LhARA radiobiology; meeting: 23Jul26; 14:00 GMT

ZOOM: ​https://imperial-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/98220889714?pwd=SM90vOF7BKSXoU3mD9q7OwBQo4IVB3.1

Agenda

1. Larger LhARA Biology Plan
   • JMcG: Presentation
   • General Discussion

2. Overview of Current SCAPA Plan
   • Solutions to the three main problems:
     • Move the scatterer further up the beamline (closer to the laser-target).
     • Use a real-time diagnostic
     • Investigate how long the cells survive and the cause of death
   • Additions:
     • Collect more biology results?
   • When?:
     • Robbie mentioned February
     • Need to be ready to latch onto any downtime of other experiments
   • More information: ​https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OTARVtxhLRu02S6CLdRDB2QlGvCqDfZ3aWBifjIFs_Q/edit?tab=t.0
   • Steps required: Below and at ​https://trello.com/invite/b/67587c515b0c69656ee78b48/ATTIe86f94b24e3e5884e4cb87e5ed3b89ab64321B83/poplar

3. Instrumentation Discussion
   • Options:
     • Sparse scintillating fibre arrays in the vacuum chamber
     • Scintillating fibre around the cell dish
     • Lanex around the cell dish
     • Integrated Current Transformers (ICTs)
     • Laser Diagnostics (Backscatter etc)
     • Replace the scatterer with a scintillating sheet
     • (RCF around the cell dish (if desperate))
   • Testing method:
     • Calibrate with RCF?
     • No calibration. Use lots of cell dishes and match the distribution of variation in diagnostic output to the "known" distribution of the shot-to-shot variation
   • LET Detector

4. BioPrep Discussion
   • Spatial Variation: Is a CV of 8% acceptable?
   • Cell Control Survival:
     • Need to test how long cells can remain vertical
     • Can reduce the time taken to conduct the irradiations (and therefore the time the cells are vertical for)
     • Monitor the temperature of the thermostat
   • Better instrumentation:
     • Inverted microscope
     • Multi-chamber haemocytometer
   • More results (as well as clonogenics):
     • Comet analyses
     • X-ray comparison on-site

5. Alternate Beamlines
   • ELI Rejected
     • Waiting for feedback

6. Discussion on Ion-Acoustic Plan
   • Current updates

7. DoNM
   • 06/08/26

8. AoB

Summary of actions required

In-Beam Diagnostics

• Unassigned: Acquire a glass sheet
• Unassigned: Get a new RCF batch and calibrate
• TP: Testing delaminating EBT3
• PH: Obtain transparent fibre or an alternative method for light transport
• PH: Obtain a lens for hollow fibre tests
• CD: Simulate energy deposited in transport fibres
• KL, CD, JMcG, PH: Design a system to make full scifi prototypes
• KL, CD, JMcG, PH: Make a full scifi prototype
• KL, CD, JMcG, PH: Discuss visit to Birmingham to test SciFi
• RW, CD: Study the correlation between laser diagnostics and mean dose
• Unassigned: Investigate how a phosphor sheet could be incorporated into the design of the cell dish
• CW: Investigate the feasibility of ICTs for our beamline

Bio Next Steps

• EM, CD, JMcG: Write up technical summary of Phase 2
• EM: Write up a biology plan for a 2 PMQ setup
• Unassigned: Obtain an inverted microscope
• Unassigned: Obtain multi-chamber haemocytometers (Might be able to use Birmingham's)
• Unassigned: Obtain a thermostat for the incubator
• MB, JP, MB: Meet up to plan cell survival dry run and a bio plan for a 2 Quad setup
• EM: Run controls to examine how long the cells can survive vertically

Beamline Modelling

• CD: Examine energy spectra variation
• RW, CD: Source characterisation

Alternate Beamlines

• JMcG: Simulate BELLA
• JMcG: Simulate ELI

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