Characterization of a detector head based on continuous LaBr 3 crystals and SiPM arrays for dose monitoring in hadron therapy

In hadron therapy, prompt gamma rays are emitted during the treatment from the excited nuclei in the tissue, and can be employed for dose monitoring. A Compton telescope is under development within the ENVISION project for imaging the prompt gamma rays. The telescope will consist of several detector layers, each composed of a continuous LaBr 3 crystal coupled to silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) arrays. A first detector made of a 16×18×5 mm 3 LaBr 3 crystal coupled to a SiPM array has been characterized in order to evaluate its performance for the proposed application.