Discovery of the luminescence of water during irradiation of radiation at a lower energy than the Cherenkov light thresh
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Discovery of the luminescence of water during irradiation of radiation at a lower energy than the Cherenkov light threshold Seiichi Yamamoto1 Received: 26 August 2020 / Revised: 24 September 2020 / Accepted: 26 September 2020 © Japanese Society of Radiological Technology and Japan Society of Medical Physics 2020
Abstract It is widely believed that light is not emitted in water during irradiation of radiation at energies lower than the Cherenkov light threshold. Contrary to this consensus, we discovered that light (luminescence) is emitted in water during irradiation of radiation, and imaging of this luminescence was possible. In this review, the author describes the optical images obtained for various types of radiation, their characteristics and origins, and potential applications of the luminescence of water during irradiation at a lower energy than the Cherenkov light threshold. The author also describes the luminescence of other transparent materials and future prospects of the discovered luminescence. Keywords Luminescence · Cherenkov-light · Water · Radiation · Energy
1 Introduction Cherenkov light is a well-known phenomenon [1], which has been used for the dose estimation of radiation from a medical linear accelerator (LINAC) [2–6]. High-energy X-rays or electrons emit Cherenkov light in water because their energy is higher than the Cherenkov light threshold, and imaging is possible using charge-coupled device (CCD) cameras. Cherenkov light imaging has also been attempted for molecular imaging of the distribution of radionuclides that emit positrons or electrons using a high-sensitivity CCD camera [7–11]. Positrons or electrons emit Cherenkov light when their energies exceed the Cherenkov light threshold. In the above-mentioned optical imaging of radiation, it is widely believed that light is not emitted in water by irradiation at a lower energy than the Cherenkov light threshold [12, 13]. Contrary to this scientific consensus, the author and collaborating researchers found that the luminescence of water could be imaged during proton or carbon ion irradiation using a cooled CCD camera [14, 15]. The authors also found that the luminescence imaging of water for X-rays was possible even at lower energy than the Cherenkov light threshold [16]. The luminescence of water is applicable to * Seiichi Yamamoto s‑[email protected]‑u.ac.jp 1
Department of Integrated Health Science, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
the range estimation and beam-width estimation of particle therapies, and is also promising for dose estimation. In this review, the discovery of this phenomenon, the characteristics and light-emission mechanism, and applications of the luminescence of water during irradiation at a lower energy than the Cherenkov light threshold are summarized.
2 Discovery of the phenomenon 2.1 Luminescence of water during proton irradiation Before the discovery of the luminescence of water during irradiation at a lower energy than the Cherenkov light threshold, the author conducted the Che
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