A new approach to produce spread-out Bragg peak using the MINUIT fit

A new approach to obtain a spread-out Bragg peak (SOBP) using the MINUIT fit is presented. The SOBP has been adopted in proton therapy in order to irradiate a proton beam equally over the tumor along the beam direction. In principle, an SOBP can be easily obtained by using several Bragg peaks from different beam energies, since the position of the peak varies with the energy. However, this is not practical in real medical situations, because the beam energy is fixed by the accelerator. Thus, a modulation method has been employed to obtain an SOBP, where the position of Bragg peak is controlled by a modulator with varying thickness. In this study, we use the GEANT4 package to simulate a generic proton therapy apparatus. A modulator with thickness control is assumed in the proton therapy setup and a set of Bragg peaks is obtained from the GEANT4 simulation. Assuming that the position and the size of the tumor are known, we first determine which Bragg peaks should be used in the fit. Then a MINUIT fit is applied to calculate the weights of each Bragg peak in order to maximize the flatness of the SOBP while minimizing the dose in the normal tissue area, thus maximizing the dose in the tumor. The fit has turned out to be very robust and converges quickly. Since the MINUIT is a small size library and the proposed SOBP fit shows stable behavior, this method can be readily applied to the real therapy.     

Zn/ZnO纳米颗粒的表面声子Raman散射

Ｚｎ／ＺｎＯ纳米颗粒的表面声子Ｒａｍａｎ散射许建峰黄亚彬莫育俊（河南大学物理系开封４７５００１）ＲａｍａｎＳｃａｔｅｒｉｎｇｆｒｏｍＳｕｒｆａｃｅＰｈｏｎｏｎｓｉｎＺｎ／ＺｎＯＮａｎｏｐａｒｔｉｃｌｅｓＸｕＪｉａｎｆｅｎｇ，ＨｕａｎｇＹａｂｉｎ，Ｍｏ...     

Energy-loss near-edge fine structures of iron nanoparticles

Body centered cubic (bcc) Fe nanoparticles were fabricated by in situ decomposition of iron fluoride films in a transmission electron microscope. Electron energy-loss near edge structure (ELNES) was used to characterize this exposure process. In particular, the L(3)/L(2) white-line intensity ratio (WLR) was used to monitor the iron valence state during exposure, and as an indicator of other properties of the iron nanoparticles. Iron nanoparticles with sizes between 2 and 20nm exhibit a constant WLR, whose value is same as that for a continuous bcc iron film, suggesting little or no dependence of the local magnetic moment or structure on the particle size. A broad but prominent peak which occurs 40eV after the L(3)-ionization threshold in the iron fluoride, is absent for a metallic iron film but reappears when the iron is converted to an oxide. Long-range ferromagnetic coupling was observed in samples densely populated with iron nanoparticles. Because there is little interaction between particles and the supporting carbon substrate, these samples provide an ideal model system for studying the influence of particle size and interparticle distance on magnetic properties.     

He离子注入的尖晶石中Au纳米颗粒的合成研究

利用20 keV的He离子注入表面蒸镀了Au薄膜的尖晶石（MgAl2O4）样品, 随后对注入样品进行了退火处理。 在紫外可见光谱上观察到了由于金属纳米颗粒的存在而引起的较强的表面等离子体共振吸收峰, 提供了材料中金属纳米颗粒形成的光谱证据。 并对形成的Au纳米颗粒的尺寸随退火温度以及He注入剂量的变化进行了研究。 Spinel deposited with a thin Au film was implanted with helium ions, and annealed in vacuum condition subsequently. The surface Plasmon resonance absorbance peak due to the existence of metallic nanoparticles in the dielectric matrix was observed on the Ultraviolet Visible Spectrometry, indicating the formation of metallic nanoparticles in spinel. The dependence of Au particles size with annealing temperature and implantation doses was also investigated.     

重离子放射治疗双微小展宽峰组合照射方法

在基于被动式束流配送系统的分层适形重离子治疗当中,需要利用微型脊形过滤器（mini ridge filter,mini-RF）将单能重离子束Bragg峰展宽为峰区近似高斯分布的微小展宽峰（mini spread-out Bragg peak,mini-SOBP）,从而达到减少照射分层数及照射时间的目的。采用较宽的mini-SOBP可以有效减少照射分层数,但会增大展宽Bragg峰（SOBP）远端剂量跌落距离,增加对靶区后方正常组织或危及器官的辐照剂量。这一问题可以通过双mini-SOBP的组合照射方法来解决。使用2种mini-RF对单能重离子束Bragg峰略微展宽得到2种半高宽（FWHM）且剂量分布近似高斯分布的mini-SOBP,通过基于放射生物学模型的剂量优化,证实了在SOBP平顶区按生物有效剂量均匀和物理吸收剂量均匀的展宽情况下,双mini-SOBP组合照射方法均可以在减少照射分层数的同时较大幅度地减小SOBP远端剂量跌落距离。In layer-stacking conformal heavy-ion therapy based on passive beam delivery system,it is necessary to minimize the layer numbers and reduce irradiation time for layer-stacking conformal heavy-ion therapy.Gaussian shaped mini spread-out Bragg peaks (mini-SOBP) were generated by mini ridge filters (mini-RF) for monoenergetic heavy ion beams.It is effective to minimize the layer number by using mini-SOBPs with the bigger full width at the half maximum (FWHM),but in this way the distal dose fall-off distance of a spread-out Bragg peak (SOBP) will be enlarged,increasing the radiation damage to normal tissue or organ at risk behind the target volume.This issue could be solved by using mini-SOBPs based combinatorial irradiation method.In this study,Gaussian shaped mini-SOBPs with two different FWHMs were generated by two different mini-RFs for monoenergetic heavy ion beams.Based on radiobiological model calculations and dose optimizations,the mini-SOBPs based combinatorial irradiation method was confirmed to reduce the distal dose fall-off distances of SOBPs while minimizing the layer numbers for layer-stacking conformal heavy-ion therapy.     

Enhanced photoluminescence of conjugated polymer thin films on nanostructured silver

Photoluminescence of a conjugated polymer in the presence of surface plasmons on metallic nanoparticles is studied. A layered device structure was constructed that enabled control over nanoparticle diameter and separation between the polymer and nanoparticles layers. The dependence of the surface plasmon evanescent field and energy transfer has been investigated with the largest enhancement in photoluminescence observed at a 40 nm distance separation between the fluorophore and the surface plasmon. A spectrum of surface plasmon resonances ranging from the emission to the absorption energies of the conjugated polymer revealed largest enhancements when the resonance was tuned to the conjugated polymer emission energy. At peak photoluminescence the maximum photoluminescent enhancement was found to be 5.6 times of the photoluminescence of the control structure and the total integrated enhancement was 5.9 times.     

Emission and accretion of electrons by negatively charged dust particles in a plasma

Taking into account the image force on the electron and Debye shielding an expression for the reduction in the work function for a spherical metallic particle in a dusty plasma on account of the negative charge on the surface has been derived. The dependence of the reduction of the work function on the charge on the particle and Debye radius has been tabulated. The effect of this reduction on the thermionic and photoelectric emission and accretion of electrons by the particle has been discussed. As an interesting application of the work, the observed enhancement of the photoelectric emission from individual micron size grains with increasingly negative surface potential has been explained; the grains were selected from samples of dust collected in the Apollo-17 and Luna-24 missions.     

Thermalization time of noble metal nanoparticles: effects of the electron density profile

The lack of d-electron screening in the s-electron spill-out region at the surface of Ag nanoparticles increases the electron-electron interaction in this region compared to the bulk. Therefore when comparing the electron-electron interaction contribution to the thermalization time of nanoparticles of varying radius, smaller particles thermalize faster due to the increased surface to bulk ratio. One aspect which has not been addressed is the effect of the spatial distribution of charge at the surface of the nanoparticle. In this work it is shown that the size dependence of the thermalization time is very sensitive to the surface density profile. The electron thermalization time of conduction electrons in noble metal nanoparticles as a function of the radius is calculated. The sensitivity of the scattering rate to the spatial distribution of charge at the surface of the nanostructure is analyzed using several model surface profiles. The change in surface charge distribution via charging or coating of the nanospheres is shown to be a tool for control and probing of the ultra-fast electron-electron dynamics in metallic nanoparticles.     

质子束治疗中非均匀组织的等效水厚度修正研究

非均匀组织等效水厚度修正是研究质子放射治疗的重要组成部分, 利用蒙特卡罗Fluka2011.2程序模拟了不同能量(50–250 MeV)的质子束入射到不同介质中的输运过程, 总结出了在不同介质中质子束初始能量与质子束Bragg峰深度关系, 并拟合出质子束在介质中的等效水厚度修正公式. 结果表明, 对不同能量的质子束入射到非均匀组织中, 通过拟合公式计算出Bragg峰深度值与Fluka模拟的质子束Bragg峰的位置相差在1 mm 之内. 如果建立起介质和水的Bragg峰比与电子密度比关系的数据库, 该公式有可能用于临床上的质子放射治疗的剂量计算中. 关键词： 蒙特卡罗 质子治疗 等效水厚度 Bragg 峰     

Synthesis and surface modification of ZnO:Cu nanoparticles by silica and PMMA

ZnO nanoparticles doped with Cu were synthesized by solid state reaction using different precursor routes and varying growth environment. Average crystallite size varied from 40 to 100 nm depending upon synthesis temperature, lower temperature favouring smaller particle size. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images showed that particles synthesized at 250 °C were in the shape of nanorods but those synthesized at 900 °C had spherical shape. Luminescence emission showed marked dependence on the growth conditions varying from ultraviolet (UV) emission to green emission. For making the luminescent nanoparticles bio-compatible, a bioinorganic interface on ZnO:Cu nanoparticles was created by coating them with inert silica. Surface modification of ZnO:Cu was also done with lipophilic polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). ZnO:Cu nanoparticles showed hexagonal wurtzite structure and the coating of silica was confirmed with the presence of two extra peaks due to silica in the XRD spectra. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and FTIR spectroscopy indicated that PMMA molecules were adsorbed on the surface of ZnO:Cu nanoparticles. SEM images revealed that PMMA adsorption improved the dispersibilty of ZnO:Cu nanoparticles.     

Size‐Dependence of the Melting Temperature of Individual Au Nanoparticles

Nanoparticles have an immense importance in various fields, such as medicine, catalysis, and various technological applications. Nanoparticles exhibit a significant depression in melting point as their size goes below ≈10 nm. However, nanoparticles are frequently used in high temperature applications such as catalysis where temperatures often exceed several 100 degrees which makes it interesting to study not only the melting temperature depression, but also how the melting progresses through the particle. Using high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy, the melting process of gold nanoparticles in the size range of 2–20 nm Au nanoparticles combined with molecular dynamics studies is investigated. A linear dependence of the melting temperature on the inverse particle size is confirmed; electron microscopy imaging reveals that the particles start melting at the surface and the liquid shell formed then rapidly expands to the particle core.     

Optodynamic phenomena in aggregates of polydisperse plasmonic nanoparticles

We propose an optodynamical model of interaction of pulsed laser radiation with aggregates of spherical metallic nanoparticles embedded into host media. The model takes into account polydispersity of particles, pair interactions between the particles, dissipation of absorbed energy, heating and melting of the metallic core of particles and of their polymer adsorption layers, and heat exchange between electron and ion components of the particle material as well as heat exchange with the interparticle medium. Temperature dependence of the electron relaxation constant of the particle material and the effect of this dependence on interaction of nanoparticles with laser radiation are first taken into consideration. We study in detail light-induced processes in the simplest resonant domains of multiparticle aggregates consisting of two particles of an arbitrary size in aqueous medium. Optical interparticle forces are realized due to the light-induced dipole interaction. The dipole moment of each particle is calculated by the coupled dipole method (with correction for the effect of higher multipoles). We determined the role of various interrelated factors leading to photomodification of resonant domains and found an essential difference in the photomodification mechanisms between polydisperse and monodisperse nanostructures.     

Size control synthesis of starch capped-gold nanoparticles

Metallic gold nanoparticles have been synthesized by the reduction of chloroaurate anions [AuCl₄]⁻ solution with hydrazine in the aqueous starch and ethylene glycol solution at room temperature and at atmospheric pressure. The characterization of synthesized gold nanoparticles by UV–vis spectroscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), electron diffraction analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-rays photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicate that average size of pure gold nanoparticles is 3.5 nm, they are spherical in shape and are pure metallic gold. The concentration effects of [AuCl₄]⁻ anions, starch, ethylene glycol, and hydrazine, on particle size, were investigated, and the stabilization mechanism of Au nanoparticles by starch polymer molecules was also studied by FT-IR and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). FT-IR and TGA analysis shows that hydroxyl groups of starch are responsible of capping and stabilizing gold nanoparticles. The UV–vis spectrum of these samples shows that there is blue shift in surface plasmon resonance peak with decrease in particle size due to the quantum confinement effect, a supporting evidence of formation of gold nanoparticles and this shift remains stable even after 3 months.     

Light scattering by slightly nonspherical particles on surfaces

We investigate the shape dependence of the scattering by dielectric and metallic particles on surfaces by considering particles whose free-space scattering properties are nearly identical. The scattering by metallic particles is strongly dependent on the shape of the particle in the region near where the particle touches the surface. The scattering by dielectric particles displays a weaker, but nonetheless significant, dependence on particle shape. These results have a significant effect on the use of light scattering to size and identify particles on surfaces.     

Spot-scanning beam delivery with laterally-and longitudinally-mixed spot size pencil beams in heavy ion radiotherapy

The three-dimensional(3D) spot-scanning method is one of the most commonly used irradiation methods in charged particle beam radiotherapy.Generally,spot-scanning beam delivery utilizes the same size pencil beam to irradiate the tumor targets.Here we propose a spot-scanning beam delivery method with laterally-and longitudinallymixed size pencil beams for heavy ion radiotherapy.This uses pencil beams with a bigger spot size in the lateral direction and wider mini spread-out Bragg peak(mini-SOBP) to irradiate the inner part of a target volume,and pencil beams with a smaller spot size in the lateral direction and narrower mini-SOBP to irradiate the peripheral part of the target volume.Instead of being controlled by the accelerator,the lateral size of the pencil beam was adjusted by inserting Ta scatterers in the beam delivery line.The longitudinal size of the pencil beam(i.e.the width of the mini-SOBP) was adjusted by tilting mini ridge filters along the beam direction.The new spot-scanning beam delivery using carbon ions was investigated theoretically and compared with traditional spot-scanning beam delivery.Our results show that the new spot-scanning beam delivery has smaller lateral penumbra,steeper distal dose fall-off and the dose homogeneity(1-standard deviation/mean) in the target volume is better than 95%.     

胶体金纳米颗粒的表面等离子体发射特性

利用电化学方法制备出粒径为20-80 nm的胶体金纳米颗粒。研究其荧光发射光谱特性,在485nm处观察到表面自由电子集体激发导致的表面等离子体共振发射峰,其位置不随激励光波长的变化而移动。当激励光波长为485 nm时,观察到最强的发射峰。在240和640 nm处,还观察到倍频发射峰和3/4分频发射峰。增加金纳米颗粒粒径,观察到发射谱的峰值增大而发射峰的位置只有很小的红移。     

Anomalous infrared and visible light absorption by spherical gold nanoparticles dispersed in a comb copolymer

We report the first observations of anomalous infrared and visible light absorption of spherical gold nanoparticles dispersed in a comb copolymer. The dependence of the infrared absorption of the C-O stretch band of the comb copolymer on the volume fraction and size of the gold nanoparticles is measured. Absorption intensities increase when the volume fraction is increased from 0.05 to 0.57 or when the particle size is reduced from 40 to 15 nm. We also show that the experimental transmittances of gold nanoparticles in the visible region are not consistent with a theory of infrared absorption enhancement based on collective electron resonance. PACS 78.30.-j     

Deposition of Aerosol Nanoparticles on Flat Substrate Surfaces

The deposition process in a homogeneous electric field, and the subsequent microscopic arrangement of charged, metallic aerosol nanoparticles in the size range of 30 nm on flat substrate surfaces is described. The first aspect of the investigation is the transfer of the particles from a three-dimensional distribution in the gas phase into their arrangement on the substrate surface, in dependence on particle-particle interactions and on Brownian motion. The theoretical results obtained with a trajectory model are compared with experimental results obtained by scanning electron microscope investigation of the deposition patterns. The second aspect of the investigation is the nanostructured arrangement of nanoparticles by means of inhomogeneous electric microfields. We demonstrate a parallel process for the transfer of charge patterns on oxidized silicon surfaces followed by the deposition of monodisperse singly charged nanoparticles, which allows the creation of particle arrangements reaching from 100 nm resolution up to structures in the upper micrometer range. The charge patterns are transferred using a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-stamp, which is covered with a metal layer.     

The nanoparticle shape's effect on the light scattering cross-section

In the framework of kinetic approach we develop a theory for light scattering by ellipsoidal metallic nanoparticles whose dimensions are less than those of a free electron path. In this case, the surface of the particle starts to play a dominant role in electron scattering. When the size of the particle decreases below the free electron path at least in one direction, the optical conductivity becomes a tensor quantity, and the diagonal components of this tensor define the half-widths of the plasmon resonances peaks. Thus, the effect of the particles' shape both on the frequencies of plasmon resonances and on their half-widths is considered. Additionally, the expression for a cross-section of the light scattering by a collection of chaotically oriented spheroidal nanoparticles is obtained and averaged over different directions of particles in the collection. Our results highlight the plasmonic properties of metallic nanospheroids, notably, the spectrum of the light scattering has two peaks at the frequencies of plasmon resonances even if there is no preferential direction in the collection of particles.     

Synthesis and characterization of monodisperse copper nanoparticles using gum acacia

A simple method was put forward in this paper for preparing colloidal copper nanoparticles in aqueous solutions using copper sulfate, gum acacia and hydrazine hydrate as copper precursor, capping agents and reducing agents, respectively, without any inert gas. The formation of nanosized copper was confirmed by its characteristic surface plasmon absorption peak at 604 nm in UV–vis spectra. The transmission electron microscopic (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images show that the as-synthesized copper fine spherical particles are distributed uniformly with a narrow distribution from 3 nm to 9 nm. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high resolution transmission electron microscopic (HRTEM) demonstrated that the obtained metallic nanoparticles are single crystalline copper nanoparticles. Fourier transform infra-red (FT-IR) spectroscopic data suggested that the copper nanoparticles are coated with gum acacia. The effects of the quantity of gum acacia on the particle size were investigated by the UV–vis spectra and TEM images. The growth process of the nanoparticles was monitored by the UV–vis spectra. The mechanism of the formation copper nanoparticles was discussed. The process raised in this study can be served as an excellent candidate for the preparation of copper nanoparticles in a large scale production.