Real-time single-ion hit position detecting system for cell irradiation

Sato, Takahiro; Koka, Masashi; Kada, Wataru*; Yokoyama, Akihito; Kamiya, Tomihiro

AA new real-time single-ion hit position detecting system was developed to be replaced with SSNTD (Solid State Nuclear Track Detector) for cell irradiation experiments because SSNTD takes several minutes for off-line etching. The new real-time system consists of a 1-mm-thick CaF(Eu) scintillator, an optical microscope with a 10 objective lens and a high-gain CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) camera. Each ion of 260-MeV neon passing through a 100-m-thick SSNTD sheet was detected using the real-time system in a performance test for the spatial resolution. The FWHMs of the distances between positions detected by the real-time system and the centers of the etch pits on SSNTD were 4.9 and 11.4 m in x- and y-axis directions, respectively. The result shows that the system is useful for typical cultured cells of a few tens of micrometers.