Study of the energy spectrum of alpha particles in an experiment on irradiation of a boron target with a proton beam at the Prometheus accelerator

TL;DR

This study measures the energy spectrum of alpha particles emitted from a boron target during proton irradiation, providing insights into nuclear reaction mechanisms relevant for boron-proton therapy.

Contribution

It presents experimental data on alpha particle energies from p + 11B reactions using CR-39 detectors, highlighting energy losses and spectrum characteristics.

Findings

Alpha particles mainly have energies from 3 to 5.5 MeV.

Significant energy reduction occurs for particles emitted from deeper within the target.

Results aid in understanding boron-proton capture mechanisms for therapy.

Abstract

The energy spectrum of alpha particles from the nuclear reaction p + $^{11}$B $\rightarrow 3\alpha$ was studied using the beam of the injector of the proton synchrotron of the Prometheus proton therapy complex. The reaction products (alpha particles) were recorded using a CR-39 track detector. The detectors were calibrated using a $^{241}$Am radioactive source. It was determined that mainly alpha particles emitted from the boron target have energies from 3 to 5.5 MeV. In this case, a significant part of the alpha particles emitted from the depths of the target have significantly lower energies compared to the calculated ones due to ionization losses. Measuring the energy spectrum of alpha particles from targets containing boron is of great scientific and practical interest for identifying the mechanisms of boron-proton capture therapy and determining the additional contribution to the therapeutic effect of proton irradiation.