Feasibility of single-screen proton radiography with the pixel detector Timepix
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Purpose We investigate the feasibility of proton radiography (pRG) to obtain relative stopping powers (RSP) with an accuracy better than 1 % using one single planar Timepix-based detector. Material and methods To stringently test the accuracy of the system (using relatively thin targets (20 mm water-equivalent) in combination with a relatively high proton energy (140 MeV)), the water-equivalent path lengths (WEPL) and the RSPs of 13 samples of homogeneous materials are measured. Two approaches are investigated. In the first approach, referred to as “individual proton detection” (IPD), the energy deposit of individual proton tracks is measured and tallied in a histogram: the RSP of a sample is determined from the most probable energy deposit with a calibration, or by comparing the histogram with a set of histograms associated with different WEPLs and interpolating. In the second approach, referred to as “integral-signal detection” (ISD), the integral signal in the chip in energy-deposit and in counting (proton fluence) mode are measured, and the RSP of a sample is determined from their ratio with a calibration. Results The uncertainty on the measured RSPs is 2.5 % with IPD and 17 % with ISD. A 1.5 % accuracy seems achievable with IPD. C o nclusions . For pRG with a Timepix detector, IPD is more promising than ISD: IPD provides more stable measurements of the energy deposit, and does not require fluence measurements or data from simulations.
Institutions: University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen
Language: English
Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $2,620
Awards: G4535262602, G7193477049
OpenAlex ID: W4415447708