ACE experiment
| ELENA | Extra low energy antiproton ring – further decelerates antiprotons coming from AD |
|---|---|
| AD experiments | |
| ATHENA | AD-1 Antihydrogen production and precision experiments |
| ATRAP | AD-2 Cold antihydrogen for precise laser spectroscopy |
| ASACUSA | AD-3 Atomic spectroscopy and collisions with antiprotons |
| ACE | AD-4 Antiproton cell experiment |
| ALPHA | AD-5 Antihydrogen laser physics apparatus |
| AEgIS | AD-6 Antihydrogen experiment gravity interferometry spectroscopy |
| GBAR | AD-7 Gravitational behaviour of anti-hydrogen at rest |
| BASE | AD-8 Baryon antibaryon symmetry experiment |
| PUMA | AD-9 Antiproton unstable matter annihilation |
The Antiproton Cell Experiment (ACE), AD-4, at the Antiproton Decelerator facility at CERN, Geneva, was started in 2003. It aims to assess fully the effectiveness and suitability of antiprotons for cancer therapy.
The results showed that antiprotons required to break down the tumor cells were four times less than the number of protons required. The effect on healthy tissues due to antiprotons was significantly less. Although the experiment ended in 2013, further research and validation still continue, owing to the long procedures of bringing in novel medical treatments.[1][2]
In 1947, Robert R. Wilson introduced particle beam therapy, as heavy charged particles tend to have a finite range in water (therefore, in the human body) and an advantageous depth-dose profile compared to that of electrons or X-rays. Following such ideas, the hunt for an 'ideal' particle for cancer therapy began. And ACE collaboration was set up to measure and compare the relative biological effectiveness of protons and antiprotons.[3]
References
- ^ "ACE – CERN". Retrieved 21 December 2016.
- ^ Bassler, Niels; Alsner, Jan; Beyer, Gerd; DeMarco, John J.; Doser, Michael; Hajdukovic, Dragan; Hartley, Oliver; Iwamoto, Keisuke S.; Jäkel, Oliver; Knudsen, Helge V.; Kovacevic, Sandra (January 2008). "Antiproton radiotherapy". Radiotherapy and Oncology. 86 (1): 14–19. doi:10.1016/j.radonc.2007.11.028.
- ^ Holzscheiter, Michael; Alsner, Jan; Bassler, Niels; Knudsen, Helge; Sellner, Stefan; Singers Sørensen, Brita (2017-11-24). "Relative Biological Effectiveness of Antiprotons the AD-4/ACE Experiment". Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Low Energy Antiproton Physics (LEAP2016). Kanazawa, Japan: Journal of the Physical Society of Japan. doi:10.7566/JPSCP.18.011039. ISBN 978-4-89027-125-2.