The CI seminar series runs throughout the year as part of the education and training programme for all CI staff and students. Seminars are given by both internal and external speakers covering a range of issues related to accelerator science.
Visitors are welcome to attend CI seminars. To arrange a guest pass to access the site please contact a member of the CI staff.
Suggestions for future seminars are always welcome and should be sent to ciseminars@cockcroft.ac.uk
Dr Ian Shinton Principal Physicist- RF Elekta Limited
Title: ‘Development of a Combined MR Imaging and Radiotherapy Treatment System from the perspective of linac development’
Abstract:
Elekta Unity is the product of a 10-year consortium project to produce a state-of-the art MRI radiotherapy system. This represents the next generation of radiotherapy machines setting a new standard for personalized radiation therapy. Elekta Unity provides the ability to reshape the dose based on daily changes in shape, size and position of the tumor and surrounding healthy anatomy and then enables accurate dose delivery with real-time visualization of the tumor.
An overview of the development process of this product, including driving factors and manufacturing challenges that were overcome from the perspective of the raditotherapy RF system and linac will be presented in this 1hr talk.
Malcolm J Joyce Department of Engineering, Lancaster University and Hybrid Instruments Ltd.
TITLE: Positive (neutron!) discrimination
Abstract:
Neutrons are relatively easy to detect when slow (thermalized), due to the extensive prior art associated with 3He-filled ionisation chambers. Helium-3 has the benefits of long-term stability in use and relative immunity to g rays; the latter is important because neutron fields almost always co-exist with an associated g-ray environment. However, fast neutrons have some important characteristics, such as their energy prior to thermalisation, that we often wish to exploit to our advantage. For example, the energy spectrum of fast neutrons in a given environment can provide important information on the adequacy or otherwise of radiation shielding and neutrons detected otherwise unimpeded (i.e., having not undergone an interaction), can provide information as to their origin for location, thus yielding imaging capabilities. Further, the temporal correlation of fast neutrons emitted from correlated phenomena (most often fission) can be used to target such phenomena, specifically, often for the purposes of nuclear safeguards assay. In this seminar, a commercial means by which fast neutrons can be discriminated from g rays digitally and in real-time will be described, and some of the pitfalls and highlights of running a business for > 15 years based on this technology for what can be an extraordinarily esoteric customer base will be described.
Prof. Lucio Piccirillo -University of Manchester
TITLE :’Waveguide with superconducting thin films deposited as parametric amplifiers’
Abstract:
We review the status of development of SC parametric amplifiers and discuss a novel architecture using superconducting thin films depositedinside resonant cavities or travelling wave structures.
