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Optical observation of energy loss distribution and practical range of positrons from a F 18 water solution in a water‐equivalent phantom
Author(s) -
Hasegawa Tomoyuki,
Yoshida Eiji,
Shibuya Kengo,
Murayama Hideo
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
medical physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.473
H-Index - 180
eISSN - 2473-4209
pISSN - 0094-2405
DOI - 10.1118/1.3054765
Subject(s) - scintillator , monte carlo method , annihilation , physics , imaging phantom , computational physics , optics , energy (signal processing) , range (aeronautics) , materials science , nuclear physics , detector , statistics , mathematics , quantum mechanics , composite material
The energy loss distribution ofβ +particles is closely related to their maximum penetration depth distribution and annihilation point distribution. The latter is of practical importance for positron emission tomography. Experimental data related to the energy loss distribution are important for comprehensive validation of physics and simulation models ofβ +interactions. In this paper the authors present a new experimental approach that allows them to visually observe theβ +energy loss distribution of a solution of nuclear medicine radioisotopes in a plastic scintillator using an optical camera. The authors also report a set of the first experimental results. A water solution ofF18was localized in a small hole in a plastic scintillator (BC430). Optical imaging of the scintillator yielded visual images of the energy loss distribution with a submillimeter resolution. The radial dependence in the energy distribution was quantitatively measured by analysis of the images, and exponential fitting parameters were obtained. The authors observed that the results of Monte Carlo simulation with EGS5 (version 1.0.2) and GEANT4 (version 4.9.01.p01) were consistent with those obtained experimentally. The results of the Monte Carlo simulation indicated that for a linear scale, the energy loss distribution in the scintillator was approximately the same as that in water, and the relative shape of the energy loss distribution was close to those of the maximum penetration depth distribution and annihilation point distribution. This paper also presents discussions about the further possibilities of this optical imaging approach. Thus, optical observation of theβ +energy loss distribution in a scintillator is a promising technique for visual and quantitative experimental studies ofβ +emission from a solution of radioisotopes that are used in nuclear medicine.