title: Measurement of the effect of inhomogeneities and compensating bolus in clinical pion beams.
abstract: Measurement of the effects of Telfon and air inhomogeneities on the ionization distributions of clinical negative-pion beams have been made at the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility. Inhomogeneity location and pion-beam energy vary the effect of multiple coulomb scattering on the dose distribution lying in the penumbra of the inhomogeneity. CH2 bolus adequately corrects for the effects of these inhomogeneities. Bolus misalignment less than 0.5 cm does not seem critical because of large multiple coulomb scattering of the pion beam. However, this and secondary particles emitted from pion stars prevent the pion beam from being precisely shaped with sharp edges, as demonstrated by measurements under a patient bolus.
mesh_terms: D004601:Elementary Particles; D006801:Humans; D008961:Models, Structural; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012542:Scattering, Radiation
chemical_list: D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene