Speaker
Description
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanners detect gamma rays resulting from a tracer chemical like fluorine-18.. These gamma rays have been detected in a pixelated Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC) optimized for neutrino physics studies. These tests have in part motivated the optimization and design of a LArTPC for application in PET. This talk will present the simulations and designs for a liquid argon PET (LArPET) scanner.
An initial simulation was created to optimize for detector parameters like time projection chamber dimensions, channel size, and configurations of the readout electronics. This simulation characterizes the detector response and suggests that a pixelated LArTPC would detect the gamma rays emitted by the tracer with a higher spatial resolution than traditional scintillation crystals.
A second Monte Carlo simulated the scan of several sources of different sizes. Then the detector systematic models of both traditional and the LArPET scanners were applied to the datasets, and an image reconstruction algorithm was applied to each simulation with the LArPET scans generating clearer images.
These studies have informed the design and construction of a small scale LArPET scanner to be constructed at Syracuse University. Results of those tests could motivate the design and construction of a full scale detector. If validated, this could enhance the ability to screen for diseases like cancer and Alzheimer's.
