Radiotherapy with laser-plasma accelerators: Monte Carlo simulation of dose deposited by an experimental quasimonoenergetic electron beam

The most recent experimental results obtained with laser-plasma accelerators are applied to radiotherapy simulations. The narrow electron beam, produced during the interaction of the laser with the gas jet, has a high charge (0.5 nC) and is quasimonoenergetic (170 +/- 20 MeV). The dose deposition is calculated in a water phantom placed at different distances from the diverging electron source. We show that, using magnetic fields to refocus the electron beam inside the water phantom, the transverse penumbra is improved. This electron beam is well suited for delivering a high dose peaked on the propagation axis, a sharp and narrow tranverse penumbra combined with a deep penetration. (c) 2006 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.