Speaker
Descrizione
Laser-driven ion acceleration via ultra-intense laser–matter interaction has rapidly progressed in recent years, demonstrating the capability to generate high-current, short-pulse ion beams with unique temporal and spectral characteristics. These beams, inherently different from those produced by conventional accelerators, open new perspectives for multidisciplinary applications, particularly in radiation therapy research. However, their broad energy spectra, shot-to-shot fluctuations, ultra-high dose rates, and pulsed time structure pose significant challenges for beam transport, dosimetry, and radiobiological assessment.
At ELI Beamlines, the laser-driven ion beamline ELIMAIA has been developed to provide controlled and selectable proton beams for user applications. Within this framework, the ELIMED initiative, a collaboration with Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, focuses on the realization of a dedicated beam transport and dosimetric section tailored to medical and radiobiological studies.
This presentation will first review the present status of laser-driven ion acceleration and beam transport solutions, highlighting the technological strategies adopted to handle spectral selection, beam shaping, and stability. Particular emphasis will be devoted to the development and commissioning of the ELIMED dosimetric chain, designed to operate under high instantaneous dose-rate conditions. The system integrates online and absolute dosimeters, including secondary emission monitors, multi-gap ionization chambers, radiochromic films, and a dedicated Faraday cup, enabling accurate shot-by-shot dose monitoring.
Results obtained during the first commissioning campaigns with a ~20 MeV laser-driven proton beam will be discussed, demonstrating dose measurements in the range of tens of mGy per shot with uncertainties below 10%. The reliability of the dosimetric system enabled the first radiobiological irradiations at ELI Beamlines, where cell cultures were exposed to intense pulsed proton beams. Initial radiobiological investigations, aimed at assessing cellular response under ultra-high dose-rate conditions, will be presented and discussed in the context of both conventional and emerging FLASH radiotherapy research.
The upcoming perspectived in Italian laser driven beamlines in the field of the realisation of new multidisciplinary beamlines, will be also discussed icluding the INO-CNR (Pisa, IT) and the ucoming INFN I-LUCE facility (Catania, IT).
