Remote sensing of high energy charged particle current (HEC) for megavoltage therapeutic electron beams.

Objective. We demonstrate detection of high energy particle current (HEC) for MeV therapeutic electron beams. Detection of HEC comprises of remote sensing or acquiring information about HEC inside radiation transport medium from a distance outside of the medium. Approach. HEC is self-propelled motion of charged particles through a radiation transport medium. Remote sensing of HEC is embodied in an experimental setup, which includes homogeneous and heterogeneous phantoms irradiated with 4-15 MeV electron beams and two large area parallel-plane electrodes extraneous to the phantoms providing two-parameter detection. We also introduce a new type of scanning method (depth-scan) for probing object properties along the beamline axis. Main Results. Deterministic radiation transport simulations and measurements agree, considering differences in simulation vs experimental geometry and experimental uncertainties. Significance. This method may be suitable for range detection of charged particle beams, or for probing of radiation opaque objects in non-destructive testing.