Table of Contents
Bern Medical Cyclotron
References
Beam Parameters
| Beam Source | Particle Type | Flux ($cm^{-2} s^{-1}$) | Energy | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBA Cyclone 18/18 | proton | $10^9$ to $10^{12}$ | 18MeV | 8 exit ports for targets/Beam Transfer Line |
| IBA Cyclone 18/18 | neutrons | ~$10^9$ | TBD | produced through converter targets at the end of the BTL |
Facility
The Bern medical cyclotron is a facility which focuses on the production of radiopharmaceuticals as well general scientific research. The former done through SWAN Isotopen AG, whereas the later is done through the Laboratory for High energy Physics (LHEP) at the university of Bern. Scientific research through LHEP include medical applications, beam monitoring and radiation hardness studies.
$H_{2}$ molecules are converted into $H^{-}$ ions through an electrical arc and subsequently accelerated inside the cyclotron up to 18MeV. Before exiting, the electrons are stripped from the $H^{-}$ ions to produce a pure proton beam. A schematic of the facility is shown in the figure below
The protons are directed into a separate bunker (as depicted in the figure below) via a beam transfer line. It is 6.5m long and consists of 1 dipole doublet for horizontal/vertical steering and 2 quadrupole doublets for focusing. An additional neutron shutter (to stop the neutron flux) is included. 2 beam viewers provide a destructive beam current measurement.
Collimators allow for proton beams to have an area of $1cm^2 \times 1 cm^2$ to $3cm^2 \times 3 cm^2$. Setups can be placed in front of the collimator on a motorized linear actuator. Setups can be irradiated in “passive mode”. However, it is also possible to take data during the irradiation via a patch panel (connected to the physics laboratory).