Production and separation of positron emitters for hadron therapy at FRS-Cave M

Nucl Instrum Methods Phys Res B. 2023 Aug:541:114-116. doi: 10.1016/j.nimb.2023.04.026. Epub 2023 May 19.

Abstract

The FRagment Separator FRS at GSI is a versatile spectrometer and separator for experiments with relativistic in-flight separated short-lived exotic beams. One branch of the FRS is connected to the target hall where the bio-medical cave (Cave M) is located. Recently a joint activity between the experimental groups of the FRS and the biophysics at the GSI and Department of physics at LMU was started to perform biomedical experiments relevant for hadron therapy with positron emitting carbon and oxygen beams. This paper presents the new ion-optical mode and commissioning results of the FRS-Cave M branch where positron emitting 15O-ions were provided to the medical cave for the first time. An overall conversion efficiency of 2.9±0.2×10-4 15O fragments per primary 16O ion accelerated in the synchrotron SIS18 was reached.

Keywords: Hadron therapy; In-flight separator; Ion optics; Positron emitter.