In-beam PET measurement of $^{7}Li^{3+}$ irradiation induced $\beta^+}$-activity

At present positron emission tomography (PET) is the only feasible method of an in situ and non-invasive monitoring of patient irradiation with ions. At the experimental carbon ion treatment facility of the Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung (GSI) Darmstadt an in-beam PET scanner has been integrated into the treatment site and lead to a considerable quality improvement of the therapy. Since ions other than carbon are expected to come into operation in future patient treatment facilities, it is highly desirable to extend in-beam PET also to other therapeutic relevant ions, e.g. 7Li. Therefore, by means of the in-beam PET scanner at GSI the β+-activity induced by 7Li3+ ions has been investigated for the first time. Targets of PMMA, water, graphite and polyethylene were irradiated with monoenergetic, pencil-like beams of 7Li3+ with energies between 129.1 A MeV and 205.3 A MeV and intensities ranging from 3.0 × 107 to 1.9 × 108 ions s−1. This paper presents the measured β+-activity profiles as well as depth dependent thick target yields which have been deduced from the experimental data. The β+-activity induced by 7Li ions was found to be a factor of 1.76 higher than the one induced by 12C ions at the same physical dose and particle range.