Test of a pion range monitor using the radiative capture of pions on protons pi-p leads to n gamma.

The present paper demonstrates that neutron-photon pairs from radiative capture of stopped pions on chemically bound protons can be used to measure the range of negative pions within phantoms or a patient. Experimental results are given for a polyethylene and a water target of realistic size as well as for a Rando phantom. Monte-Carlo calculations were carried out in order to study the influence of various sizes of treatment volumes, detector geometries and neutron scattering within the targets upon the accuracy of the pion range determination. The results reveal clearly that a pion range monitor for the control of therapy plans and for actual patient irradiations can be designed according to the proposed principle. The absorbed dose required for a measurement is of the order of 0.1 Gy for a single pion beam if one aims at an accuracy of range determination of a few millimeters.