Speaker
Description
Laser-driven accelerators are emerging as compact and potentially cost-effective alternatives to conventional cyclotrons and synchrotrons for proton therapy. Their ability to generate ultra-short, high-intensity pulses at extremely high dose rates creates opportunities for innovative treatment modalities such as FLASH radiotherapy. At the same time, the distinctive structure of laser-plasma beams such as broad energy spectra, high peak currents, and strong shot-to-shot variations introduces significant challenges in stability, reproducibility, and control.
These challenges place unprecedented demands on beam diagnostics. Unlike conventional systems, diagnostics for laser-driven beams must be capable of handling extremely high instantaneous dose rates, while remaining minimally invasive to preserve beam quality. Reliable, online monitoring is essential to ensure continuous monitoring while treatment or beam delivery. Emerging approaches such as gas-jet monitors provide a promising solution, offering continuous beam characterization without significantly interfering with the primary beam.
The Laser-hybrid Accelerator for Radiobiological Applications (LhARA) exemplifies this paradigm. In its first phase, LhARA is expected to deliver 12–15 MeV protons for in-vitro radiobiology, with later development aiming to extend to 33.4 MeV/u ion beams and 15–127 MeV protons. The integration of advanced diagnostics, such as gas-jet monitoring will help to establish the reliability needed to investigate FLASH radiotherapy, where precise control of ultra-high dose rates is critical.
By tackling the diagnostic challenges of high-intensity laser-driven beams, initiatives such as LhARA, within the broader EuPRAXIA context, demonstrate how accelerator innovation and medical science can be brought together to shape the future of proton therapy.
