Elemental and angular fragmentation cross section measurements with the FOOT experiment

TL;DR

The FOOT experiment measures detailed nuclear fragmentation cross sections in beam-target interactions relevant for hadrontherapy and space radioprotection, providing new data on projectile and target fragmentations at energies between 200 and 800 MeV/u.

Contribution

This work presents the first total fragmentation cross section measurement for a Hydrogen target using the FOOT experiment at GSI.

Findings

Differential cross sections for 400 MeV/u 16O on Carbon and polyethylene targets.

First total fragmentation cross section measurement for Hydrogen target.

Data acquired at GSI facility enhances understanding of nuclear fragmentation processes.

Abstract

The FOOT (FragmentatiOn Of Target) experiment was proposed to measure double differential nuclear fragmentation cross sections in angle and kinetic energy of the produced fragments in beam-target settings, interesting for hadrontherapy and space radioprotection applications. In particular, FOOT measures projectile and target fragmentations in the kinetic energy range between $200 \text{MeV/u}$ and $800 \text{MeV/u}$. In this contribution, differential cross section measurements of a $400 \text{MeV/u}$ $^{16}$O beam on a Carbon and a polyethylene target with data acquired at GSI (Darmstadt, Germany) beam accelerator facility are presented, along with the extraction of the first total fragmentation cross section for a Hydrogen target within the FOOT experiment.