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Oliver, J. F., & Rafecas, M. (2016). Modelling Random Coincidences in Positron Emission Tomography by Using Singles and Prompts: A Comparison Study. PLoS ONE, 11(9), e0162096–22pp.
Abstract: Random coincidences degrade the image in Positron Emission Tomography, PET. To compensate for their degradation effects, the rate of random coincidences should be estimated. Under certain circumstances, current estimation methods fail to provide accurate results. We propose a novel method, “Singles-Prompts” (SP), that includes the information conveyed by prompt coincidences and models the pile-up. The SP method has the same structure than the well-known “Singles Rate” (SR) approach. Hence, SP can straightforwardly replace SR. In this work, the SP method has been extensively assessed and compared to two conventional methods, SR and the delayed window (DW) method, in a preclinical PET scenario using Monte-Carlo simulations. SP offers accurate estimates for the randoms rates, while SR and DW tend to overestimate the rates (similar to 10%, and 5%, respectively). With pile-up, the SP method is more robust than SR (but less than DW). At the image level, the contrast is overestimated in SR-corrected images, + 16%, while SP produces the correct value. Spill-over is slightly reduced using SP instead of SR. The DW images values are similar to those of SP except for low-statistic scenarios, where DW behaves as if randoms were not compensated for. In particular, the contrast is reduced, -16%. In general, the better estimations of SP translate into better image quality.
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Gomez-Cadenas, J. J., Benlloch-Rodriguez, J. M., & Ferrario, P. (2016). Application of scintillating properties of liquid xenon and silicon photomultiplier technology to medical imaging. Spectroc. Acta Pt. B, 118, 6–13.
Abstract: We describe a new positron emission time-of-flight apparatus using liquid xenon. The detector is based in a liquid xenon scintillating cell. The cell shape and dimensions can be optimized depending on the intended application. In its simplest form, the liquid xenon scintillating cell is a box in which two faces are covered by silicon photomultipliers and the others by a reflecting material such as Teflon. It is a compact, homogenous and highly efficient detector which shares many of the desirable properties of monolithic crystals, with the added advantage of high yield and fast scintillation offered by liquid xenon. Our initial studies suggest that good energy and spatial resolution comparable with that achieved by lutetium oxyorthosilicate crystals can be obtained with a detector based in liquid xenon scintillating cells. In addition, the system can potentially achieve an excellent coincidence resolving time of better than 100 ps.
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Gimenez-Alventosa, V., Ballester, F., & Vijande, J. (2016). VoxelMages: a general-purpose graphical interface for designing geometries and processing DICOM images for PENELOPE. Appl. Radiat. Isot., 118, 251–257.
Abstract: The design and construction of geometries for Monte Carlo calculations is an error-prone, time-consuming, and complex step in simulations describing particle interactions and transport in the field of medical physics. The software VoxelMages has been developed to help the user in this task. It allows to design complex geometries and to process DICOM image files for simulations with the general-purpose Monte Carlo code PENELOPE in an easy and straightforward way. VoxelMages also allows to import DICOM-RT structure contour information as delivered by a treatment planning system. Its main characteristics, usage and performance benchmarking are described in detail.
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Sekihara, T., Oset, E., & Ramos, A. (2016). On the structure observed in the in-flight He-3(K-, Lambda p)n reaction at J-PARC. Prog. Theor. Exp. Phys., 2016(12), 123D03–27pp.
Abstract: A theoretical investigation is done to clarify the origin of the peak structure observed near the K-pp threshold in the in-flight He-3(K-, Lambda p)n reaction of the J-PARC E15 experiment, which could be a signal of the lightest kaonic nuclei, i.e., the (K) over bar NN (I = 1/2) state. For the investigation, we evaluate the Lambda p invariant mass spectrum assuming two possible scenarios to interpret the experimental peak. One assumes that the Lambda (1405) resonance is generated after the emission of an energetic neutron from the absorption of the initial K-, not forming a bound state with the remaining proton. This uncorrelated Lambda (1405)p system subsequently decays into the final Lambda p. The other scenario implies that, after the emission of the energetic neutron, a (K) over bar NN bound state is formed, decaying eventually into a Lambda p pair. Our results show that the experimental signal observed in the in-flight He-3(K-, Lambda p)n reaction at J-PARC is qualitatively well reproduced by the assumption that a (K) over bar NN bound state is generated in the reaction, definitely discarding the interpretation in terms of an uncorrelated Lambda (1405)p s tate.
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Serenelli, A., Scott, P., Villante, F. L., Vincent, A. C., Asplund, M., Basu, S., et al. (2016). Implications of solar wind measurements for solar models and composition. Mon. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc., 463(1), 2–9.
Abstract: We critically examine recent claims of a high solar metallicity by von Steiger & Zurbuchen (2016, vSZ16) based onin situ measurements of the solar wind, rather than the standard spectroscopically inferred abundances (Asplund et al. 2009, hereafter AGSS09). We test the claim by Vagnozzi et al. (2016) that a composition based on the solar wind enables one to construct a standard solar model in agreement with helioseismological observations and thus solve the decades-old solar modelling problem. We show that, although some helioseismological observables are improved compared to models computed with spectroscopic abundances, most are in fact worse. The high abundance of refractory elements leads to an overproduction of neutrinos, with a predicted B-8 flux that is nearly twice its observed value, and Be-7 and CNO fluxes that are experimentally ruled out at high confidence. A combined likelihood analysis shows that models using the vSZ16 abundances are worse than AGSS09 despite a higher metallicity. We also present astrophysical and spectroscopic arguments showing the vSZ16 composition to be an implausible representation of the solar interior, identifying the first ionization potential effect in the outer solar atmosphere and wind as the likely culprit.
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