 is a newly designed full three-dimensional (3D) whole body positron emission tomography (PET) scanner with small crystal size and large field of view (FOV). With the improvement of sensitivity, the scatter events increase significantly at the same time, especially for large objects. Monte Carlo simulations help us to understand the scatter phenomena and provide good references for scatter correction. In this paper, we introduce an effective scatter correction method based on single scatter simulation for the new PET scanner, which accounts for the full 3D scatter correction. With the results from Monte Carlo simulations, we implement a new scale method with special concentration on scatter events from outside the axial FOV and multiple scatter events. The effects of scatter correction are investigated and evaluated by phantom experiments; the results show good improvements in quantitative accuracy and contrast of the images, even for large objects.     

Monte Carlo simulation of glandular dose in a dedicated breast CT system

A dedicated breast CT system (DBCT) is a new method for breast cancer detection proposed in recent years. In this paper, the glandular dose in the DBCT is simulated using the Monte Carlo method. The phantom shape is half ellipsoid, and a series of phantoms with different sizes, shapes and compositions were constructed. In order to optimize the spectra, monoenergy X-ray beams of 5-80 keV were used in simulation. The dose distribution of a breast phantom was studied: a higher energy beam generated more uniform distribution, and the outer parts got more dose than the inner parts. For polyenergtic spectra, four spectra of Al filters with different thicknesses were simulated, and the polyenergtic glandular dose was calculated as a spectral weighted combination of the monoenergetic dose.     

超极化Xenon 对慢阻肺的可视化加权成像

超极化气体3He 或者¹²⁹Xe 扩散加权成像已经被证明了能够有效检测慢性阻塞性肺部疾病(COPD)中肺部微结构的改变．相比于³He,¹²⁹Xe 更便宜而且更容易获得,但是¹²⁹Xe 成像中较低的信噪比致使¹²⁹Xe 的肺部表面扩散系数(ADC)的测量面临着许多困难．在该研究中,为了得到更高的图像信噪比,作者对气球模型,健康大鼠和COPD大鼠进行了单个b 值(14 cm2/s)的扩散加权超极化¹²⁹Xe 磁共振成像(MRI)．所有的COPD模型大鼠是通过烟熏和注射内毒素(LPS)进行诱导得到的．在7 T 磁共振成像仪上面获得了大鼠肺实质的超极化¹²⁹Xe ADC 值分布图．COPD 大鼠肺实质的¹²⁹Xe ADC 值是0.044 22±0.002 9 和0.042 34±0.002 3 cm2/s (Δ = 0.8/1.2 ms),远大于健康大鼠肺实质的¹²⁹Xe ADC 值0.037 7±0.002 3 和0.036 7±0.001 3 cm2/s．而且COPD 大鼠肺实质相关的¹²⁹Xe ADC 直方图也表现出了一定的展宽．这些结果说明了COPD 大鼠肺泡空腔的增大能够通过129Xe 在肺里面的ADC 增长和相关直方图的拓宽反应出来,从而证明了单个b 值的扩散加权MRI 方法可以有效地对COPD 大鼠进行检测．     

Shadow effects in simulated ultrasound images derived from computed tomography images using a focused beam tracing model

Simulation of ultrasound images based on computed tomography (CT) data has previously been performed with different approaches. Shadow effects are normally pronounced in ultrasound images, so they should be included in the simulation. In this study, a method to capture the shadow effects has been developed, which makes the simulated ultrasound images appear more realistic. The method using a focused beam tracing model gives diffuse shadows that are similar to the ones observed in measurements on real objects. Ultrasound images of a cod (Gadus morhua) were obtained with a BK Medical 2202 ProFocus ultrasound scanner (BK Medical, Herlev, Denmark) equipped with a dedicated research interface giving access to beamformed radio frequency data. CT images were obtained with an Aquilion ONE Toshiba CT scanner (Toshiba Medical Systems Corp., Tochigi, Japan). CT data were mapped from Hounsfield units to backscatter strength, attenuation coefficients, and characteristic acoustic impedance. The focused beam tracing model was used to create maps of the transmission coefficient and scattering strength maps. Field II was then used to simulate an ultrasound image of 38.9 × 55.3 × 4.5 mm, using 10(6) point scatterers. As there is no quantitative method to assess quality of a simulated ultrasound image compared to a measured one, visual inspection was used for evaluation.     

基于蒙特卡罗方法的XHA600D医用电子直线加速器的入射电子束参数研究

使用蒙特卡罗方法研究入射电子束参数对XHA600D医用电子直线加速器产生的剂量分布的影响,并确定优化的入射电子束参数。根据厂商提供的XHA600D加速器治疗头的几何、材料参数,使用蒙特卡罗程序EGSnrc对不同的入射电子束参数进行模拟并记录其在水模体中产生的剂量分布,将模拟结果与测量结果进行比较。模拟的入射电子束参数包括平均能量、径向强度分布、角度展宽和能量展宽;实验测量数据包括4 cm×4 cm、10 cm×10 cm、30 cm×30 cm射野条件下的百分深度剂量与离轴剂量。结果表明当入射电子束的平均能量为6 MeV、径向强度的半高宽(Full Width at Half Maximum, FWHM)为0.25 cm、角度展宽为0.15°时,模拟结果和测量结果吻合非常好。这些参数可以作为建立适用于XHA600D加速器的TPS(Treatment Planning System)剂量计算模型的基础参数。     

系统电磁脉冲一维边界层的数值模拟

应用准第一性原理的PIC程序对系统电磁脉冲(SGEMP)一维边界层进行数值模拟,研究无限大介质板发射单一能量为2 keV、发射率为3.3×1020 m-2·s-1的光电子,发射角分布为余弦角分布,且平板上留下等量正电荷时的SGEMP效应,得出稳态后电子所能到达的最大距离约在5.8~7.5 cm之间振荡;发射表面z=0处的电荷密度在(6.0~9.0)×10－6 C/m3之间振荡;表面电场值在50~55 kV/m之间振荡;边界层达到准稳态的时间约为14.0 ns。将稳态模拟结果和理论估算结果进行对比,模拟结果较理论结果更加准确、形象地反映出SGEMP一维边界层的形成过程及稳态结构。     

Measurement of J/ψ leptonic width with the KEDR detector

We report a new precise determination of the leptonic widths of the J/psi meson performed with the KEDR detector at the VEPP-4M e+e-collider.The measured values of the J/psi parameters are: Гee×Гee/Г =0.3323±0.0064(stat.)±0.0048(syst.)keV,Гee×Гμμ/Г = 0.3318±0.0052(stat.)Г0.0063(syst.)keV.Assuming eμ universality and using the table value of the branching ratios the leptonic Г11 = 5.59±0.12 keV width and the total Г = 94.1±2.7 keV widths were obtained.We also discuss in detail a method to calculate radiative corrections at a narrow resonance.     

A novel phantom and method for comprehensive 3-dimensional measurement and correction of geometric distortion in magnetic resonance imaging

A phantom that can be used for mapping geometric distortion in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is described. This phantom provides an array of densely distributed control points in three-dimensional (3D) space. These points form the basis of a comprehensive measurement method to correct for geometric distortion in MR images arising principally from gradient field non-linearity and magnet field inhomogeneity. The phantom was designed based on the concept that a point in space can be defined using three orthogonal planes. This novel design approach allows for as many control points as desired. Employing this novel design, a highly accurate method has been developed that enables the positions of the control points to be measured to sub-voxel accuracy. The phantom described in this paper was constructed to fit into a body coil of a MRI scanner, (external dimensions of the phantom were: 310 mm x 310 mm x 310 mm), and it contained 10,830 control points. With this phantom, the mean errors in the measured coordinates of the control points were on the order of 0.1 mm or less, which were less than one tenth of the voxel's dimensions of the phantom image. The calculated three-dimensional distortion map, i.e., the differences between the image positions and true positions of the control points, can then be used to compensate for geometric distortion for a full image restoration. It is anticipated that this novel method will have an impact on the applicability of MRI in both clinical and research settings, especially in areas where geometric accuracy is highly required, such as in MR neuro-imaging.     

小动物正电子断层成像仪性能测试

设计了一系列实验对Concorde MicroPET Rodent R4小动物正电子断层成像系统(该系统是Concorde Microsystems公司开发的小动物专用PET扫描仪，该扫描仪具有32层探测器环，动物入口孔径为120mm，横向视野为100mm，轴向深度为78mm，标称的视野中央处的空间分辨率可达1.8mm以下)的空间分辨率、灵敏度、散射率等性能参数进行了测试，测试结果显示该扫描仪视野中心的横向空间分辨率为1.9mm, 轴向空间分辨率为1.88mm, 在能窗设定为250—750keV时系统的绝对灵敏度为39.88 cps/kBq, 同样能窗下二维重建散射分数为50.6%,三维重建散射分数为32.3%. 关键词： 正电子断层成像仪 性能测试     

Muonium emission into vacuum from mesoporous thin films at cryogenic temperatures

We report on muonium (Mu) emission into vacuum following μ(+) implantation in mesoporous thin SiO(2) films. We obtain a yield of Mu into vacuum of (38±4)% at 250 K and (20±4)% at 100 K for 5 keV μ(+) implantation energy. From the implantation energy dependence of the Mu vacuum yield we determine the Mu diffusion constants in these films: D(Mu)(250 K)=(1.6±0.1)×10(-4) cm(2)/s and D(Mu)(100 K)=(4.2±0.5)×10(-5) cm(2)/s. Describing the diffusion process as quantum mechanical tunneling from pore to pore, we reproduce the measured temperature dependence ～T(3/2) of the diffusion constant. We extract a potential barrier of (-0.3±0.1) eV which is consistent with our computed Mu work function in SiO(2) of [-0.3,-0.9] eV. The high Mu vacuum yield, even at low temperatures, represents an important step toward next generation Mu spectroscopy experiments.     

基于狭缝法的成像板空间分辨特性

成像板是强激光物理实验中用于记录X射线及粒子信号的重要工具。采用狭缝法和栅条法对Fuji BAS-SR型成像板的空间分辨特性进行了实验研究,测定了该型成像板的调制传递函数,并对极限空间分辨进行了验证。结果显示该型成像板所能响应的空间截止频率约为17 lp/mm。借助蒙特卡罗程序,对成像板自身对X射线响应的空间弥散特性进行了模拟计算,发现成像板自身产生的空间弥散远小于经过扫描仪扫描之后的空间弥散,表明目前成像板空间分辨能力主要受限于其专用的扫描仪。     

聚（偏二氟乙烯-三氟乙烯）压电圆管水听器

提出了高灵敏度压电共聚物圆管水听器设计方法,论述了聚(偏二氟乙烯-三氟乙烯)[P (VDF-TrFE)]材料结构与压电特性的关系,利用解析法和有限元法,分析了多振动模式耦合特性对压电共聚物圆管水听器灵敏度响应的影响规律,仿真分析了圆管水听器的耐静水压特性和噪声特性,与相同结构的压电陶瓷和压电均聚物水听器相比,压电共聚物圆管水听器低频段灵敏度分别可提高20 dB和5 dB以上,研制了尺寸为Φ14 mm × 55 mm的压电共聚物圆管水听器样品,经测试,在10 Hz~1 kHz频段内水听器灵敏度响应达到-181.8 dB±1 dB,等效自噪声压低于零级海况海洋环境噪声,与理论模型结果有良好的一致性。结果表明,该设计显著提升了圆管水听器的低频接收灵敏度,并为其耐静水压性能提升提供了思路。      

应用蒙特卡罗模拟进行正电子发射断层成像仪散射特性分析

通过使用基于Geant4的蒙特卡罗模拟代码GATE对全身用全3D正电子发射断层成像仪和含有挡板的2D/3D小动物用正电子发射断层成像仪进行建模,系统地分析了3D采集条件下正电子发射断层成像仪的散射分数、散射分布、多次散射、视野外散射四个主要方面和2D采集条件下挡板对散射分数和散射分布的影响.针对全3D散射校正的难点: 多次散射和视野外散射,设计了附加实验,拟合得到了多次散射光子的百分比随体模横截面积变化的关系和不同环的位置受到视野外散射光子的影响;针对2D散射校正,对挡板引入的散射光子进行分离,单独分析, 关键词： 正电子发射断层成像仪（PET） 蒙特卡罗模拟 散射特性 散射校正     

Parameter study of 3D synthetic aperture post-beamforming procedure

A method to increase the image resolution and dynamic range is to use the acquired data from several emissions (lines) and to beamform the collected RF signals treating the focal point in transmit as a virtual source of a spherical wave. The transducer is swept mechanically over the region of interest to scan a full volume. The same beamformation procedure is applied both in the azimuth and the elevation planes. This paper presents a study of the influence of the position of the transmit focus on the image resolution, the signal-to-noise ratio and penetration depth. The investigation is based on simulations and measurements. The system used in this work is a research scanner developed at the department. The transducer is a 7.5 MHz linear array with a pitch of 208 microm and a fixed focus in the elevation direction at 25 mm. The field is simulated for points placed at every 5 mm between 10 and 150 mm depths. Different positions (100) of the transmit focus are investigated. For every transmit focus the image is beamformed and evaluated. Finally the gain in signal-to-noise ratio and penetration depth are investigated experimentally for the setup, with which the best resolution is achieved. Simulations indicate that the size of the point spread function at a depth of 60 mm is decreased from 3 mm to 0.66 mm and from 4 mm to 2.5 mm in the azimuth and elevation planes, respectively. The gain in signal-to-noise ratio measured in a tissue mimicking phantom is 10 dB. The penetration depth increases from 70 to 100 mm. The method can be applied in applications, where the image quality is of prime importance, such as in the classification of atherosclerotic lesions in the carotid artery.     

Ag－与He原子碰撞的单电子脱附截面的实验研究

 对Ag^-与He原子碰撞的单电子脱附过程进行了实验研究,使用增长率方法在5~10keV能量范围内对脱附截面进行了测量,得到在20keV时的典型值为6.6×10^-6 cm²。实验结果的不确定度约为8%。     

Air-kerma modulation effects on the energy spectrum of a 137CS irradiator using Monte-Carlo techniques

Calibration of radiation protection instrumentation such as survey meters is typically performed using ¹³⁷Cs irradiators. During calibration, various thicknesses of lead attenuators are added and the source-to-detector distance is adjusted to modulate air-kerma rate. Variations in the energy spectrum as a result of these modulation techniques are unknown, and may affect the response of energy-dependent survey meters during calibration. The purpose of this work was to characterize the spectral changes that result from modulation of the air-kerma rate for the Hopewell Designs G-10 dual source irradiator at the University of Wisconsin Accredited Dosimetry Calibration Laboratory (UWADCL). An experimentally validated Monte-Carlo model of the irradiator geometry was used to investigate energy spectra variations as a function of attenuation and distance. Lead attenuator thicknesses of (0, 0.64, 1.22, 2.22, 4.32, and 5.54) cm were used in this study. The irradiator geometry was modeled using MCNP6 Monte Carlo (MC) transport code and validated by comparing simulated and measured percent depth dose (PDD) curves and cross-field profiles. Spectra were tallied at (100, 200, 300, and 400) cm from the source. The effects of room scatter on the energy spectrum were also investigated. Simulated and measured PDDs agreed within the associated uncertainty and profiles agreed within 3% or 3 mm distance to agreement. The mean energy for simulated spectra at 100 cm from the source varied from 593 keV to 654 keV as attenuation increased from no attenuation to 5.54 cm of lead. The mean energy of the spectra remained consistent at distances ranging from 100 cm to 400 cm for all attenuation thicknesses and for both geometries in which the vault walls were defined and undefined. This study used MC methods to show that the modulation of air-kerma rate using attenuation and source-detector distance significantly changes the energy spectrum. This knowledge may improve the accuracy of any calibrations using this source.