Abstract: Intraoperative radiotherapy using mobile linear accelerators is used for a wide variety of malignancies. However, when large fields are used in combination with high energies, a deterioration of the flatness dose profile is measured with respect to smaller fields and lower energies. Indeed, for the LIAC HWL of Sordina, this deterioration is observed for the 12 MeV beam combined with 10 cm (or larger) diameter applicator. Aimed to solve this problem, a flattening filter has been designed and validated evaluating the feasibility of its usage at the upper part of the applicator. The design of the filter was based on Monte Carlo simulations because of its accuracy in modeling components of clinical devices, among other purposes. The LIAC 10 cm diameter applicator was modeled and simulated independently by two different research groups using two different MC codes, reproducing the heterogeneity of the 12 MeV energy beam. Then, an iterative process of filter design was carried out. Finally, the MC designed conical filter with the optimal size and height to obtain the desired flattened beam was built in-house using a 3D printer. During the experimental validation of the applicator-filter, percentage depth dose, beam profiles, absolute and peripheral dose measurements were performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the filter addition in the applicator. These measurements conclude that the beam has been flattened, from 5.9% with the standard configuration to 1.6% for the configuration with the filter, without significant increase of the peripheral dose. Consequently, the new filter-applicator LIAC configuration can be used also in a conventional surgery room. A reduction of 16% of the output dose and a reduction of 1.1 mm in the D50 of the percentage depth dose was measured with respect to the original configuration. This work is a proof-of-concept that demonstrates that it is possible to add a filter able to flatten the beam delivered by the Sordina LIAC HWL. Future studies will focus on more refined technical solutions fully compatible with the integrity of the applicator, including its sterilization, to be safely introduced in the clinical practice.

Abstract: We consider the structure and formation of the phi mesic nuclei to investigate the experimental feasibility of the observation of signals of the phi mesic nucleus formation. phi mesic nuclei are considered to be very important objects to study the in-medium modification of the phi-meson spectral function at finite density. We consider ((p) over bar, phi), (gamma, p) and (pi(-), n) reactions to produce a phi-meson inside the nucleus and evaluate the effects of its medium modifications to the reaction cross sections. We also estimate the consequences of the uncertainties of the in-medium (K) over bar self-energy to the phi-nucleus interaction. We find that it may be possible to see peak structures in the reaction spectra for the strong attractive potential cases. On the other hand, for strong absorptive interaction cases with relatively weak attraction, it is very difficult to observe clear peaks and we may need to know the spectrum shape in a wide energy region to deduce the properties of phi.

Abstract: The observation of the recent electron neutrino appearance in a muon neutrino beam and the high-precision measurement of the mixing angle theta(13) have led to a re-evaluation of the physics potential of the T2K long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment. Sensitivities are explored for CP violation in neutrinos, non-maximal sin(2) 2 theta(23), the octant of theta(23), and the mass hierarchy, in addition to the measurements of delta CP, sin(2) theta(23), and Delta m(32)(2), for various combinations of nu-mode and (nu) over bar -mode data-taking. With an exposure of 7.8 x 10(21) protons-on-target, T2K can achieve 1 sigma resolution of 0.050 (0.054) on sin(2) theta(23) and 0.040 (0.045) x 10(-3) eV(2) on Delta m(32)(2) for 100% (50%) neutrino beam mode running assuming sin(2) theta(23) = 0.5 and Delta m(32)(2) = 2.4 x 10(-3) eV(2). T2K will have sensitivity to the CP-violating phase delta(CP) at 90% C.L. or better over a significant range. For example, if sin(2) 2 theta(23) is maximal (i.e.theta(23) = 45 degrees) the range is -115 degrees < delta(CP) < -60 degrees for normal hierarchy and +50 degrees < delta(CP) < + 130 degrees for inverted hierarchy. When T2K data is combined with data from the NO nu A experiment, the region of oscillation parameter space where there is sensitivity to observe a non-zero delta CP is substantially increased compared to if each experiment is analyzed alone.

Abstract: We report a measurement of the flux-integrated v(mu) charged-current cross sections on water, hydrocarbon, and iron in the T2K on-axis neutrino beam with a mean neutrino energy of 1.5 GeV. The measured cross sections on water, hydrocarbon, and iron are sigma(H2O)(CC) = (0.840 +/- 0.010(stat.)(0.08)(+0.10)(syst.)) x 10 (38) cm(2)/nucleon, sigma(CH)(CC) = (0.817 +/- 0.007(stat.)(0.08)(+0.11)(syst.)) x 10 (38) cm(2)/nucleon, and sigma(Fe)(CC) = (0.859 +/- 0.003(stat.)(0.10)(+0.12)(syst.)) x 10 (38) cm(2)/nucleon, respectively, for a restricted phase space of induced muons: theta(mu) < 45 degrees and p(mu) >0.4 GeV/c in the laboratory frame. The measured cross section ratios are sigma(H2O)(CC)/sigma(CH)(CC) = 1.028 +/- 0.016(stat.) +/- 0.053(syst.), sigma(Fe)(CC)/sigma(H2O)(CC) = 1.023 +/- 0.012(stat.) +/- 0.058(syst.), and sigma(Fe)(CC)/sigma(CH)(CC) = 1.049 +/- 0.010(stat.) +/- 0.043(syst.). These results, with an unprecedented precision for the measurements of neutrino cross sections on water in the studied energy region, show good agreement with the current neutrino interaction models used in the T2K oscillation analyses.

Abstract: We present the physics program of the Belle II experiment, located on the intensity frontier SuperKEKB e+e− collider. Belle II collected its first collisions in 2018, and is expected to operate for the next decade. It is anticipated to collect 50/ab of collision data over its lifetime. This book is the outcome of a joint effort of Belle II collaborators and theorists through the Belle II theory interface platform (B2TiP), an effort that commenced in 2014. The aim of B2TiP was to elucidate the potential impacts of the Belle II program, which includes a wide scope of physics topics: B physics, charm, tau, quarkonium, electroweak precision measurements and dark sector searches. It is composed of nine working groups (WGs), which are coordinated by teams of theorist and experimentalists conveners: Semileptonic and leptonic B decays, Radiative and Electroweak penguins, phi1 and phi2 (time-dependent CP violation) measurements, phi_3 measurements, Charmless hadronic B decay, Charm, Quarkonium(like), tau and low-multiplicity processes, new physics and global fit analyses. This book highlights “golden- and silver-channels”, i.e. those that would have the highest potential impact in the field. Theorists scrutinised the role of those measurements and estimated the respective theoretical uncertainties, achievable now as well as prospects for the future. Experimentalists investigated the expected improvements with the large dataset expected from Belle II, taking into account improved performance from the upgraded detector.