arXiv subjects

M. Vanstalle

Publications and source records attributed to M. Vanstalle.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Toward High-Resolution Detection of Target Fragmentation: TEA-Sensitized NIT for Proton Therapy Applications

Nano Imaging Trackers (NIT) are fine-grained nuclear emulsions capable of tracking charged particles with sub-micrometric spatial resolution. The DAMON (Direct Measurement of Target Fragmentation) experiment recently employed NIT to detect target-fragmentation events relevant to proton therapy in direct kinematics. These measurements showed that the small crystal size, while providing high spatial resolution, limits the reconstruction efficiency for primary proton tracks and high-energy secondary protons. This work reports an enhancement of NIT sensitivity achieved through alternative chemical sensitization methods, namely gold-plus-sulfur (Au-S) and triethanolamine (TEA), together with the use of the GR-1 developer. The detector response was evaluated with gamma-ray, carbon-ion and proton exposures, including clinically relevant proton energies.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2025

Precision cross-sections for advancing cosmic-ray physics and other applications: a comprehensive programme for the next decade

Cosmic-ray physics in the GeV-to-TeV energy range has entered a precision era thanks to recent data from space-based experiments. However, the poor knowledge of nuclear reactions, in particular for the production of antimatter and secondary nuclei, limits the information that can be extracted from these data, such as source properties, transport in the Galaxy and indirect searches for particle dark matter. The Cross-Section for Cosmic Rays at CERN workshop series has addressed the challenges encountered in the interpretation of high-precision cosmic-ray data, with the goal of strengthening emergent synergies and taking advantage of the complementarity and know-how in different communities, from theoretical and experimental astroparticle physics to high-energy and nuclear physics. In this paper, we present the outcomes of the third edition of the workshop that took place in 2024. We present the current state of cosmic-ray experiments and their perspectives, and provide a detailed road map to close the most urgent gaps in cross-section data, in order to efficiently progress on many open physics cases, which are motivated in the paper. Finally, with the aim of being as exhaustive as possible, this report touches several other fields -- such as cosmogenic studies, space radiation protection and hadrontherapy -- where overlapping and specific new cross-section measurements, as well as nuclear code improvement and benchmarking efforts, are also needed. We also briefly highlight further synergies between astroparticle and high-energy physics on the question of cross-sections.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Calibration of a $Δ$E-E telescope based on CeBr$_3$ scintillator for secondary charged particles measurements in hadron therapy

Hadrontherapy is an established cancer treatment method that enables a more localized dose deposition compared to conventional radiotherapy, potentially reducing the dose to surrounding healthy tissues in certain clinical cases. However, a key limitation in current treatment planning lies in the limited experimental data available for the characterization of secondary particles generated by nuclear interactions of the primary beam with tissues, which directly impacts the accuracy of Monte Carlo tools and analytical models used in dose calculations. Indeed, this leads to the adoption of larger safety margins and can limit the use of hadrontherapy for treating certain complex or sensitive tumor locations. This work is part of the context of the characterization of secondary charged particles generated by ion beams in the energy range relevant for particle therapy applications, using a $ΔE-E$ telescope comprising a CeBr$_3$ crystal scintillator and a plastic scintillator. The calibration and response of this telescope to ions commonly used in clinical settings is presented in this work, highlighting adherence to Birks' law for accurate energy measurements. This study is the first to optimize a $ΔE-E$ telescope combining CeBr$_3$ and plastic scintillators specifically for secondary particle detection in hadrontherapy. It represents an essential step toward the experimental acquisition of nuclear data, enabling accurate measurement and identification of secondary charged particles generated by therapeutic beams in tissue-equivalent materials. The system is designed for use in controlled experimental setups that reproduce clinical conditions, with the goal of improving the predictive accuracy of treatment planning software through enhanced Monte Carlo simulation inputs.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2025

Angular differential and elemental fragmentation cross sections of a $400\,\text{MeV/nucleon}$ $^{16}\text{O}$ beam on a graphite target with the FOOT experiment

This paper presents the measurements of the angular differential cross sections for the forward production of He, Li, Be, B, C and N nuclei in the fragmentation process of a 400$\text{MeV/nucleon}$ $^{16}\text{O}$ beam interacting with a graphite target. Due to the limited data available in this energy regime, these measurements of nuclear fragmentation cross sections are relevant to improve nuclear interaction models for Particle Therapy and space radioprotection applications. The data analyzed in this paper were collected during a measurement campaign carried out at the GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research facility in Darmstadt (Germany) by the FOOT collaboration. The results are compared with similar results found in the literature and with a previous FOOT measurement of the same process, using the same setup, from a previous pilot run performed at GSI. The pilot run data, however, had limited statistics and only allowed for the measurement of elemental fragmentation cross sections integrated in the setup acceptance. This data set, with statistics more than 100 times larger compared to the data collected in the previous run, enabled the measurement of angular differential cross sections, fully exploiting the granularity of the FOOT $Δ\text{E}$-TOF system. Furthermore, a better comprehension of the FOOT apparatus allowed to improve the analysis techniques, leading to a reduction in the final systematic uncertainties.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2025

Precision cross-sections for advancing cosmic-ray physics. Input to the 2026 ESPPU from the XSCRC community

The latest generation of cosmic-ray direct detection experiments is providing a wealth of high-precision data, stimulating a very rich and active debate in the community on the related strong discovery and constraining potentials on many topics, namely dark matter nature, and the sources, acceleration, and transport of Galactic cosmic rays. However, interpretation of these data is strongly limited by the uncertainties on nuclear and hadronic cross-sections. This contribution is one of the outcomes of the \textit{Cross-Section for Cosmic Rays at CERN} workshop series, that built synergies between experimentalists and theoreticians from the astroparticle, particle physics, and nuclear physics communities. A few successful and illustrative examples of CERN experiments' efforts to provide missing measurements on cross-sections are presented. In the context of growing cross-section needs from ongoing, but also planned, cosmic-ray experiments, a road map for the future is highlighted, including overlapping or complementary cross-section needs from applied topics (e.g., space radiation protection and hadrontherapy).

hep-ex↗

arXiv2025

Cross Section Measurements of Large Angle Fragments Production in the Interaction of Carbon Ion Beams with Thin Targets

The fragmentation cross sections of carbon ion beams with kinetic energies of $115 - 353~\text{MeV/u}$ impinging on thin targets of graphite (C), polyvinyl-toluene (C$_9$H$_{10}$) and PMMA (C$_2$O$_5$H$_8$) have been measured at 90$^{\text{o}}$ and 60$^{\text{o}}$ at the CNAO particle therapy center (Pavia, Italy). The presented measurements are a complete reanalysis by the FOOT collaboration of already published elemental cross section on composite targets, in order to refine the analysis, improve the systematic uncertainties and show the comparison with the FLUKA Monte Carlo code calculations. In this work, the kinetic energy at production of measured fragments has been completely redefined, together with the efficiencies computation. The new analysis strategy has been successfully validated against the Monte Carlo cross sections. Two detection arms were positioned at two different angles to perform the measurement at 90$^{\text{o}}$ and 60$^{\text{o}}$. The fragment species have been identified in charge (Z$_{id}$ = H) and mass (M$_{id}$ = $^1$H, $^2$H, $^3$H) combining the information of the deposited energy in thin plastic scintillators, of the deposited energy in a thick LYSO crystal and of the fragments Time of Flight (ToF) measurement. The ToF was also used to compute the fragments measured kinetic energy. The cross sections are presented as a function of the fragments kinetic energy at production thanks to an unfolding technique applied to the data.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2014

Zero degree measurements of 12C fragmentation at 95 MeV/nucleon on thin targets

During therapeutic treatments using ions such as carbon, nuclear interactions between the incident ions and nuclei present in organic tissues may occur, leading to the attenuation of the incident beam intensity and to the production of secondary light charged particles. As the biological dose deposited in the tumor and the surrounding healthy tissues depends on the beam composition, an accurate knowledge of the fragmentation processes is thus essential. In particular, the nuclear interaction models have to be validated using experimental double differential cross sections which are still very scarce. An experiment was realized in 2011 at GANIL to obtain these cross sections for a 95 MeV/nucleon carbon beam on different thin targets for angles raging from 4 to 43° . In order to complete these data, a new experiment was performed on September 2013 at GANIL to measure the fragmentation cross section at zero degree for a 95 MeV/nucleon carbon beam on thin targets. In this work, the experimental setup will be described, the analysis method detailed and the results presented.

nucl-ex↗