Development and Characterization of a Superconducting Electron Accelerator with Wide-Range Tunable Dose Rate for Flash Effect Research
Abstract
Purpose
To investigate the potential impact of dose rate, beam energy, and temporal structure on the FLASH effect, an irradiation platform providing widely tunable dose rate and energy range is desirable. This work aims to develop and characterize a superconducting accelerator-based irradiation platform with widely tunable dose rate and beam energy for comprehensive FLASH radiobiology and pre-clinical studies.
Methods
To investigate the potential impact of dose rate, beam energy, and temporal structure on the FLASH effect, an irradiation platform providing widely tunable dose rate and energy range is desirable. This work aims to develop and characterize a superconducting accelerator-based irradiation platform with widely tunable dose rate and beam energy for comprehensive FLASH radiobiology and pre-clinical studies.
Results
Stable electron beams with energies from 1 MeV to 30 MeV were achieved. The electron of 1 MeV–3 MeV was directly acquired from the gun and can be accelerated up to 30 MeV in the linac. Three temporal structures (single pulse, macro-pulse, and continuous wave) were made available with adjustable duty cycle, pulse width, and charge per bunch. The system enabled dose rates spanning from conventional levels (<0.1 Gy/s) to ultra-high dose rates exceeding 10,000 Gy/s with high reproducibility. Continuous-wave operation was demonstrated for over 8 hours at an average current of 0.1 mA, corresponding to an average dose rate of approximately 7000 Gy/s. Radiochromic film measurements showed sose fluctuation < 5% across the investigated range.
Conclusion
The developed superconducting electron accelerator provides a uniquely flexible platform with broad energy coverage and highly tunable dose rates. It enables FLASH effect radiobiology studies and protocol optimization, potentially facilitating the clinical translation in the future.